Sugardaddy, Interview

Sugardaddy
Interview

Sugardaddy isn't simply an old man on an ego trip; it's about dirty, sexy music for living your life. Sugardaddy is the musical brainchild of Groove Armada's Tom Findlay and multi-instrumentalist Tim Hutton. Together the pair have forged an alliance that simultaneously harks back to the music that influenced their youth and looks forward to the liberal attitudes informing the modern clubber's collection.

Having originally met through Groove Armada, they are now joining forces under the Sugardaddy moniker. We met with a rather excited and thoughtful Tim & Tom before there foot pumping set at this years Bestival.

Contactmusic.com: Hi guys, I wont keep you too long I know you've had a million questions already
Sugardaddy: No worries at all

CM: You guys had a chance to look around the festival yet?
SD: (Tim) Yea I got here yesterday afternoon and had a good old night of it last night. We're staying down the road in a little cottage. I actually camped here last year and the tent almost floated away! I was with 12 mates and we found this little B&B cottage that was really nice so I went for the same option this year.

CM: So you have obviously been here before then, any expectations for your set later on tonight?
SD: (Tim) erm well obviously I have my own and I hope I can live up to them in my head, ya know it's the first proper gig we've done
(Tom) it's the only gig we've done!
(Tim) yea it's just the fact that we get to be here that's great, it's a voyage of discovery
(Tim) if it was a football game I think you could say we have had a good bit of pre season training, the boys are up for it and we've actually amazingly incredibly keenly been rehearsing all afternoon which is good as its that last kinda run through which gives us a bit more confidence, its weird because you do the album, send it out, get a press reaction so that's all good but it doesn't really mean anything, but doing a gig you just somehow think no we actually made this fucking record and now were playing it and stick it up your ass if you don't like it but we will get out there and do it and to be in front of a crowd that's really the most important bit. But I think we've got the ammunition.

CM: So what can the masses expect from your set tonight?
SD: (Tim) I think a joyous bunch of punk, funk, porn, rock, soul music. What I like about it is it's a little bit like N.E.R.D, I don't know if you've seen them live but it's all sort of that liquid liquid and 80's punk you know? And maybe a smidgen of DFA so all the right fucking records. Its all sort of the bands that have inspired us over the years and everybody seems it to what you do so all the sorts of sounds that excite me about music so that's what we have ended up making.

CM: so obviously through previous projects how does it compare doing festivals to indoor shows?
SD: (Tim) Yea well obviously we've played a lot of gigs, him with Groove Armada, me with Ian Brown and its kinda funny this time because I've sort of been poncified by 5 years of headlining so when you find out that you get backstage and there's no sort of champagne waiting for you.

CM: there's a bottle of Lambrini over there..
SD: (Tim) it's a great leveller, but yea I don't mind I get stuck in!
(tom) I'm going to find it interesting playing in Sugardaddy, because I've played in so many other peoples bands & without exception really enjoyed every moment, I just wonder if its going to be any different because it's our own project, I think I'm going to enjoy it just as much really.

CM: As you say, it's a new project for both of you, when you do this sort of thing is it like your having to start from scratch all over again?
SD: (tom) you know with the live stuff like tonight we've probably benefited from the fact we've worked with other producers so you get to understand what you need to do to get to a certain level and that helps quite a lot, I think the studio stuff is obviously techniques we've learnt but I think we both wanted to go with it to do something fresh, the stuff we have done has both been great but we just felt the need to do something else so yea I've really enjoyed it I've loved the process of making it, its music no doubt that I'm incredibly proud of, there is one track on there that I think is possibly one of the best tracks I've ever part written, it was a really special thing, it was a lovely thing, its the first record I made in my own studio, engineered it myself, produced it, its a lovely situation to make a record in with no label looking over our shoulders its a really good facility that we've got there, its quite a unique place to make a record from.

CM: So how do you come up with the material, obviously so many tracks you have written between you and you need to come up with new things to make people really go for it and jump around?
SD: (Tim) yea I think really by not agonising over it, for me, I start doing something and just keep doing it until I liking it and if I'm not liking it then I'll be quite ruthless.
(tom) I think also getting out and about as much as you can and seeing what other people do because there are not that many original ideas in the world so sometimes if you can borrow or be inspired by that. Its such an interesting time to be making music at the moment its such a sort of free and open time you got radio stations like Xfm coming in and playing such a diverse range of music I think its just a really nice time to make music and you feel quite empowered by that your just fuck it, I don't need to make a trance record or a chill out record I'm going to make what I feel like.

CM: So the album is out September is that right?
SD: (Tim) yea September/October time

CM: You looking forward to that?
SD: (Tim) I think potentially it could go far, from my point of view I've done a lot of my own music but most of its gunna reach a certain language of obscurity and like Tom who's obviously embraced Groove Armada so I try not to have those sorts of expectations in a way just sort of get it out there, try and make the right moves.
(tom) I think it will be an album that I'm not too fussed if week one we don't hit it, because its the album that will, like when we did the first Groove Armada record with Norman Star, its a word of mouth sort of record, I think it will build nicely its a good after party record.
(Tim) It's a good record to have a few splifs too after a big night out or whatever else it is young people do these days when they get home!
SD: (Tim) I met this girl out in Ibiza the other day who informed me that every time she goes out she sticks 'Love Hunnies' one of the tunes on and she has to dance backwards!!! It's a good record to dance backwards too apparently!!

CM: I can't say I've ever tried that one myself
SD: (tom) we will all be trying it out later on!

CM: It's a deal! Well it's been an absolute pleasure meeting you guys, I know you have preparation to do now so ill let you get on, thank you very much for me seeing me and ill look forward to your set later on tonight.
SD: wicked man thanks

Adam Prickett