Words by Art Jefferson
Images by Mann Bros Media
Sometimes happenstance can foster something that in unexpectedly great. In the case of Phoebe Little and Jas Scott, it was a coincidental meeting at a writing camp in Normandy where their interaction began. Even that encounter was circumstantial as it was producer James Sanger who connected the two together after hearing something in both of the women and understanding that they would be a perfect musical match. He was right. That pairing led to Little and Scott forming the band SpaceAcre. Spending their time between the England and France, the multi-instrumentalists and vocalists indeed had a match made in heaven type chemistry as they went on to spawn so far, one of the best records this year with their debut EP Overthrown. Like their band name, SpaceAcre are here to take us on a future-forward and boundless journey throughout a musical landscape lined with the finest of artistry.
You two met at a writing camp in Normandy. Clearly James Sanger already foresaw a perfect chemistry between the two of you. Did you also feel it was instant magic upon that initial meeting?
Phoebe – As soon as we arrived at James’ beautiful studio and the three of us sat down and started talking, we knew that the chemistry was there and that we were on the same wavelength. James was really excited that one of Jas’ instruments is cello, and suggested we start with some cello looping. Coincidentally Jas already had a pizzicato loop that she’d been working on for some time using a loop pedal. She put it down on the fist day and we were all vibing on it immediately. The song, Landslides, then materialised really quickly and a new band was born.
What was the motivation behind the band name SpaceAcre?
Jas – We wanted to find a name that would be ambiguous as to the genre of the band, the gender, the era in which we’re creating. We like the way the words sound together and we see the individual words as empty canvases that we can fill.
It’s interesting that both of you originally had early ambitions to pursue careers other than music. Jas you were studying fine art and Phoebe you actually wanted to play football. Whilst music may not have been the very first choice initially, what were some of the sounds that you all grew up listening to early on?
Jas – My Mum loves David Bowie and she was always playing vinyl in the house. My Dad was into Led Zeppelin. There was a fad going around before my identical twin sister and I were born, that if you played music to babies in the womb they would become musical. My Dad would put headphones around Mum’s baby bump and we would immediately start moving around.
Phoebe – My parents, especially my Mum, were into singer-songwriters so I grew up listening to Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Elton John and Carole King.
Your Overthrown EP in my opinion is a masterpiece. How soon after meeting each other did you begin working on the record?
Jas – Well, thank you so much. To be honest we didn’t realise we were making an EP until the second trip to Normandy. As by that point we knew that we wanted continue the collaboration as a duo and start a brand new band together and we were finding our sound and direction. However, in hindsight, the first day in the studio with James was when we began work on the record as that was when we created ‘Landslides’.
In terms of the songwriting, were the lyrics already penned beforehand or crafted whilst working on the EP?
Phoebe – No, they weren’t. We tend to write lyrics and melody simultaneously in a very collaborative way. The song is often written in response to an obscure string loop of Jas’ creation – sometimes a big sweeping cinematic section and sometimes a pizzicato loop.
From the vocal delivery to the future-forward, cinematic production, everything fit perfectly like a hand in glove. Did you guys immediately know that you were creating something incredibly special during the recording process?
Jas – We’ve been really excited about what we’re creating from day one. There’s a tension between our songwriting approaches which really pushes us all out of our safety zones and feels uncomfortable at times, but means we never know what’s gonna happen next, which is exhilarating. We’re not set on an outcome but the focus is more on pushing and experimenting with the creative process, and seeing where it leads.
Being based between the UK and France, what are the beginning stages of creating a new track? Are there a lot of file sharing via emails, etc. beforehand or do you prefer those moments to be in-person?
Phoebe – Often, Jas will record a whole string section from her home studio and then send the stems to James to put into the project file. But we don’t then start developing it further until we’re all in the room together.
What was it like working with James Sanger in the studio?
Jas – James is so free as a producer in the studio, anything goes. He has a boyish, playful energy that allows us all to experiment freely with confidence, and all these amazing vintage synths that offer infinite inspiration. He’s also very funny and humour is key in that environment, especially if you’re writing about painful things.
After listening to ‘Overthrown’ I was left craving for more. Are you two currently working on an album?
Phoebe – We’re out in France again right now actually, and for the longest stretch of time so far. We’re working towards building a bigger body of work, whether that’s a second EP or an album, we’re not sure yet.
One question that I have been asking artists is, how have they been dealing with the coronavirus lockdown? How did it effect you personally and how have you maintained throughout the situation?
Phoebe – We’ve been using the time to be as creative as possible as we’re unable to play any shows. If it were not for coronavirus we’d be pushing this first record by playing a run of shows. At the earliest opportunity, we came back out to France, literally this week, so that we can work on new material while having the space to start working more on our live show. We have no idea when we’ll be able to get out on the road, but we want to be prepared for when the opportunity arises.
With the world having not only dealt with a global pandemic but also massive protests, how do you foresee everyday life as we get through 2020, moving into 2021?
Jas – COVID-19 has changed the way that we personally operate as well as those around us. We foresee many of the changes being fairly permanent as people have had to really rethink how they operate. We’re really worried about how the music industry, especially the live aspect, will cope with being dormant for such a long time, but we really hope it can bounce back. The pandemic has forced us all to pause and think, which may be a small positive to take out of such a global crisis. Over recent weeks we’ve been taking the time to educate ourselves more on the Black Lives Matter and anti-racism movements. We really hope that the momentum in the conversation and action around these movements continues to grow in the future and doesn’t get brushed aside when it’s not the main thing occupying peoples social media feeds. We can all do our small part to change things and we hope to see real evolution in our society and the global community moving forwards.
https://www.spaceacremusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/spaceacremusic
https://www.instagram.com/spaceacremusic/
https://twitter.com/spaceacremusic
https://soundcloud.com/spaceacremusic
SpaceAcre on Spotify
SpaceAcre YouTube Channel