At The Edge Of Ego with Sapienn
One of the best things about running this website is when an artist sends you their music personally. There’s a brief moment where you hang between knowing the smallest details about them and emulating in your mind what you expect to hear. Then you press play, and inevitably all your expectations are blown out of the water. This is what happened when I heard Sapienn’s new single, ‘Exit Scene’.
Glasgow musician and songwriter Scott Simpson decided to break away from the underground metal scene in 2016 when he formed an outlet for his own music – he called it Sapienn. The acoustic based music explores Simpson’s multi-instrumentalist skill, wrapping his voice around a multitude of sounds. This is first heard on his debut EP, ‘Hours Of Despair’, also released in 2016. This was followed up by a full-length record entitled ‘A Black Sarcasm’ in 2017 and Sapienn’s second album, ‘Cold Logic’ in 2020.
The intricate album opener of the latter, ‘The Pragmatist’ was later reworked into a piano version in support of Homeless Project Scotland. Sapienn also released ‘Metafiction’ in 2021, a standalone track that moves away from Simpson’s acoustic sound and instead explores the world of electronica. This track also received a stripped-back re-recording which casts a different light on Sapienn’s songwriting. His first single of 2022, ‘Exit Scene’ is a full band recording realised by Sapienn in his home studio.
The opening piano and atmospherics in ‘Exit Scene’ hint at Sapienn’s electronic exploration as the piano bounces back in applied delay. It’s possible for this track to have gone in a different direction, until there’s a surprise run on guitar and bass reminiscent of Stevie Wonder and Sapienn begins his first verse.
‘Come and find me, I am standing at the edge of my own ego…’
And how wonderful Scott Simpson’s voice gels with this arrangement, surfing over the accented bass and acoustic guitars. The prominent and trebly bass especially is highlighted in a recent video on Sapienn’s Instagram page, where he dives deeper into the production of this song. All the while, a sparing use of percussion adds to Sapienn’s programmed drums with continued, but less of a spotlight on keyboard layers. During Scott’s production videos, he also shows an a cappella part of his chorus vocal, revealing how his harmonies come together to make that glorious sound. Sapienn’s voice is soulful, full of warmth and is written for perfectly in ‘Exit Scene’.
With a slot at the Isle Of Bute’s Butefest coming up in July and more gigs planned for later in the year, we hope to hear more music from Sapienn in 2022. Continue reading for our Q&A where we ask about Sapienn’s most recent singles, his slot at Butefest, what he’s listening to this year and the possibility of more music. All this and more below!
1. Your new single 'Exit Scene' is so rich in its instrumentation and harmonies, how did the writing process begin? Do you typically originate a song in its music or lyricism?
The song lyrics were written a few years ago. They basically dealt with thoughts I was having at the time about giving up writing music. Of course this didn’t happen, and I found more inspiration after writing them. I unearthed those lyrics and reworked them into a more recent piece of music and the outcome is Exit Scene.
2. You occasionally visit your recording set-up on social media, would you take us through the production on 'Exit Scene'?
All my tracks are recorded in one room. I have decent mics to record vocals and acoustic instruments, but due to lack of space and funds I have to rely heavily on sample libraries and synths.
3. You've previously recorded new versions of your tracks 'The Pragmatist' and 'Metafiction'. If you were to present 'Exit Scene' in a different light, how would you change the song?
I think the song would lend itself to a full rock production. Think Iron Maiden with keyboards.
4. 'Metafiction' especially is worlds apart from your latest single, what inspired the deep electronic production on that track?
Purely because of my recording set-up, it’s so easy to pull up different synth patches and find inspiration that way. I’m really into 80’s so synth-pop and darkwave, so it was a conscious decision to write something in that lane.
5. The piano version of 'The Pragmatist' was released in support of Homeless Project Scotland. What changes would you like to see to combat homelessness in the UK?
It’s a pretty difficult subject to tackle. A big issue is the lack of social housing, which is a major problem even before taking into consideration the difficulties of individual people.
6. The music of Sapienn evolved out of your work in the metal scene, is that a genre you envisage fully revisiting in the future?
It is possible, but right now I have absolute freedom working on my own. It means I’m not tied down to a single genre.
7. You've got a slot at Butefest this summer, what are you most looking forward to about playing on the island?
The festival site is right on the beach so weather permitting, the place is absolutely gorgeous. I got a puppy last year so it would be great to head over with some family and make it more of a holiday for myself.
8. Can fans look forward to more gigs this year?
I haven’t booked many shows and pretty much stopped playing live in favour of writing and recording. Since restrictions are easing and venues are getting back to normal, I hope there won’t be a mad rush of acts looking for slots!
9. 2022 feels like it's speeding by, what have you been listening to recently?
I’ve mainly been looking backward. I recently did a deep dive into The Smiths back catalogue looking for some inspiration on bass guitar, and listened back to Alanis Morissette’s first album looking at a less rigid approach to songwriting.
10. You released an album in 2020 called 'Cold Logic'. Is 'Exit Scene' the start of something new? Can fans expect more releases in 2022?
I found that recording the album on my own was a huge undertaking and I spread myself too thin. As a result, I felt that the songs suffered a little and didn’t reach their full potential. In 2021 I decided to stick to releasing singles. I still have hours of material written, but now I can pick the songs that excite me the most and pour myself into them one at a time.
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Download Sapienn’s ‘Exit Scene’ and the rest of his music from his Bandcamp page.
For more information about Sapienn, including news of upcoming gigs, visit his official website here.
Follow Sapienn on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @sapiennsongs.
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