Set to drop their sophomore album Misfit Music on June 4, London duo Sabatta are gearing up to unleash their style of rock music to a wider audience than ever before. Here, we chat to one half of the pair – Debbie Dee – all about the group’s sound, challenges within the industry and more!
Sabatta's new album 'Misfit Music' drops on June 4
For those who may be new to your music, how best would you describe your sound?
I think the range of our music is extremely diverse and relatively difficult to categorise. We have been told that we sound like QOTSA, however there is an aspect of soul/funkadelic thrown into the mix, so I guess punk/soul/rock/grunge probably best describes our sound, but not necessarily in that order.
What challenges have you faced in the music industry so far?
Apart from the difficulties of being a female in a male-dominated industry, the perceptions of the genre of music a band like Sabatta is ‘meant’ to play doesn’t always fit into one’s expectations. Sabatta, unlike Ronseal, doesn’t do exactly what it says on the tin, if you like, which messes with some people’s mindsets I think. We like to embrace many styles of music; there are no rules in our mind to break.
How difficult would you say this career path is in terms of making a name for yourself?
The struggle of living in London and being a musician is real. You either have to have, or make a lot of money to be able to have the privilege of implementing your art. My plan B in life supplements my plan A, so I’m lucky enough to be able to do what I’m in love with.
How important is it for you to have creative control over the work you produce?
When you paint a picture, no one directs you as to what you are to paint unless it’s a commissioned piece. No one dictates composition, medium, or the colours that you should use, so why should that be different for music? If you sell your soul then absolutely, you will be obliged to compromise your creative direction, however I am not about that life. Creative control is an artist’s innate instinct and to deny them of their very being is a detriment to their craft, as we know it.
Where do you draw influence and inspiration from for your work?
Inspiration for music always manifests through a variety of channels for me. It is not exclusive to a particular genre of music; in fact, it is almost always a combination of many. I always create a bassline subject to what I am currently feeling, as a result of the people that I meet and the relationships that evolve from extraordinary encounters. This positive impact therefore becomes an indelible expression of a period of time that I can reminisce about during post-production, rather than reflecting on a social media timeline of events.
If you could collaborate with anybody going forward, who would you choose and why?
Going forward? Aw nuts, no dead people then? We can’t use hologram technology? If we could, it will have to be Fela Kuti, for the purpose of extending my general musical wisdom; Cobain for intimate intellectual conversations about the industry; and probably Moon and Hendrix, for the ultimate kickass jam session, although we’d probably hate each other for playing all over each other. Failing that I’d settle for Black Sabbath, Jack White, QOTSA, GnR and of course the nicest man in rock, Dave Grohl.
Tell us a random, funny fact about you that not many people know.
I’m a straight up computer geek, and proud of it too! I’m currently super-upping my old Mac 2010 unibody A1342, so it runs just as good, if not better than the newer A1534 by changing the hard drive to an SSD and whacking up the RAM to 16GBs – not officially recommended by perfectly possible – whilst the guts are out. Why? Because it’s fun and I love it. You will often find me at coding conferences and workshops snooping out the latest advances in machine learning, Blockchain technology and AI.
Do you have definitive aims or goals for your career?
Absolutely, to be able to do my art full-time without compromising on anything, live to work and continue touring around the globe.
What should we expect from you in the coming weeks and months?
Sabatta’s album drops on June 4. The launch gig was on May 26 at the Victoria. Also we have a few radio shows coming up…