We catch up with the Nashville band following the release of second album 'Worldwide'.
Photos: Emily Moses | Words: Lloyd Bolton
In our attention deficient society, fatigued by media oversaturation, bad news and the rapidity at which our focus is yanked between subjects, no one quite channels our collective experience as well as Nashville band Snõõper. Their rapidfire music seems to have been squeezed out of flashing cyberspace and into the fingers of the performers, who over the years have appropriately learned to speed up their own playing at the command of the drum machine on which the songs are written. Discussing the band's new album, 'Worldwide', Jessie Smith wrote for us last month that it seems somehow to outpace even the band's lightning-fast debut 'Super Snõõper', "a chaotic but concise tribute to the angst and overwhelm" of life today. We reached out to the band for a chat about the process of developing this album, the best and worst of shows in the UK and the world building that goes hand in hand with the band's music.
By way of introduction, how would you describe your music to an 8-year-old?
We play fun music, fast. We play music that we hope people will sing along to.
"Gotta go fast" – Sonic
What is the ideal setting in which to listen to 'Worldwide'?
In the car while you're driving somewhere really fun or on a trampoline. Are you prescribed some sort of ADHD medication? Connor recommends listening to this record within an hour of taking your medication. You can also drink four shots of espresso (I (Blair) prefer mine over ice), get in your car, and blast this record.
What has changed about the process of writing this album compared to the first?
We always demo our songs at home on an 8 track. We fall in love with these demos really easily, but analogue recording to a 4-track or 8-track is inherently limiting. We never want to look back on our music and feel as though our growth was stunted by these limitations. While we remain loyal to our 8-track, analogue recording, we wanted to experiment more with this record. By recording with John Congleton in LA, we were able to experiment much more. There was space to add more bleeps and bloops and electronic elements. The process of recording this album was an incredible learning experience.
What was the hardest song to realise on this album and why?
We wanted to write 'Mambo No. 6', but it didn't work out the way we wanted….
No, but actually, 'Subdivision' was the hardest song to realize on this album. We had recorded 'Subdivision' a while back and had even played it live many times, but it never felt finished. There was a big band divide about this song. Half of us were ready to throw it away, but the other half were really rooting for it. I think that because we were okay with throwing the song away if we needed to, we were able to really get crazy with it. I think this mindset led to some really fun exploration. We truly dgaf-ed and it worked out well!
You played the UK earlier this year and we're looking forward to having you back! How to audiences here compared to back in the US?
Okay so, the UK gets mad at us more often about how loud we play… ha. Decibel readers are our enemy in Europe. The US has less sound restrictions, more intense urban sprawl, and people live farther apart. In Europe, sound is regulated in a way that makes sense, but can feel challenging for us as a loud five-piece. That said, however, we love playing in the UK and the crowds are amazing. We just need you guys to bring your own earplugs if you need them and plan accordingly for a Snõõper show! Also, older people are much cooler in the UK. Older folks in the US don't rock with us the same way they do in the UK!
With all the paper mâché and the physical energy of your live show, the sense of spectacle feels so important to the band's identity. What are you looking to do in the studio when it's just audio? Is it difficult to channel that into your recordings?
That's a funny question because actually, I (Blair) had the idea to make a paper mâché "recording mascot". I wanted to carve out a space in John's studio to work on a paper mâché character while we were recording. I love having something to do like that. I also thought it would be fun to record videos with it throughout our 9 days with John. That idea didn't end up becoming a reality, but I am always looking for ways to make visual art. I mostly make visual art that I can then capture camcorder footage of and turn into music videos or other "content" (a word I don't love- ha). I think this sort of world building is SO important. It's what I love most about being in a band. This expounding of ideas from musical to visual is what keeps the band exciting. While writing lyrics, I am always thinking about the visual art that could come out of the lyrics. I think puppets can be so expressive and convey emotion in ways that people can't. I am obsessive over the world building around this band!
Oh, actually John's studio is called "Animal Rites" and he had a few pig mascots floating around the studio. As soon as I got home, I started making my own paper mache pig head for John. I just gave it to him last time we were in LA. The album felt complete for me when I was able to give it to him- haha!
How has the wider creative scene in Nashville influenced your own work?
We all came out of the DIY scene in Nashville. This scene is so important to us and we feel passionate about helping maintain a strong DIY scene in our town. We need it so badly. Under our current administration, people's rights are being threatened. Our LGBTQ+ community is being threatened and women's rights are being taken away as well. In times like these, it's so important to pay attention to DIY spaces, uplift new bands, and support venues that are giving marginalized individuals a platform. The South has always experienced oppression in ways that the rest of the US hasn't. This has created a certain angst and rowdiness that contributes to, feeds, and upholds thriving punk and underground scenes here. Southern scenes deserve more attention. We are crazy and honestly, we are ready to fight! We are loud and ready to be heard!
What are your biggest non-musical influences?
Bread and Puppet Theater, Pee-wee Herman, Freak Nature Puppets, Bob Baker Marionnette Theater, Tyler the Creator, Michael Deforge, Abraham Diaz, Dripper World.
What is your favourite thing someone has said about your music?
This is a Japanese review of our record and I think there is something really beautiful about the way it has been translated. People try so hard to fit Snõõper into one genre and we've been accepted and rejected by so many, which we find very funny (hardcore, egg punk, etc.)... We LOVE Egg Hunk and Egg Dunk! This review rocks!
"The band representing the current generation of Egg Hunk, has released a new regular album [Worldwide] after two years. From Nashville, USA, these guys have quickly gained attention with their DIY spirit and humorous energy since their 2020 debut, and they expand a dash of delightful chaos on this album.
Snooper's music was previously classified as 'Egg Dunk'. Playfulness, synthsizer, and rofi recording combined genre. It started out as a term spread like a feather, but now it's settled into one independent stream. The green bug mascot, B-class emotional visuals, simple riffs, intense rhythm and humorous performances complete Snooper's identity.
['Worldwide'] consists of a total of 12 tracks, each track has an independent personality and leads to Snõõper's unique energy. Genre experimentation and improvisation coexist, this album proves that their music is not just funk but a 'play'. Snooper's music is still far from serious However, the ingenuity and completeness contained within her smile lightly and embrace an insurmountable density. Even though their stage may be turbulent and chaotic, the true spirit of 'Punk' lives within them more than anyone."
Who would be your dream producer to work with and why?
We loved working with John Congleton, but someone else we would love to work with is Yves Rothman because he worked with Aly & AJ. Just kidding, but I (Blair) do love that song 'Potential Breakup Song'… it was my myspace song for years. Connor particularly loves the way he mixes analog and digital recording styles in a way that sounds natural. He worked with Yves Tumor and Kali Uchis – two artists we love.
What made you decide to cover The Beatles' 'Come Together'? What makes it work as a Snõõper song?
We were asked to be on a cover compilation called 'GTRRC' out of Australia over the pandemic and spent several nights speeding up old songs on YouTube to figure out what would sound good and after giving up on a failed Flock of Seagulls cover, we stumbled upon a karaoke version of Come Together. All the stop/start riffs in the song played at a faster speed and the crazy solo at the end felt like a Snooper song so we submitted our 'Come Together' cover for that compilation. The version we did for the compilation was super rushed and we were excited to rerecord it with John for the record.
Finally, if you were to add one member of the Super Mario extended universe to your band, who would it be and what would they play?
Either Waluigi on Tambo, Baby Bowser on Castanets, or Yoshi on Rototoms.
'Worldwide' by Snõõper is out now on Third Man Records. We are so excited for this band to come back to the UK.
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