Seb Torgus: Idol Boy Rising Q&A

Rising star Seb Torgus sits down with The Underground Chicago to talk about the release of his debut EP << Idol Boy >> and the ever changing music industry.

First and foremost, introduce yourself to the world! Where were you brought up and how has that influenced your extensive knowledge of Music / Fashion / Pop Culture?

My name is Seb Torgus! I was born and raised in Chicago, and at a very young age I found myself always knowing I was going to be a performer. The city inspired me in many different ways. I feel that it gave me a sense of comfort and diversity. Being super young and roaming the city motivated me to dream bigger. Chicsgo played a huge influence in my music too. I grew up listening to a lot of 80’s pop, which then transcended into my love for hip hop. In my eyes, Chicago has some of the best artists in the country. We’re extremely competitive and we work hard. Nothings given to us, no ones parents are famous, we all start ground up.

How did IDOL BOY come about?

Idol Boy started a couple years ago for my obsession with 80’s punk rock culture that lead into Billy Idol. I looked at Billy as a huge inspiration for my style. The heavy chains, leather, spiked bleached hair, and even his melody approach. I used to tell all my friends I’m going to bring him back relevant to the younger kids. Once I really started making music I found myself studying him and many other artists in that time, which made me run with the name Idol Boy. I knew one day I’d drop a project so I saved the name for the right moment.

Have you noticed any growing trends in the industry these last few months?

I feel like the industry never stops growing and I honestly think the industry doesn’t even know what the trend is right now hahah. I feel like everyone’s searching for the new sound. I wanted Idol Boy to really stand out compared to what other people are making. My intention was to never make the EP for certain listeners or compare to other big artists and try to match. Stan Sono and V3ry Rich, the two producers who helped bring the production to life helped give me the confidence to believe in this new pop sound and also to trust it.

Where do you receive your inspiration from and/or how do you translate them through your creative talents?

Some big inspirations to me are 90’s Brit pop bands like Blur, to new wave punk, bands like joy division, artists like Gary Neuman, Prince, Bowie, The Smith, and god so many more I could go on for days. I’m an observer, so I study a lot of these artists and front-mans and take this knowledge and bring it to my own brand.

Last but certainly not least, what’s your motto or advice that you live by?

Advice that I try to live by is taking the word “What if” out of my vocabulary. I just do it. There’s no such thing as failure in my book. I just keep going. The moment you start to look too ahead and say “what if this doesn’t work out” only clouds your goals and success.