What better way to jolt you out of that Monday morning slump than with a listen to a set of brand new trippy and highly charged cuts? Well, Agat’s With The Incrowd is here to provide. The brand new album served up by the alt-hip-hop artist is here not only to sonically delight with its warped and experimental edge which makes for a truly dynamic listen, but also to make a social statement, one that is long overdue.

When speaking on the album’s core theme, the artist explained, “Musically, I wanted to explore new lanes that I got interested in, and to create something new that I haven’t done before. Me and Gal gave a lot of inspiration to each other and had a very interesting process. Thematically I talk about the problems that I see around me, and potentially on others in the world. I feel that there’s this need for immediate satisfaction that causes people to act in certain ways, that I also follow myself and these lead me to feel depressed or like I’m not moving anywhere real. It comes from our basic need to feel loved as humans, but since in the world that we live in right now we get the response for these needs from artificial sources and immediate stimuli, we don’t know how to approach it differently, and we’re basically hooked.”

Upon the release of With The Incrowd, the alt-hip-hop artist spoke inspirations, the concerning social commentary that informed her newest project and a future filled with live performances and unexplored lands with Wonderland. Head below to enjoy our interview with Agat…

Hey Agat! How are you doing?
I am doing good today; thanks for having me!

What have been your peaks and pits of the year so far?
The release of my new album With the Incrowd, of course, and everything that came with it. I got to collaborate with amazing musicians, work with talented visual artists and perform a lot of shows. The album launch show was an especially fun event because apart from the show being crazy, me and my friends also created a treasure hunt contest during doors opening.

And how did you first get into music?
I’ve been listening to music since I was a little kid when my dad played artists like The Beatles, David Bowie and Frank Zappa for me and my brother. I started making music when I was 14, learning how to play some instruments and playing in bands. Actually, one of my first bands was with Guy Dekel who’s now also playing drums with me live and is also a part of my creative team.

Your sound is a mix of pop, trap and soul – but if you could describe it with one word, what would it be?
I’m not very good with one-liners. It’s me and Gal Oved, who produced the album, bouncing ideas off of each other and trying to create something unique together.

Congratulations on the release of your album, With The Incrowd! What was your mindset when writing it? What were you hoping to achieve with it?
Thank you! Well, it had a lot of aspects. Musically, I wanted to explore new lanes that I got interested in, and to create something new that I haven’t done before. Me and Gal gave a lot of inspiration to each other and had a very interesting process. Thematically I talk about the problems that I see around me, and potentially on others in the world. I feel that there’s this need for immediate satisfaction that causes people to act in certain ways, that I also follow myself and these lead me to feel depressed or like I’m not moving anywhere real. It comes from our basic need to feel loved as humans, but since in the world that we live in right now we get the response for these needs from artificial sources and immediate stimuli, we don’t know how to approach it differently, and we’re basically hooked. This leads us to act in a way that’s cold and aggressive and to dismiss others or even dismiss ourselves. In the album, I speak about the fact that this has direct repercussions on people around me and on myself.

And how did you come up with the concept for the “Wait For Me” music video?
I got together with a very good friend of mine, Dean Naim, the creator of the video. He’s an amazing animator and director. I told him about a dream I once had of me walking around with a piece of bread in the streets, protecting it from a massive crow that wanted to take it away. Then we started brainstorming ideas and eventually got into that story of the hunt after the missing pieces of the sandwich, doing whatever it takes to get those back, to have this feeling of satisfaction again. even if it means stealing, getting dirty or fighting. We also knew that we wanted Zelooperz to be on the video so it would have to be animated.

What is most important to you as an artist?
Never try to fulfil other people’s expectations, always keep things fresh and also a little bit out of the comfort zone.

And if you weren’t pursuing music, what do you think you would be doing?
A documentary filmmaker, maybe? Not that I’d necessarily be good at it but, I do get interested in a lot of things and if that was my profession I guess it could have been fun.

And finally, what’s next for you? What are you most excited about this year?
A lot of live shows! I’m going to publish them soon but let’s say that in the upcoming year we are going to visit places I’ve never been to before. I hope to start working on my next album as well.