It’s eight o’clock on a Friday morning, and Searows is sitting in the bedroom of his Portland, Oregon family home. The artist – real name Alec Duckart – is wearing a burgundy fitted cap and oversized brown hoodie, a pep rally cast-off with the slogan “RAH CHEER” in big amber letters across the front. Behind him, various postcards and pictures are tacked to the wall, but most notably there’s River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, huddled together on the back of a motorbike, floating just above Searows’ left shoulder.

The image is from My Own Private Idaho, a watershed film for both queer 90s cinema and the Pacific Northwest canon in general. But it’s not just his taste in movies and the location of his home that connects Searows to the US region. “I feel like I’m very much stereotypically Pacific Northwest in my whole sound, vibe and interests,” he says, leaning forward on his bed. You hear it in the soulful yearn of new single “Funny”, its dulcet rhythms continuing the musical legacy of the wider northern region (Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens, both huge influences, are from the Midwest). You see it too, on the cover art for current single “I have more than enough”, a dusky stretch of mountains the backdrop for Searows’ solitary contemplation. “We shot that in a place called Maupin in Oregon,” says the singer. “I got to stay there just a few nights, and take those pictures. It was so beautiful.” While other artists may plunder “rootsy-ness” as a mere aesthetic, Searow’s genuine connection to the place he loves is what singles him out as a musician. And at just 23 years old, his path to becoming a truly impactful artist has already begun.

Below, we chat to Searows about getting his break on TikTok, finding inspiration in poetry, and which billionaire would be in his nightmare blunt rotation.

Hi Searows! First of all, you opened for Ethel Cain recently – what was that like?

Searows: It was just surreal, because months earlier I had been a huge fan and went to her show and waited outside the venue. I feel like it’s something that I would have made up in my head that wouldn’t actually come true. So it was very, very cool. 

How did it come about?

Searows: She found my music through a friend who showed her my stuff. We also have the same booking person, and there was a show in between Coachella that he couldn’t get another Coachella artist to open, and he was like ‘maybe we can get you to play that show?’ I got very lucky to [be able to] do that.

What are some of your inspirations for when you’re writing and making music?

Searows: It depends on the song. I feel like reading poetry is how I think of something I want to write about. Some line where I’ll be like, ‘that’s cool’. I don’t feel like I read enough poetry, as in casually reading. It’s more like I will look for poetry. I’ll look for it when I need some kind of inspiration, and it is very inspiring. 

Are there specific writers that you go to?

Searows: The one that I always reach for is Richard Siken. I’ve read his poetry since high school, and he doesn’t use a bunch of flowery language. I love flowery language, but I also love just sort of saying what you’re feeling in a matter of fact way. It’s beautiful. 

“I love flowery language, but I also love just sort of saying what you’re feeling in a matter of fact way. It’s beautiful” – Searows

At what age did you begin making music?

Searows: I started playing guitar when I was 13. I was just learning songs. I feel like I was 14 when I started writing songs, or writing full songs with guitar and everything. Once I was 16 or 17, I would put stuff on SoundCloud and Bandcamp. It wasn’t consistent, but I would randomly spend the whole day making a song. I kept doing that until I started posting on my TikTok. There are just so many people on that app and then you find people that want to listen to your music. So I was like, I’ve got to make an album, I guess!

Would you say that TikTok has been instrumental for your blowing up?

Searows: It definitely has been. There are so few platforms – or at least there were so few – that have so much reach. It’s so easy to get a bunch of people to see what you’re doing even though it’s just random.

How do you think growing up in Oregon has influenced your sound and aesthetic?

Searows: I feel like I’m very much stereotypically Pacific Northwest in my sound and whole vibe and interests. My parents played Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver, Iron & Wine, the Decemberists and people who also write about Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. It’s very much influenced me a lot and it’s just great. I love Oregon. It’s beautiful.

So your debut album Guard Dog came out last year – how would you say your sound has progressed since that release?

Searows: I was really still figuring out how to produce my own music with that album. Right before making the songs for that album, I was like ‘I’m gonna need a producer. I can’t do this on my own.’ Then I started recording those songs and I was like, ‘I probably could just do it on my own.’

I feel like this time I have a lot more practice and want to add more sounds. I was trying to play it very safe with the amount that was going on in the last album because I only have so many GarageBand skills. I’m still really learning and I am kind of still playing it safe, because I can’t play that many instruments, or do that much in terms of complicated production – but I am getting better.

Would you record the soundtrack for Donald Trump’s re-election campaign for $10,000?

Searows: No… Or? ‘No’ if it’s a quick answer, but I could do something. There’s a chance to do something really funny with that, to really mess him up. Just make something really bad. Just make it horrendous.

What’s the last text you sent?

Searows: It was actually to Matt Maltese to say thank you for being great. He started the label that I’m on.

What’s your favourite corner shop snack?

Searows: I feel like salt and vinegar chips are always my go to. 

What’s your ghost outfit? 

Searows: if I had to choose I feel I would have to go with a classic, like a white nightgown, because if I’m going to be a ghost I want to feel like in any situation I could haunt someone and nobody would know what era I’m from. It’s timeless. It’s classic.

What’s your star sign and are you a typical one of that sign?

Searows: I’m a Pisces. I’m pretty sensitive emotionally – not outwardly, but internally. I don’t know that much about astrology but a lot of my closest friends and favourite people know a lot about astrology, so I’ve heard I’m a pretty Pisces person to some extent.

Any recurring dreams?

Searows: I have a lot of alien dreams. Maybe I just watch alien-related media too much. It just seeps in.

What adjective would you least like to be described as?

Searows: Boring would be a pretty rough one, but I feel like that is a boring answer. 

What would be the line-up in a nightmare blunt rotation?

Searows: All the billionaires of the world. Not just because they’re billionaires – that is part of it – but personality wise. Mark Zuckerberg would ruin the vibe. If it was just me and him I guess that would be even worse.

What do you put on your rider?

Searows: I just figured that out so recently. A bagel, cream cheese and apple sauce. 

What do you reckon you’re most likely to get cancelled for?

Searows: Hating the government? But that’s so obvious! Who doesn’t hate the government?

Searows new single “Funny” is out today (October 17). End Of The World EP is out November 10.

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