Perdita
25-07-2008, 08:31
2008 has already been quite a year for Sam Sparro. He's wowed Glastonbury, performed with Mark Ronson in America and scored one of the biggest hits of the year with the infectious electropop of 'Black and Gold'. Meanwhile, the Aussie singer's self-titled debut album peaked at number four in May and he's got a lengthy UK tour coming up in the autumn - phew! We gave Sam a call to find out how he's coping with his busy schedule.
What's your new single, '21st Century Life', all about?
"It's just a train of thought really - an abstract train of thought about the pressure and distractions of living a 21st century life. It's about how fast-paced life is and how we all feel overwhelmed by media, information and technology."
Are you a bit of a technophobe then?
"I think it's a double-edged sword. I definitely appreciate the fact that I can speak to my friends and family overseas and that information is so readily available. At the same time it's hard to focus on the things that really, really matter. We focus on our own indulgences and forget about being good people and enjoying the simple things. It's hard to do that with everything flying past your eyes at a thousand miles a second."
You're collaborating with Annie on this week's episode of Transmission. What will you be performing together?
"We're doing a italo-disco version of 'Black and Gold' with a little bit of her track 'Heartbeat' mashed in."
How did you first meet her?
"We've met a couple of times before. I saw her in Oslo, which is in her home country of Norway, and she is an incredible DJ. I was really impressed by her set. She's so pretty and blonde but on the decks it's really hardcore and aggressive."
Have you been inundated by people wanting to work with you following your recent chart success?
"I've had a few actually. There are some people in the States wanting to do some writing and different artists wanting to collaborate, but at the moment I'm too busy with my own stuff. I haven't been able to commit to anything... yet."
Do you find it surprising when other musicians call you up?
"No I don't find it surprising... because I'm pretty good. Ha ha!"
'Black and Gold' is still in the UK Top 20. Why do you think it's proving such an enduring success?
"That definitely is surprising. It's just hung around for so long. I think it's one of those songs that grows on you. People who didn't necessarily like it when it first came out, well, it's finally won them over. It creeps up on you."
Have you gradually become more diva-like as the song's become more successful?
"I don't like to be a d**khead, but I've definitely got less tolerant of people taking the piss and demanding things from me. Just because I'm in the public eye people seem to presume I'm there to please them. People say, 'Give me you glasses!' or 'Give me your T-shirt!' and it's like, 'No, that's my stuff. Piss off!' I think I'm less tolerant of fools trying to pester me."
Are you worried that you may already have had the biggest hit of your career?
"No. It's nice to have the chart success, but that's not really the point, is it?"
Well, it is the point for some artists.
"It shouldn't be. It's not the point for me. It's brilliant to have a great smash hit like 'Black and Gold', but at the end of the day I just want to put out work that I can be proud of and stand next to. I just want to keep creating music that I enjoy playing and listening to."
Do you consider or refer to yourself as a popstar now?
"I'm just an artist and a producer. I don't consider myself a popstar. I don't know why, but I don't feel any affinity to that title. I didn't set out to be a popstar. I've always been a recording musician and that's always been my passion. It's just a coincidence that my music became popular... so... I guess I'm a popstar now. I don't know."
Sam Sparro releases '21st Century Life' on July 28. He appears on this week's episode of Transmission, airing tonight at ten past midnight on Channel 4.
What's your new single, '21st Century Life', all about?
"It's just a train of thought really - an abstract train of thought about the pressure and distractions of living a 21st century life. It's about how fast-paced life is and how we all feel overwhelmed by media, information and technology."
Are you a bit of a technophobe then?
"I think it's a double-edged sword. I definitely appreciate the fact that I can speak to my friends and family overseas and that information is so readily available. At the same time it's hard to focus on the things that really, really matter. We focus on our own indulgences and forget about being good people and enjoying the simple things. It's hard to do that with everything flying past your eyes at a thousand miles a second."
You're collaborating with Annie on this week's episode of Transmission. What will you be performing together?
"We're doing a italo-disco version of 'Black and Gold' with a little bit of her track 'Heartbeat' mashed in."
How did you first meet her?
"We've met a couple of times before. I saw her in Oslo, which is in her home country of Norway, and she is an incredible DJ. I was really impressed by her set. She's so pretty and blonde but on the decks it's really hardcore and aggressive."
Have you been inundated by people wanting to work with you following your recent chart success?
"I've had a few actually. There are some people in the States wanting to do some writing and different artists wanting to collaborate, but at the moment I'm too busy with my own stuff. I haven't been able to commit to anything... yet."
Do you find it surprising when other musicians call you up?
"No I don't find it surprising... because I'm pretty good. Ha ha!"
'Black and Gold' is still in the UK Top 20. Why do you think it's proving such an enduring success?
"That definitely is surprising. It's just hung around for so long. I think it's one of those songs that grows on you. People who didn't necessarily like it when it first came out, well, it's finally won them over. It creeps up on you."
Have you gradually become more diva-like as the song's become more successful?
"I don't like to be a d**khead, but I've definitely got less tolerant of people taking the piss and demanding things from me. Just because I'm in the public eye people seem to presume I'm there to please them. People say, 'Give me you glasses!' or 'Give me your T-shirt!' and it's like, 'No, that's my stuff. Piss off!' I think I'm less tolerant of fools trying to pester me."
Are you worried that you may already have had the biggest hit of your career?
"No. It's nice to have the chart success, but that's not really the point, is it?"
Well, it is the point for some artists.
"It shouldn't be. It's not the point for me. It's brilliant to have a great smash hit like 'Black and Gold', but at the end of the day I just want to put out work that I can be proud of and stand next to. I just want to keep creating music that I enjoy playing and listening to."
Do you consider or refer to yourself as a popstar now?
"I'm just an artist and a producer. I don't consider myself a popstar. I don't know why, but I don't feel any affinity to that title. I didn't set out to be a popstar. I've always been a recording musician and that's always been my passion. It's just a coincidence that my music became popular... so... I guess I'm a popstar now. I don't know."
Sam Sparro releases '21st Century Life' on July 28. He appears on this week's episode of Transmission, airing tonight at ten past midnight on Channel 4.