Pitchfork: I feel like punk, pop, and pop-punk are all more about attitude than anything.

GK: I know what you mean. I use the word punk very loosely. I think of Beat Happening as punk, but nobody would say that’s a punk band just from listening. I’m definitely going to get some shit for saying that. I feel like genres are so fucking stupid. No offense. I know that your job is writing about music. But genres as a concept are so useless. Especially now, because everything is inspired by everything. Kanye’s sampling Arthur Russell. Give it up!

Pitchfork: Your song “Sinister” references Arthur Russell in the lyrics, and there’s this shyness in his music that I also hear in your music.

GK: I definitely hear it in my own music, but that’s because I know that I’m shy.

Pitchfork: Do you understand where your own shyness comes from?

GK: I’ve gone through different phases of shyness and confidence. I’m literally almost a shut-in at this point. But it’s also because of the winter and tax season. This is the definition of my shyness: I’ll be invited to a party and be like, “I’m going to go.” And then I’ll go for an hour and be like, “Oh my god I’m overstaying.” And then I’ll leave and be like, “Oh my god they hate me, I’m never going out again.” I can be very social, but often it weighs down on me later, that the social thing was a put-on. I feel like my way of dealing with not wanting to go out is, I just don’t. I can’t bring myself to.

Frankie Cosmos: "Sinister" (via SoundCloud)

Pitchfork: A lot of your songs are short but fully-constructed. Do you think what you’re doing says something about what a song can be?

GK: In terms of the length, it’s just: This is how much time I need to get my point across, and I don’t need to repeat a chorus. But it’s not like I’m making a statement. When I first started, I was putting out literally 30 second clips, soundbites. It wasn’t a concept, it just happened. I often feel like repeating a line is useless, but when you do it the right way, it can gain more meaning each time. I'd like to try it sometime.

Pitchfork: Do you have a desire to do more traditional pop songs?

GK: Not really. I love Taylor Swift. That’s the kind of pop I want to listen to, not me trying to do pop. Right now, I really like the kind of music I’m making, and that’s how I feel comfortable performing.

Pitchfork: What’s your favorite Taylor Swift song?

GK: “Wildest Dreams” is the sickest song. But also, an old classic, “You Belong With Me.” She is really complicated. From the perspective of a musician, you can tell that she is all business. I don’t think she’s trying to project this, but you can tell that she has no life. She’s chosen this path. She’s really into perfection. She wants us to think she has this friend group, but it’s clearly a media thing. It’s really sad and fascinating. I saw her live, Girlpool took me. Girlpool are somehow friends with the band that was opening [Haim]. It was the coolest performance I’ve ever seen.