South London alt-country ensemble Baggio (ft. members of Lilo, Scrounge, & Lou Terry) release new track ‘Jellyfish’, the latest from forthcoming album ‘The Dreadful Human Tangle’
“I wrote Jellyfish during that really depressing winter lockdown, working from home and switching between staring at the screen and staring at the ceiling. It’s mostly a song about watching TV. Shout out Channel 4 getting England’s test tour of India on free-to-air tele.”
Jellyfish out digitally 8th May via Double Dare
“1. For someone that is yet to discover ‘Baggio’, how would you describe yourself?”
Clowns in a mini, hanging out and trying to write some fun tunes. You could probably call it “indie rock with a bit of country”.
“2. What inspires you as an artist?”
I like writing about tiny moments and tiny feelings. I suppose the minutia of life. I can’t write a song about the state of the world but I can write a song about how good it feels to drink a beer on the bus.
“3. What is your process for preparing to perform live? Do you have any diva demands?”
I think there’s a good chance we are the least Diva band around. A stage big enough to fit 9 of us on, in an ideal world. But we can work with what we’re given. The preparation process is usually centred around trying to get all of us in one room at the same time for a practice. It’s mostly admin.
4. Where do you feel you fit into the music landscape?
I honestly have no idea lol. We’re very content in our little corner of South East London, hanging out with our mates. I don’t really know what musical landscape exists, everyone’s just floating about doing their thing. And we’re no different. But we’re very lucky to have a beautiful, thriving community filled with wonderful people and incredible artists.
5: What are your favourite musical genres, and are there any you dislike?
There’s nothing I don’t like. Between the members of Baggio we probably like every single thing there is. I wonder if there’s a single thing not one of us likes??? I think there’s a time and a place for everything, even electro swing. Everyone in the band likes different stuff and as such brings different ideas and inspirations to the band. Which is a good thing.
“6. Why and where did the name come from?”
Named after my favourite footballer growing up, Roberto Baggio, who me and my brother would watch on Football Italia on Channel 4. The Divine Ponytail. It was the first thing that came to mind when I was making a Soundcloud account in 2014.
“7. What would you say is your greatest strength as an artist?”
I think being open to ideas and collaborations. There was a long time when Baggio was just me making tunes on Garage band in my bedroom, but when I started working with other people, everything opened up creatively. I think I have a strong idea of what I want a song to feel like when I write it, but it always turns in to something better once the others have got involved.
“8. What would you say is your greatest weakness as an artist?”
Remembering how to play the songs.
9. What can fans expect from your new single ‘‘Jellyfish’’
It’s a song about watching TV. There’s quite a big riff, some quite big synths and a really big trumpet solo. Goes kinda crazy mode. All in 3 minutes!!
“10. What music artist has influenced your work?”
I think David Berman and, maybe to a lesser extent, Bill Callahan have had the biggest material influence on me as a songwriter. Listening to Purple Mountains every day for 6 months in 2018 was a real turning point for me as an artist I think. Also endlessly inspired by our mates’ bands who we play with, hang out with and watch regularly. Charlie from piglet is probably the best songwriter in the country and every time I watch him play I’m inspired to go home and write better songs.
11. Who would you most like to collaborate with artistically?
03 Greedo
12. What was your worst performance?
When I was 15 I got drafted in last minute to play for the local men’s cricket team. Dropped two catches, had a misfield that went for four and I didn’t get to bat or bowl. Rained all day. Never played cricket again.
“13. What was the most difficult obstacle you have ever faced and how did you overcome it?”
Getting out my overdraft. Got a bank loan.
“14. What is your creative process when making music? Do you work with others or is it just yourself?”
I write a lot of songs. It usually takes quite a long time between me writing a song and us playing it on stage. Often I’ll write with different members of the band individually; play through a few new songs with them and work out some parts. Then eventually we’ll all get in the studio together and work out whose parts should go where, and who should do what. As is the nature of a big band, where there’s different lineups and instruments each time, the songs keep growing and changing forever really. There’s songs we play which are three or four years old and sound totally different to how they did then. There’s songs on the new album which sound different live now to when we recorded them; they naturally change from gig to gig. I think that’s what keeps it fun for us, knowing that every gig things are gonna be different to the previous one. Songs are never finished, they’re just recorded and released at a certain point.
“15. Where do you see your musical career in 10 years?”
Probably stagnated exactly where I am right now. But where I am is okay!
