Sin Kitty
Jackson Scott launches Erradic Records, presses Sin Kitty LP on wax, & more….
Continuing to push the bar up further of what is possible through those trademark mesmerizing pop signatures-Jackson Scott returns with a vinyl pressing from his old band Sin Kitty, with news of a new label launch with his imprint Erradic Records. A full-length that was recorded 2011-2013 in Scott & friends dorm rooms and at the notorious Asheville, abode/estate—Melbourne—the Sin Kitty LP Softer showcases Scott’s home-woven analog experiments that prove to create some of the most pointed and pencil-sharpened pop ever heard. Conjuring up feelings & worlds of an entrancing design, this Sin Kitty release provides something of an alternate listen to the artist’s solo work, and the Calypso collective.
Sin Kitty sets the table with the instrumental title track intro “Softer” that stirs and circles in atmospheres and the vaguely sounded ring of chimes. From here the single “Vanity Daze” emerges like you would imagine an alt icon rising in the late morning from their beauty slumber. Though this is Jackson & friends from half a decade back, it shows off the ground breaking sense for shaping some of the most effective hooks and ear worms around. “Don’t Be Crazy” is reminiscent of those obscure psych records lauded by older sisters and brothers that you were never allowed to spin on the platter, where freak beat melodic-ism goes spelunking into the dark cavernous terrain of scorched middle earth reminiscent of lost vintage dad discs like that Gandalf album from 1969. “Shatter” moves that emotion even further, while “Pillow Fight” errs on the experimental sound collage side where voices & far away sirens are caught in the echo-stream right before you get to behold the perfect nu-psych brilliance & shimmer of “Not Today Again”. The feeling of groundhog day and déjà vu are brought to new types of levels here, where everything from grunge to Mersey beat is exalted in a manner of worship that has to be heard to be believed. Having just raised the bar, Sin Kitty keeps the transgressive cat motif party meowing with the claws out on absolutely mesmerizing “All the Kidss” that somehow takes your favorite sacred band’s back catalog and hit book, flings it into the mouth of a roaring fireplace, laughs, and makes their entire shtick sound easy to duplicate. “Wondering” keeps with the experimental pop sentiment, complete with spoken word as “Chase” creates that lost in the mountains and hillsides of the Appalachians feels. The entire Softer ride comes to a complete full circle with the samples of waves and controlled instrumental dissonance that brings it all back to the album’s opening track title beginning, begging for another hundred or so listens, naturally. Jackson Scott joined us to discuss the release of Sin Kitty’s big album, coinciding with the launch of Erradic Records.
Give us details about the return of Sin Kitty, and some insights into making the Softer LP.
Sin Kitty is a band I was in with some friends of mine from college—Annie, Dillon, and Chase. We recorded Softer over the course of a year in our dorm rooms and at the Melbourne house. The band broke up around 2013 and the album’s been done for about 3 years now, but I always knew it would be released in some fashion. We’re all really stoked to finally put it out.
Styling & profiling with Jackson Scott; photo courtesy of the artist.
Tell us about the launch of your new imprint, Erradic, and everything we need to know about it, and what artists to watch for from Erradic.
Erradic is a collaboration between me and Jay Rubin. We initially started it with the idea of releasing our friends music and really anything that we think is interesting. Jay works on some very crazy visual production and editing as well so there’s a multimedia element to it as well. As of right now, the next release is going to be Egodeath, an South Carolina-based band started by Jack Bruhnke.
Sin Kitty’s Annie (on the right) & friend Aaron (left); photo courtesy of the band.
What other sorts of erratic creative/collaborative endeavors have been consuming your time and worlds lately? Feels like you always got something cooking….
I’ve been messing with this new project of mine called Votaries. Almost finished with the first album. Also been jamming with this girl Luci who is an insane singer and rapper. Other than that, I’m always interested in recording different bands and music that I like.
Sitting with Chase from Sin Kitty; press photo courtesy of the band.
From your solo work, your other collective Calypso, to Sin Kitty, and more; describe the things that have been informing and impacting your psychic like sense for sound, and post-structural/nu-structures in arrangements and more.
All kinds of things. It’s hard to pinpoint. Some songs could be made with the intention of crafting the perfect shoegaze pop structure. Others could be like a complete ambient mess. It all depends on how you’re feeling at the time.
Many have remarked about the experimental and psych aspects of your music, but what’s amazing is how from these rough scuzzy & scuffed up places you come up with really catchy, hook-laden jams like “Vanity Daze”, “Not Today Again”, “All The Kidss”, & countless others on Softer & many other releases. How do you feel you are able to sort of reconcile the quixotic with something that is almost pristine in it’s audio form?
I like a nice mixture of chaos and beauty. Also, if you start with something simple then sometimes you have a lot more room to bring lots of other dimensions into it.
Sin Kitty’s album Softer is available now from Erradic & Bandcamp.
