Harvesting The Crop: S.C.U.M In Interview

Artrocker cover stars S.C.U.M seemed to take root during a time, a short while ago, when bands were taking over obscure venues such as churches - while embracing the darker side of music with ambience and ambiguity.

Dubbed 'Dark rock' by our writers, the band have since emerged as one of the more interesting prospects of 2011, with their debut album Again Into Eyes set to drop in September.

Artrocker.TV caught up with singer Thomas to ask about the making of the album, but also to revisit those strange origins the band formed in, with club nights like WORSHIP.

ARTROCKER: What did you feel was going on around that time?

TOM: We were a new generation with a new vision referencing bigger subjects and spectacular influences. The old indie scene was full of old people and needed killing off. When we started we reacted against all of the faceless jangly indie bands surrounding us. We made new music with force and aggression, drenching everything in effects. There were no other bands like us - we were an anomaly and in turn we got noticed.

Some bands followed the call at that time and we all played shows in and around the small like-minded scene that was created, but as with any great moment in music that people shared, it was killed off by its creators.

There seem to be elements of religion and ritualism in your music - what experiences with, or beliefs in magic or spiritualism do you have?

I have always seen Jesus as with all religious figures as human, but a personification of love and in whatever form they maybe. I believe in that.

Real experiences with magic or spiritualism are rare but when we were making the album in the country we were driven by anthropomorphic fallacy. During our isolated time there in Hampshire I became infatuated with a field opposite to where we were recording. It seemed to be in tune with what was happening while we were their, it grew and grew until the day we finished the record was when it was harvested.

The album has some euphoric moments which go against the grain of what people might expect from you - 'White Chapel' for example, has elements of dance to it. Is it fair to say there's an optimistic side to the group's music?

Yes, there is an overwhelming optimism in this album and an understanding in something far greater then us.

Your forthcoming gig at Electrowerkz will also be a program of film screenings, other bands and 'happenings from contemporaries'. No doubt you'll be looking forwards to the whole thing, but is there one act that people should especially look out for? (apart from SCUM!)

All I can say is look out for Advert!

With events like this - and also with last year's series of location-centric singles - it would appear that you've got a hunger for pushing round the edges of what conventional music presentation should be about. What's your motivation for this experimental approach?

It's not about pushing round edges as such, its more about creating our own environment to exist within, we dictate our circumstances rather than having them dictated to us.

S.C.U.M RELEASE THEIR DEBUT ALBUM 'AGAIN INTO EYES'
ON 12 SEPTEMBER