Bringing something fresh, eclectic and accessible to the Cape Town scene, Jeremy Loops is fast becoming well known for his unique sound… Danielle Laity caught up with Jeremy to chat about music, collaborations and social initiatives.


 

Danielle Laity: Who is Jeremy Loops?

Jeremy Loops: It is ME, Jeremy, hello. I hail from Cape Town and grew up in a little place called Kommetjie. It is also a number of close collaborators who feature in my sound, like my man Motheo (MC Trak) who played with me at Assembly on Thursday night, as well as others like Andre (Machineri) and Andrew (7ft Soundsystem).

 

You use a variety of instruments to create a unique sound. How did this sound develop?

After my studies I spent a number of years yachting around the globe. At sea, I had endless amounts of time to experiment with different instruments, one of which was my trusty loop pedal, of course. I had no option of a band, and so the natural progression was towards a variety of instruments in a one-man band style.

 

You seem to enjoy performing with other artists. How do you feel this enhances the performance?

I like the dynamic it creates. I love feeding off other artist’s energy on stage, and am always looking for ways to keep things fresh. Having various artists included in my act or featured in one of my loops, is a great way to achieve this.


Tell us about some of the artists you have performed with.

In my short time in the local music scene I have had the pleasure of performing with a bunch of great artists. I have played with Freshly Ground a couple of times, as well as Gazelle and Desmond and the Tutu’s. This past week I played with Farryl Purkiss and Yoav.

 

Which South African and international artists inspire you?

They all do. I take influence from almost anything nowadays. If it sounds good, I’m listening. Life’s too short to close your ears off to any particular style of music. I swear by folk legends like Guthrie and Dylan though.

 

What can we expect from Jeremy Loops in the future?

Good question. Well I’m recording at the Red Bull Studios later this month, so expect some long awaited recorded material. Otherwise, primarily, you can expect to see me looping the hell out of my loop pedal, playing as much as I can, and just getting out there. Follow me on Facebook to keep up to date with gigs and new material.

I also run a social Initiative with 2 close friends of mine called Greenpop, where we plant trees in under-greened communities in the Western Cape. Our mission towards a “Treevolution” has gained widespread support, and if you don’t already know about us, I implore you to check out our website at www.greenpop.org and gift an indigenous tree to a tree-needy school/orphanage/community centre today!

 

images courtesy of The Assembly