INTERVIEW: Sam and the Womp — Music Musings & Such

INTERVIEW:

Sam and the Womp

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I have been speaking with…

Sam and the Womp about the new single, Posh Ragga. It is a busy and blissed track that gets the body moving and the spirits rising. Sam (who plays alongside Bloom in the duo) talks to me about their Bee Sides E.P. and what comes next; what they want to accomplish before the end of the year – what it feels like being compared to Dance innovators such as Basement Jaxx.

Sam tells me what comes next in terms of gigs; if he and Bloom get time to unwind away from the demands of music; the music they grew up around; how they got together and found one another – they each select a track to end the interview with.

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Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

We good but manic! Juggling various recording projects and deadlines; promoting the new single and E.P. as well as organising gigs and moving house!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

We are Sam and Bloom, A.K.A., Sam and the Womp - famous for the hit song Bom Bom back in 2012. I (Sam) play the trumpet and Bloom sings. We both write the music and play various other instruments.

We like to dance and make people dance to!

How did Sam and The Womp come to be? What was the reason behind that name, too?

I met Bloom on my birthday ten years ago and we jammed and loved what each other sounded like! The band came into being after enjoying festivals back in 2009, where we found a love for Gypsy, Ska and Dance music and thought a fusion would be fantastic! The Womp is the sound the bass makes, and the essence of what we do is brass and bass i.e. Sam and the Womp!

Sam and Bloom. You have eclectic tastes! Which musicians did you grow up around?

We both grew up loving Radiohead and Miles Davis as well as Beastie Boys and Nirvana!

Talk about the track, Posh Ragga. What was the story behind it?

Posh Ragga has its roots in Turkish and Jamaican music. Sam met MC Solomon when on tour in Holland with another band called Brassroots (funky brass band) and got on well, so asked him to collaborate on this track and a few others. Solomon has been involved with the band on and off since the beginning. The rapping adds another dimension to the band, especially live.

It harks back to the sort of sound Basement Jaxx were producing around their debut, Remedy. Do you think Dance music has lost that colour and expressionism?

I think a lot of music, especially Dance music, these days has lost true feeling and is very synthetic. We try to bring real live vibes to the recordings. Basement Jaxx also did this - and we have been compared to them often.

Your Bee Sides E.P. brings together some songs many might not have heard. When did you realise the songs featured on the E.P. warranted further airing?

We have been holding back a lot of tracks which were not really singles but great album tracks or B-sides for a number of years and felt, if we didn't release them now, we never would! These tracks always go down well live.

Are you looking ahead to further material and what comes next?

Yes! We wanted to build a bit of momentum this spring with the Bee Sides E.P. before releasing our brand new, super-fresh summer single.

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

We hope our new music will be listened to, danced to and played out around the world! We are really excited by it all and looking forward to playing at the festivals this year.

Have you each got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

Not one but three key moments! Playing at the Secret Garden Party and everyone singing back the lyrics to Bom Bom for the first time was amazing. Going on tour to Australia was even more amazing and playing Wembley Arena to 10,000 kids screaming was unbelievable!

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Supporting The Prodigy would be sick as they have such an amazing live vibe! Radiohead would be amazing for Bloom's new project or, if we're feeling jazzy, Wynton Marsalis - my childhood trumpet hero!

I would like a Sunday roast for the rider with all the trimmings!

What gigs do you have coming up? What does your live show usually entail?

We have our first festival on 26th May at HowTheLightGetsIn over in Hay. The audience is always very receptive and up for womping! We will perform trumpet, voice and .D.J (Dan - Sam's cousin) for this one. Bloom - artist name: 'Bloom de Wilde' - will also play a separate solo set on piano/guitar.

Lots of other festivals this summer with this line-up and the full live band is coming out in force later this year at Wilderness Festival. This is the real deal! Bloom, Sam and Solomon, - trumpet, sax; trombone, tuba bass/synth; keyboard, drums and FX!

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Be true to yourself - make the music you want to make, not what you think people will like. Be as live as you can on stage! Have fun!

IN THIS PHOTO: The Comet Is Coming/PHOTO CREDIT: Fabrice Bourgelle

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Check out The Comet Is Coming – an amazing sax, synth and drums trio!

Do you both get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Not much chilling happening at the moment as we are parents, but we have really enjoyed the recent hot weather and going to the fun fair - we went down the helter-skelter on Monday!

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Bloom: Planet Dust - Bad Company