Dan Le Sac vs Scroobuis Pip Interview

Interview by Stephen Davis

With their eclectic debut album ‘Angles’ in the shops, LF took the opportunity to ask Dan le Sac and The Scroobius Pip about their working methods, Tommy Cooper and their reception in the U.S.

How does it feel to get the LP done and on the shelves? It’s been receiving some great reviews (I’ve yet to read a bad one); I assume you must be pretty pleased with the result!

The Scroobius Pip: Very pleased! It came out far better than we had expected! Strange as that sounds. We record separately so when we sat down together and listened through to the result it was a great moment. Pleased that we got to make the album WE wanted, without any interference from labels and stuff.

What’s the deal with the album artwork? It looks like a meticulously iced ‘Let It Bleed’-style cake (this is a good thing)!

Pip: There’s an artist called Jock Mooney and he did the artwork. He has done all our artwork so far and really has a style like no other! Very pleased with what he continues to come up with.

Dan – what’s your hardware/software set-up? Is it the same onstage as it is in the studio? I’ve read that you’ve played in a few bands before vsPip, were you always on laptop/beats?

Dan le Sac: The studio and live set ups are similar, although the live set up is stripped down to avoid the risk of things blowing up, one on the drum machines I use indoors doesn't work unless it leant against a wall at a 45degree angle, so for live some bits stay at home. I prefer using the laptop and Keyboard set up for live because then what we do is live music, if I was standing behind some decks playing backing tracks that would just get boring for everyone. In previous bands I've done a bit of everything, but generally I’ve been in Mogwai/Explosions in The Sky rip offs so I’ll always end up wailing into a microphone with epic guitar noise.

Pip – Before the band you were doing a lot of poetry nights, is that right? Do you consider yourself more of a poet or a rapper? What poets particularly influenced you or first prompted you into writing you own poetry?

Pip: I prefer to go with "spoken word artist". Doesn’t sound quite as fancy as poet. I have been influenced by poets like Gil Scott Heron in the past but acts like Sage Francis and Saul Williams were the ones that kinda showed me that poetry and hiphop didn’t have to be two separate things.

You both seem to not take yourselves over-serious; you weren’t afraid to send yourselves up in the X Factor audition video, and the album certainly has its lighter moments. On the flipside tracks like The Magicians Assistant and Angles are much darker in tone and serious in subject. How do you strike a balance between the two?

Pip: I think, if you are going to tackle some of the subjects we tackle its ESSENTIAL to have alot of lighter stuff going on too. Otherwise it would all just get too heavy and depressing! Alot of people think we are a really serious, intense band, which in places is kinda true I guess but we wouldn’t be able to enjoy it if we took it all too seriously.

How collaborative is the songwriting? Do you both stick to your own role? Pip do you have any say over le Sac’s beats – Dan do you ever veto Pip’s rhymes? During the writing process do you start with the words or the music?

Pip: It really varies. In general though we both very much stick to our roles. That’s why we record separately and write over email. I know nothing of beat making so it would be ridiculous for me to sit there, peeping over Dan's shoulder trying to advise or guide. It works better that we allow each other the space to do what we do best then put it together.

You’ve got a reputation for putting on a great live show. Is it difficult keeping the intimacy and atmosphere your gigs have now that you’re moving on to bigger stages? How did the idea for the domestic stage scenery come about?

Pip: Haha. We thought alot about making our live show "bigger". People had suggested a bassist or drummer and stuff like that but we decided, if we did that, they would actually add anything other than us being able to go "look! we ARE a real band!". We decided that developing the theatrical side and visual side would actually have a greater effect. And that seems to have worked. The reaction on this tour has been amazing.

You recently played Coachella. How did that go? How did the U.S. crowd react to U.K. hip-hop? (I’m guessing Tommy Cooper took some explaining!)

Pip: Well we have toured America twice and always got a good reaction. After I did the Tommy Cooper track the first time I went to explain it then realised his whole life story is explained in the lyrics so it wasn’t REALLY necessary to explain it. Coachella was AMAZING! The turn out and reaction was great. For an act of our size that have only just signed a record deal to a small UK independent label and never released anything in the USA to get to play Coachella was crazy.

What are your thoughts on Jay-Z/hiphop being blamed for Glastonbury’s slow ticket sales?

Pip: Haha. I think it’s a ridiculous argument. And the same argument that came in when dance acts started getting booked at Glastonbury. It’s hilarious that Glastonbury is already being touted as a failure because it didn’t sell out in the 1st week! I hope its because people have got sick of a festival selling out when only a handful of acts have been announced! It doesn’t make sense! The other good reason is the fact that there are now more small intimate festivals than ever in the UK so huge festivals like Glastonbury are gonna have to fight harder to get their crowds.

You’re going to be supporting Sparks on their upcoming residency. How did that come about?

Dan: It’s not a greatly exciting story, we were asked and we said yes! I don’t think I can call myself a fan of sparks in the traditional sense; I do have admiration for their eclectic nature and uncompromising attitude.

Finally, facial hair and its styling and maintenance: any tips?

Pip: I find that regular cleansing and conditioning is key. I personally regularly apply Aussie leave in conditioner. Non-Frizz innit.

Check our live review here