A conversation on Superbird: In Sterillo, Artistic Persona, Scenes and World Music
Interview & Profile by: Maleah Pasasouk
Photography by: Sophie Gow & Maleah Pasasouk
Talent: Finn Cragen A.K.A. Persona Non Grata
Shoot Assist: Jonas Palacios
Styling courtesy of: Chance Vintage
In the realm of Los Angeles based talent, shows, and functions, something and someone in the greater area of North Hollywood resides... That being musician Persona Non Grata, or as I know him, Finn. Outside of the central region of California you may not know him, but within the medium, showgoers know Persona Non Grata as the boy with the bird mask and cape! He’s infamous for crowd interaction, often encouraging and successfully getting his masses to sit down “criss-cross-applesauce” to transitions of absolutely jamming out to ABC and farm animal songs. The boy, the myth, the legend. He’s memorable in ways even the true and biggest fans can’t pin point. However, the closest thing I can get to is the Persona Non Grata specialty that makes Finn Cragen loved beyond the music lover’s words.
It’s true, the artists we love the most tend to be the makers of something new, the pioneers, and musicians providing something exciting, complete, and authentic. If I were to name Persona Non Grata as a single thing, It’d be a pioneer.
His sound in LA is something you don’t see often, let alone ever see. His sound is Psychedelic Jazz Funk for crying out loud. His endeavors in the genre were explored through his first ever release of EP - Driftwood. A jazz filled extended play ranging with the sound of sentimental piano, and echos of guitar beautifully meshed together. The EP gained traction quick (as it should) making tracks “Mango Tea” and “BUFFALO HEADS” his most played tracks on the EP with a combined 31K streams on Spotify alone.
In modern day, Persona has shifted gears. Bringing his music to a nostaglia written level with his new EP Superbird:In Sterillo. The EP was released September of 2024 with an advanced yet true to tone feel. Groovy and Fast, one would say In Sterillo is a full throttle journey. Playing the EP from beginning to end feels like the shooting of a starting pistol before a race, and ultimately winning with full dignity. It kind of is with the full push of an eagles screech that sets the tone of the album on opening track “PURPLE FISH”.
In a year’s long friendship with Persona, a collaboration was the mutual understanding of “Yeah, eventually?” so when I saw him at a show down in Culver City this August, we knew it was time. Persona Non Grata as an artist and full on mogul has not been journalistically covered up until now. So through Forelooked endeavors, I had the delightful honor to tap into the world of Persona Non Grata in NOHO. In the comfort of his studio, and on a voice memo interview, Fin and I spoke of inside details on his new project, deep-rooted inspirations, LA scene’s and processes to the road of greatness. No end in sight.
What prompted you to name yourself Persona Non Grata? AKA. “An unacceptable and unwelcomed person”?
I think I just heard it one day and then forgot about it. And then once I came around having to make a name I was like, oh, that's kind of cool? I haven't really asked myself why really nor really sat and thought about it in that way.
This is silly to hear because in my process of curating some questions,
I came around the meaning of “Persona Non Grata” and was fully under the impression of like..
What does this say about Finn? Does he truly think badly about himself in this way?
Well no, despite the negative connotations, I love myself. I believed in myself since the get. Yeah. So they think that I hate myself... but it's from a place of love.
Similarly, how does the Persona Non Grata concept relate to your music or artistic persona?
In the scene before me, I didn’t know of any jazz bands or anyone playing that kind of music at all. Other than one funk band I played with back in April of 2023 “Puff”, the closest thing you got to jazz in the scene was bubblegum rock through Jack Zander and The Gerrymanderers. There was no Jazz or Reggae. No world music at all, so I guess in a sense that artistic persona comes from bringing all that kind of groovy music to the punk shows is kind of widening a greater vision. I don't think I'm unwelcome, but I think it's definitely out of the norm for this specific scene.
In the general LA scene’s, how do you conceptualize yourself to tend to a show-goer of your shows, specifically attendees not necessarily there for you?
I don’t push it on them. It's good music, I think they'll like it. But, you know, one time I did made that mistake in Santa Barbara. I was like “Santa Barbara, get the fuck up!” of course no one got up... That being said, I guess just know your audience. If it's people that know me, I can kind of like, bully people in the crowd and they think it's funny. In the nicest way of course.
Bully how?
