Even in the age of genre-resistant pop, the bassist Thundercat is an anomaly. A child of musicians from Compton, Calif., the artist born Stephen Bruner plays his instrument with the dexterity of a professional athlete; writes songs about cats, sushi and terrible loss; and counts the pop-rock sisters Haim, the jazz giant Kamasi Washington and the rapper par excellence Kendrick Lamar as collaborators and fans.
His first album in six years, “Distracted” (due April 3), draws on jazz fusion, hip-hop and R&B, with impressively delicate falsetto harmonies and songwriting attuned to the humor in tragic circumstances. “Overworked and underpaid,” he sings on the airy, drum-less “You Left Without Saying Goodbye,” a bit of deprecating self-talk amid sadness. “Maybe I should start an OnlyFans,” he slyly adds. (The album includes Tame Impala, Willow and a previously unreleased collaboration with Mac Miller, who died in 2018.)
Bruner is a connoisseur of comic books, plush toys and other prized collectibles. In a recent interview, he shared some favorites from his stash. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt
It’s one of my favorite mangas. I’ve been following it since the beginning and it is taking forever. There are 26 chapters and they did two movies, “Bandit Flower” and “December Sky,” a decade ago, which is sad to say, because it’s hard for the top anime companies to commit if it’s really painstaking to make. But it’s absolute poetry; real psychological and emotional warfare.
Boxing
Everybody has this idea of what it is, that it’s exercise where you get your aggression out. But there’s a lot of pressure in learning to stay calm. When the lactic acid kicks and you start feeling heavy and you can’t breathe and someone is looking at you like, “What else you got,” you’ve got very little anger. It’s constant work and I love it.
Golden Apple Comics
I am very much a comic collector, that’s never changed in my life. But at Golden Apple, it’s not about buying the comics, it’s about the family who runs the shop who I’ve known since middle school. It’s like my barbershop. You go in there and someone is talking about Steely Dan. “Tell ’em about that one time you said Donald Fagen did this!”
Rick Owens
What can I say about Rick Owens, the brand, that hasn’t already been said? Everybody likes to act like they know Rick, with how fast the internet moves and everybody’s interest in fashion. But the reality is, that man’s life’s work has been nothing short of amazing. I was invited to the last show and it was very emotional for me, watching another Californian work.
‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’
My dad’s a sci-fi guy and he would tell me, “You can’t watch ‘Star Trek’ without watching ‘Battlestar Galactica.’” But “Star Trek: The Next Generation” is my bag. It’s such a well made show. It really embodied the spirit of wonder.
Fred the Fish
I have his plush on my bag, next to Shadow the Hedgehog. He is one of the best characters on “SpongeBob.” He deserves his own “Curb Your Enthusiasm”-level show. He’s the funniest character. He’s always getting hurt, always at the wrong place at the wrong time. You could run the whole show around the moments where SpongeBob ruins things with Fred.
Sketchpad
I never leave my house without it. You never know when inspiration shows up, so it’s always important to have one with you, 8.5 by 11 inches, to take notes, to draw. Sometimes song lyrics, but more illustration, clothing concepts, all kinds of stuff.
A Miniature Silver Skull
It’s a handmade sterling silver skull from the designer Han Cholo and it’s a reminder of home. I keep it with me, in a pocket — somewhere between a memento mori and just a reminder of my house. It’s about mindfulness: Not just that “You’re gonna die,” but that I have somewhere to go.
Sunglasses
The ASAP Rocky x Ray-Ban collaboration is a perfect marriage. He’s an amazing designer and conceptual artist and I think he found how you make something simple into a luxury statement: It’s the Wayfarer Puffer with the VVS diamonds and the 18-karat brand name. They only made a couple of them.
Dodgers Hat
I search for niche things and it took a long time to find this blue corduroy hat. All my friends are Dodgers fans: Haley Joel Osment; Kendrick. I was in Toronto performing during the playoffs, and we walked onstage in all Dodgers gear. People would leave the show.
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