- Words Darcy Culverhouse
Fresh off the heels of her debut single, we talk with Rubberband Girl about her unique sound, passion for acid jazz and future plans.
Making a riotous splash onto the scene, Rubberband Girl is set on making a sound for everyone. Joining the cadre of other artists unwilling to be placed in a singular stylistic box, her sound is novel and contemporary, compelling you to sway to its groove. It defies simple categorisation, leaving you questioning what genre you’ve just heard. Is it acid-jazz? Indie? Funk? We can’t put a finger on it and Rubberband Girl prefer it that way.
Fronted by founder, Caitlyn Scarlett, it didn’t take long for her to make her mark on the scene. Moving to London at the mere age of 17 from her hometown, Bray, Berkshire, Caitlyn saw herself working with pal Little Simz who helped her to craft her first track. Shortly after, artists started reaching out to Caitlyn left, right and centre, with Nigerian-British rapper Ms Banks requesting to collaborate, as well as Rudimental, which saw her contribute to their EP, Distinction, at just 18.
Putting all of this experience into Rubberband Girl’s artistry, her debut single, ‘South Suburban Weekend’ sees Caitlyn lay her passion for genre-bending down for all to see. Bringing acid-jazz’s swagger to trip-hop overhauls, the track stands as a romanticism of ordinary life. With rousing brass flourishes and jazzy piano melodies interplaying, the idea of an all-fun no-pressure summer arises: a time when the possibilities of life feel endless and anything can truly happen.
With ‘South Suburban Weekend’ only marking the start of something greater yet to come, we sit down with Caitlyn Scarlett to talk about her debut track as Rubberband Girl, her passion for genre-bending and future plans on the horizon.
How does it feel to have your debut single ‘South Suburban Weekend’ out to the world?
It feels a little scary, but a relief. I’ve kept this project close to my chest for so long, it feels pretty momentous to finally watch it fly free. The timing feels right.
The track marks the first song you’ve ever written, dedicating it as a “love letter to my youth”. Can you tell us more about the backstory of the track? And what moments inspired its creation?
Yes, it was the first-ever Rubberband Girl song. I wanted to celebrate the romanticism of ordinary life, growing up in a stereotypically English suburb, riding bikes, kissing in fields, waiting for the future to arrive.
In the track, we hear various components interplay, from jazzy piano to hissing hi-hat cymbals, resulting in a track that is a concoction of genres. How would you describe your sound? And what does genre-blurring mean to you?
I would describe our sound as ‘the new classic’, taking influence from a range of decades and styles and recycling them in a way that feels fresh. It’s supposed to be for everyone, I want there to be something for all generations in there. Genre-bending is what I live for. Much like fashion or food, I believe music is elevated through fusion.
The track is full of nostalgia, conjuring up an anthem perfect for summer. What are some of your favourite sun-soaked tracks that we should have on our playlist?
Right now I’m loving ‘Neverender’ by Justice and Tame Impala, ‘Gin&Juice’ by Hardy, ‘Shower Song’ by Tierra Whack, and ‘Starburned and Unkissed’ by Caroline Polachek.
What was your biggest achievement and biggest learning curve while making the track?
Probably a lack of overthinking, I can sometimes get lost in the weeds trying to realise a vision, but ‘South Suburban Weekend’ was very natural and instinctive. I always think the best songs write themselves, they use you as a door into this physical realm.
You mention that the move from your small town home to London was a watershed point in your life. What inspired the move? And what impact did it have on you as a person?
Yeah, I always knew I wanted to live in London, as far back as I can remember. Growing up queer and dreaming of a career in music, all signs pointed to the big city. When I was 17, a mate of mine had a spare room to rent in Angel and offered it to me, thankfully my mum has always been very open-minded and supported my decision to leave home. That was the beginning of a whole new adventure for me.
Tell us about your creative process when making a song. Where’s your favourite place to write?
My favourite place to write is RAK Studios, it has a real old-school golden era vibe, you can feel the culture oozing from the walls. My creative process changes from song to song, I’m very hands-on when it comes to chords and production. Once I’m feeling inspired by music, usually all the lyrics come pouring out at once and I’ll tweak the melodies afterwards.
A driving force in your music is acid-jazz. Can you recommend us some must-have acid-jazz tracks?
My manager Kwame Kwaten is in a group called D-influence who are credited with being pioneers of the acid jazz scene. They toured with Prince and Michael Jackson back in the day. His son Namali is also one half of Blue Lab Beats, who are making major waves on the scene. I’d be totally amiss not to recommend them.
You’ve collaborated with the likes of Little Simz, Ms Banks and Rudimental. How did these collaborations come about? And what did you learn from working with these music veterans?
Simz and I went to music college together, she actually helped me create my first SoundCloud account and the first song I uploaded was a track we made during lunch break called Goldmine. We jammed together a lot during our teens, those were some of my first sessions. I’ve always loved working with rappers so when Ms Banks asked me to collaborate I was over the moon. Rudimental first followed and DM’d me when I was 18 years old but we finally got round to releasing something together years later on their Distinction EP. It’s cliche but the phrase “work hard and be nice to people” really has proven itself true to me over the years.
What’s next for Rubberband Girl? Any exciting projects on the horizon?
We have so much music in the pipeline, our debut album is set to release later this year, as well as content and visuals to come. Personally I’m really looking forward to playing these songs live and connecting in person. You can keep up via socials at @rubberbandgirlband