When we first stumbled across the irresistibly slick sounds of Sydney artist Swaine Delgado last month, we were immediately hooked.
Across his new EP Run Boy, Run, Delgado glides through a hypnotic blend of sounds that we haven’t been able to stop spinning since we first heard them. So fresh off its release, Delgado caught up with Ralph Castelli to chat his creative processes, Coopers beer, and drunks breaking guitars.
Fresh off the release of his new EP Run Boy, Run, Sydney artists Swaine Delgado and Ralph Castelli chat creative processes, Coopers beer, and drunks breaking guitars.
RALPH: I remember when you bought your Juno and your SG… do you think these instruments have become part of your signature sound?
SWAINE: Definitely! Not coming from an instrument based background it was really eye opening dabbling with say the Juno or the SG. It brought a need for my music to sound more organic. Only then I felt everything in my music had to be actually played and recorded you know? Before I was just pushing buttons. Learning the guitar in a whole was a huge influence. I started listening to different music and appreciating song melodies I probably would have looked past in previous years. Thanks guitar.
RALPH: When you sit down to make music what do you start with, production or songwriting?
SWAINE: It’s a bit of a mixture actually, but I find it most efficient when I start with a poem I’ve written for the verses and play some guitar or synth chords then kind of construct a chorus with a vocal melody together. I find that way I can keep everything away from clashing and let every instrument talk.
RALPH: What are some genres you have dabbled in in the past?
SWAINE: I’m a huge production head so a lot of dance-y kind of bangaz to house to UK garage, which is weird because I’ve always enjoyed listening to softer music. I think I was just interested in how dance music was made.
RALPH: Tell them the story of that drunk kid who broke your guitar hahaha…
SWAINE: Haha well where do I start, I guess we were at some party and I went to my friends house after, you guys went back to our house with some friends. Supposedly you all fell asleep and one random guy we didn’t know decided to wake up in the middle of the night and walk into my room (suspicious I know), proceeded to walk past my synth rack and tip over my chair and fall exactly where I had safely placed my guitar on my bed. Veit, another housemate heard the bang and rushed to my room and described it as a “crime scene” in which he saw a random man in my bed laying next to my new Gibson SG in the shape of an L. But hey, the guy admitted to his crimes and the guitar was fixed.
RALPH: Coopers beer has been a huge influence for myself and my music, would you say the same?
SWAINE: Massively haha, drinking it religiously at our home in Sydney really sparked a lot of our jams and chats about music and writing which played a huge part in the growth of my music.
RALPH: How do you see yourself playing live? Can I be in your band pls?
SWAINE: Hmm, my ideal live performance would definitely include a band, with you on the guitar or the maracas, your choice. I’m unsure to what I’d be playing just yet. Maybe I’ll just dance the entire set. I also picture some sort of visuals being projected on the band, I think that would be cool.
RALPH: Name some Australian artists you admire…
SWAINE: I could write pages but the first that come to mind are Nearly Oratorio, Tame Impala, Ngaiire and Seekae.
Run Boy, Run is available now.
