A Chat with Scatterchild (04.04.24)
The brainchild of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jay Plent, solo project Scatterchild is “Manchester’s answer to Radiohead’s Thom Yorke”. A powerhouse in the Manchester indie-rock scene, Scatterchild blends powerful, sometimes provocative themes into moving, hard-hitting, “try not to yell out loud they’re so awesome” melodies. We speak with Scatterchild about his new single ‘Bleep Test’, what inspires him to make music, hobbies and interests, and much more.
OSR: How did you first get into music?
Scatterchild: My family indoctrinated me early with endless loops of The Beatles, The Police, Big Country – there was always music on wherever I went. Once I started learning guitar and idolizing heroes like Linkin Park and The Strokes as a teenager, my fate was sealed.
OSR: What inspires you to make music?
Scatterchild: I guess a lot of my inspiration comes from trying to replicate the feelings and ideas I hear in other songs. For example, ‘Run Too Far’ was heavily inspired by the work of Everything Everything. Mostly I make music out of compulsion though. I find it’s the only thing in my life that has ever made consistent sense and brought consistent happiness to me.
OSR: What can you tell us about ‘Bleep Test’ and what inspired the single?
Scatterchild: I literally got drunk and said to a friend, “Hey what if I wrote a song to the tempo of a high school Bleep Test. Do you remember those?”. They said that was a good idea. They might have been humouring me. I went and did it anyway. The bleep sound actually came from a live version of ‘Arrogant Peace Protest’ I used to do when I’m playing solo, and I just built the chords out from there, sang some stream-of-consciousness lyrics, and voila.
OSR: Did you experience any challenges when creating ‘Bleep Test’? If yes, how did you overcome them?
Scatterchild: Getting the balance of lo-fi vibes (Strokes/Gordon Raphael-style production) whilst keeping the song clear and direct (see Rick Rubin for that inspiration) was tricky. There was a point where I had to change a lyric because Michael (Bread Records head) pointed out it sounded like I was saying ‘cum’ in the context of the line. I won’t be repeating the original line…
OSR: What do you hope people will take from your music?
Scatterchild: The desire to come back to it for more servings.
OSR: What interests or hobbies do you have outside of music?
Scatterchild: I’m trying to cultivate more, I feel like that side of my life has dwindled since taking Scatterchild more seriously. I’m a big fan of sci-fi such as Star Wars and Black Mirror. I collect Yu-Gi-Oh cards. I engage in recreational drinking. I swim. I cycle. I get angry about politics.
OSR: What is your proudest accomplishment in life?
Scatterchild: The EP launch event for The Whispers We Leave – one of the best gigs we’ve ever done. Also, the “Collabavirus” charity project I set up during the pandemic. That album, made in collaboration with 10 or so other musicians across the UK, is still funnelling cash to Olympia’s Music Foundation, a Manchester music education charity. I urge your readers to go pick that up as all the proceeds help children get music lessons.
OSR: What would you say is your greatest strength as an artist?
Scatterchild: My theatricality and willingness to get injured for music videos (disclaimer: this is *mostly* a joke)
OSR: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Scatterchild: Further along, doing things better, with more conviction or at the very least more funding.
OSR: What plans do you have for Scatterchild?
Scatterchild: Our debut album AN EVERYDAY LANDSCAPE is due out in Sept 2024 (date tbc). It’s going to be great. Like a perfect cheese toastie.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Scatterchild: Vote in the next election and demand a change of government.
Many thanks to Scatterchild for speaking with us. For more from Scatterchild, check out his Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
