Artist Of The Week #202 - Sprout
This week’s Artist of the Week is Burnley bred sing-songwriter Sprout - who has just released their debut self-titled EP via sevenfoursevensix, home to the likes of Matilda Mann, Lizzie Reid and tinyumbrellas.
Sprout’s self-titled EP is a collection of soppy songs wrapped in fun and bright costumes. Scratch under the surface though and you’ll discover moments of tenderness, ambiguity, sadness and joy all waiting to be uncovered.
Sprout launched their solo career with the release of ‘(I’m Just) Getting By’ back in February. Since then they’ve shared ‘Settled (Here In My Heart)’, a song written during a time of identity crisis for Sprout, as well as ‘In The Night (It’s Only You I Think Of)’ which explores being soothed by love from bouts of insomnia.
Relationships and anxiety are covered in other tracks. But underpinning them all is Sprout’s dexterous vocal ability, which gives the EP its joyous sheen as they channel jazz icons like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday in their golden age cinema style.
They took a moment to talk to us about how the EP came together.
Hey Sprout - so your debut EP is finally here. How does it feel to have it out there in the world?
Really nice, a bit weird and scary, but mainly really nice!
It is being released via Sevenfoursevensix - home to the likes of Matilda Mann and Matt Maltese - how does it feel to be part of that family?
I feel like a very lucky egg indeed to be a part of that family. It’s genuinely full of artists and music that I love and really admire, and it’s a bit wild to be included in a gang of such brilliant artists who make tender music too! Everyone’s just really good aren’t they! What else can I say!
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
It was mainly recorded at one of my great buddies (and producer of the EP) Saam(Jafarzadeh Khamneh)’s house. The rest was recorded at other friend’s house and my own. It was a real labour of love and friendship, and studio’s stress me out a bit so it was nice to record it all with some fluffy socks on and/or a brew in hand. There’s one song on there ‘(In The Night) It’s Only You I Think Of’ that I actually recorded in one take a few years back drunk with my good pal (and musical collaborator) Katy. That one didn’t get re-recorded, and ended up being the release, just one of them that worked out I guess. They’re all songs I didn’t really plan on putting out ever to be honest. They were all written when I needed an emotional spill, so it felt right to keep it intimate with the recording process, fitting if you will.
What are the key themes and influences on the EP?
Jane Asher’s costume book, 1930s jazz standards, one take wonders, life confusion, queerness, silliness, sadness, good pals, good breakups, bad breakups, really bad breakups, more life confusion, being a sensitive sausage, me mum’s old vinyls, nostalgia, fun fairs with potentially unsafe rides, and ‘life is just a bowl of cherries’ by judy garland.
Do you have a favorite lyric on the EP? If so, which one and why?
I really don’t. If anything it’s a bit awkward to think about my lyrics because I wrote most of them when I was feeling melodramatic. I just blurt all my reactions out into song, and then close my eyes and hope to never acknowledge them again until I have to sing them. Sorry! If you must have an answer then my cop out is not a lyric, but mine and Saam’s whistling at the end of ‘Somethings’. If you listen you can hear that the whistling is honestly so terrible, so out of tune, and we’re laughing all the way through it, and that’s fun and unnecessary and I like it.
If the EP could be a soundtrack to any film - which one and why?
The 1977 Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh would be my pick please. It was a big make believe world in Christopher Robin's head. It's nostalgic, animated, childish and a bit silly. But overall very cute and tender, and also for the sensitive souls.
Now the EP is out there - what next for you?
Gigs gigs gigs, hurray for gigs! The project came up in lockdown so next are the live shows for sure. It’s gonna be really nice to be singing out loud to people (but also a bit weird and scary!)