For example, back at my Superbird Homecoming show I was like “Raise your hand you were at Superbird Far From Home”, a previous show, and someone who I didn’t see at the show raised their hand so I was just like “Shut the fuck up you weren’t there”. It’s all play and out of fun but you can't do that if they don't know who you are or else you just end up getting punched in the mouth. I try and stay up with faces though and remember them. Names not so much...
Would you say you have a formula for having a great set? Bring me into that headspace of “Okay, I’m about to go on”
First, I bring the band together for the first time.
You normally switch band members out correct?
Yeah, I've played with the same band maybe twice, not counting the old stuff.I like to make different groups everytime of normally five different players. It’s the best because all become friends too. Ethan Smoreak from Oak Park becomes friends with Alex Cervantes from Koreatown. How else would they have met? It's just so crazy to see these people from different worlds of LA, and I'll leave the room, come back, and jam together.
Has the different rotation of band members been something you prefer rather than keeping the same people?
Of course, so there's no band drama! It's just a one-off thing, If I didn't necessarily like their playing, guess what? I never ever have to play with them again, and if I like their playing, welcome to the Sonic Brotherhood! But to answer your question, I bring the band together for the first time, usually the day of the show, or maybe the day before we have one rehearsal. It takes about two hours because they all know the songs or most of them do. Everyone's kind of like chilling, eating snacks, having some watermelon water, talking. Some be in a huge circle? That's a beautiful thing of course, like, there's just music in every corner, you know? The drummer in the bass is jamming in here, the horn players are all trying to play the keyboard, and we're all just eating watermelon. Kids jamming, kids snacking and talking in there, it’s the best.
There's such a relationship behind that, just everyone up in the crib must feel great. Do you get that serotonin boost would you say?
No like, it's all I've ever wanted since I was a kid. I used to just like beg people! “Hey, hey, you want to hang out? Hey, hey, come over. Let's jam.” or “ Come on, come on. hey, hey, want to make music?” and they’d just be like “I don't know, sorry, I'm busy”. But now it's I have, not only just like people jamming, but these, these absolutely terrific musicians, like some of the best in LA just recording an EP on my bed and eating watermelon in my kitchen. And it's just such an honor, and I never want to take it for granted.
We rehearse, do all that stuff, and then head into the gig. Usually, we just, like, show up, play, leave, or stay a little bit, it just depends. I just say, let's make it happen and it all happens. Sometimes you don’t really need a ritual. It’s always a great time regardless.
So why Psychedelic Jazz Funk?
It's sort of its own extension to driftwood. I feel like, in terms of me, because driftwood was me realizing that I don't have to play rock primarily and I can sneak in some jazz elements if I so had desired where people would still like it was major.
My first professional music career started in eighth grade. I started playing guitar in a reggae band called Jagoon and then joined the band Jaguar. He's like, this Brazilian reggae singer. One day, my dad was like, “My kid plays guitar”. I was like,” Stop, no!” Jacqueline was like, he can play a song with us and so I did. I was like, low-key, kind of good. So then he was like, “Oh, you play”
One day I brought my guitar, was gonna, get off. He said no, and to stay for the rest of the set. I didn't know any of the songs and I did not so great. The next week, he was like, then one day, it was the third concert, the second guitar, the lead guitarist, wasn't there, and he was like” It's all you” I was like, Well, fuck, but I did good. He started paying me every week anywhere from $20 to $60. It was a nice little gig. Did that for a couple of months, and just like playing with, these professional reggae musicians, I learned some sick reggae at 14.
Ever since then, reggae has always had a special place in my heart. I understand it in a way that I don't understand many other genres of world music
Tell me about your latest project: Superbird - In Sterillo. How has the process been and what were some drives behind the album?
Pretty much everything about this record I owe to Jagoon and Spiro. Jagoon was the Brazilian reggae singer I told you about. Having me bring my guitar, and him playing songs, only to later make me play these rhythms was quite eye-opening. During the gigs, he'd be on lead, I'd be on rhythm and whenever I get a little fancy with it, he'd, he'd look over at me, he'd have that look like he was gonna freaking murder me and so I was taught a lot. They taught me about pockets. So I owe the entirety of the creation of this record. To them.
