AN INTERVIEW WITH SAM BUTCHER - 31/08/2016

 

SAM BUTCHER, is the Cardiff born Manchester based guitarist from the band 'Mirror Gorillas' who is currently embarking on a solo project.

 

 This project is one which is very different from the other musical project that Sam partakes in and is very different to the music in which I myself usually listen to.

 

In the upcoming weeks, this multi-instrumentalist and producer will be releasing a six track EP and so to get the low down on the release, I did a pre-release interview with Sam.

 

 

1. What was it that first made you want to start making music?

I was only five years old when my parents started taking me to piano lessons so I can’t really remember a time before I was making music - it’s just always been there and has developed more and more as time has gone by.

2. What genre would you describe your music as?

Maybe like instrumental hip-hop or IDM, or just electronic would be a valid blanket term to cover all bases. I often find genres unhelpful, as you tend to develop clichés and generic tropes within them. I hope - like with a lot of great music - that what I do doesn’t fit into a single category.

3. You're also in Mirror Gorillas and that music is quite different to this music, what caused this project to begin?

Yeah what I’m doing now couldn’t be much further from Mirror Gorillas stuff and I think that just reflects what I’ve grown up listening to. This solo project is a chance for me to make music that’s influenced by soul, jazz, gospel and rhythm & blues - which I couldn’t in an indie four-piece.

4. Who out of all the up coming bands and artists are you listening to?

I really like Noname Gypsy’s new mixtape Telefone. I also like Ka’s new album Honor Killed The Samurai which sounds like all the samples came out of old kung fu movies.

5. There is a new EP coming our way soon, when can we expect this EP?

eah, it’s called Aretha and I’ll probably drop it on soundcloud 14th September.

6. Where do you get the inspiration for your tracks?

I always start off a new track by finding a sample I really like and developing it from there. I kept gravitating towards Aretha Franklin songs for my samples until the point where I decided to just do a whole EP based on her, so she’s the main inspiration. Then as I’ve built up the tracks I think I’ve taken inspiration from a lot of different places, probably including artists like J Dilla, Jamie xx, Flume, Kaytranada, maybe even a bit of Tame Impala for this.

7. What do you hope to achieve out of this project?

I’d like to work and collaborate with rappers and singers in the future so it would be cool if this helps open doors to that.

8. What else do you think we can expect from this project in the upcoming months?

In the future there may be a video released but people are busy so that could take some time.

 

9. Other than being a musician, what would be your ideal career?

Astronaut or centre-back for Arsenal.

 

10. What would you say your weirdest quirk is?

I hold hands with my feet.

Until the release of the EP you can listen to Sam's Nina Simone's sample 'Do What U Gotta Do'.

If you enjoy this track, make sure you check back to our blog or Sam's soundcloud on the 14th September due to you being able to access it on both.

 

 

 Written by Sophie.