Gucci Pineapple is also a big one, their saxaphonist Dana is a great composer. You know, reggae is from Jamaica, it’s primarily played by black Jamaican people so approaching playing in the scene where these kids didn’t know my history with the music was different. I was like”How would see this Polish, Irish Jew play reggae”?. Part of me was nervous like how would they view me? Would they see it as appropriation? But then I found this Dana and Alden song (INSERT SONG) and when I heard it, it mde me realize that music is music. Like Dana and Alden are Scottish and from Eugene, Oregon. It’s inspiring. If you have something good to say, people will like it. Whether you’re Scottish, Jewish, or Jamiacan it’s whatever. They gave me the confidence to delve back into reggae for sure and I would say the heavy incorporation of saxephone is very inspired by them.
My friend and amazing saxaphonist, Miguel Estrada is also my right hand man in terms of composition. Nigerian Funk music like Fela Kuti who’s really the father of Afrobeat also sparked inspiration. His song Zombie was pretty much assigned to me as homework by my history teacher Mr. Cabezas and oh my god bro the track is so fire.
How long did it take to make Superbird, from start to finalize?
I initially started working on Superbird the Ep in late december, which i’m gonna be honest it just sounded like Temu Driftwood. The first song was actually a blues R&B cover of “Try Hard Love Kids” by Missing Wiba and I love him, but my version was not it. Everything was cool but it just sounded like another driftwood at some point.
Most of Superbird was actually recorded last November. I put it away around that time because I knew I was slowly gonna redo it and make it better. Specifically with track “All the people, everywhere” (ending song), I tried redoing things but no matter how many times I tried, something about the energy of the guitar track was so perfect.
You could argue that the EP started in November, but you could also argue that it started on Spring Break, early March because that’s when daylight savings changed back. It’s around the time I stopped making songs that were blue and dove into multiple colors. Daylight savings is the awkening, I’m very affected when it’s dark out. I make a lot more sad, chill rock stuff.
With the seasons your music changes?
Yeah. This rotation we’re currently in is when I make my colorful music.
Coming from an arts high school, how have your studies in school translated to the work outside of it?
I joined my schools jazz band and that really got me into the educational jazz world. It showed me the atheltic side of music specifically in the jazz world. In jazz it’s all about technical ability, it’s not about if you can make a cool record or if you can grab a crowds attention, it’s about “Hey, can you play 34 cord changes?”. It humbled me for one, and as a player it definitely helped me. I feel like I can communicate well better, especially with some players I’ve met from Hancock Institute.
I’ve learned so many phrases, and lingo too. Seeing how my teacher Mr. Maria would direct bands taught me how to direct with power. So much technical stuff. Oh! I’m also taking an AP Human Geo course so I’m hoping I’ll learn more about cultures, history and stuff. You can’t have culture without art and music.
I guess my final ask is does the creative process of making songs and music itch a part of your brain?
Of course. Mathematicians were born to solve problems all day, that is just what they love to do. Engineers, they love designing motors or whatever they do? That’s what they were born to do, thats what they love. I think I was born to make art you know? Even before music when it was solely drawing, I just had to be creative. My wheels are turning and it’s just nice. When anyone does what they love to do, it just hits that spot.
From there, I close my laptop. Ahead waiting a conversation between Myself, Fin, and his very own mom for chats over ramen and an excitement for what this would inevitably be. The trust in a vision that would make sense because it’s Persona Non Grata we’re talking about. God's purest creation, the vehicle for the world’s delightful music in the LA scene, and in non-poetic wording, my very own friend. With a spotting for the conversation that seeps through the cracks all around the world through jazz, funk, and sounds from the cango, Finn in the position of how most things we love carry out in our lives is the example of love and application of one’s passions gone tremendously right.
Fin to LA is the boy in which you remember to a T from your show outgoings, and in full force, (if not already this) is the boy meant to be in your next Spotify plays. With Superbird: In Sterillo EP now out in all it’s glory, one must only celebrate the transition from Fall to Winter in color despite the blue tones around us. There’s a chunk of me that aches for the long arrival of more to see from Finn though I know the wait will be worth every drop of what he has to showcase. The whirlwind that Persona Non Grata simply posesses in a single pinky is the reason he’s here. As a send off, the masses, jazz kids, local showgoers, and instagram reel watchers adore him, for what it’s worth Persona Non grata may be love and admiration in the purest humanly form.