The single has already become quite a hit with the Warped Tour crowd, where the pair performed the song together. The official music video has also already received over 115,000 views since its release at the end of June. For the video, “Hannah Lux Davies did an awesome job directing it. It’s important to me as a former street kid that these things are shown in a certain light. I never want it to be some Guardianreading middle-class idea of what a street kid is. I always wanted it to be more like a Ken Loach movie, like yeah life is shit and we have it tough, but fuck, we have to laugh, you know?” and that was the main inspiration behind the video, to just be real. We have already briefly touched upon Itch’s sound, and how his poetic lyrics are relevant to today’s society whether that be socially or politically or sometimes even both. But we think it’s safe to say that Itch must be one of the most lyrically talented artists out their today, and as someone who takes such time and care to craft their lyrics and songs as a whole, we wanted to know what his writing process was like. “It’s different with different producers. With Feldy, we start with nothing, just talking, and then we have a friendly competition. I’ll say that beat isn’t good enough or put a bass in there, and he’ll say that line sucks or that word isn’t good enough. It’s cool like that. We really push each other and build everything together. With Dan the Automator, he comes at me with a beat and I go away and write to it. Then, he records me rapping and that’s pretty much it. It really depends and varies from producer to producer.” Itch has also recently signed to Red Bull Records, which will have an evident impact on his career as any label signing should. “The
reason I decided to go with Red Bull and not a major or a standard large indie label is because Red Bull thinks outside the box. They’re a very artist-friendly label and they understand my vision. They’re all about bringing it to life rather than just making me do the standard rounds. I can go to them with a creative idea and they’ll listen.” So with that note in mind, we presume Itch’s next musical offering will be released via Red Bull Records, and we already know that he has been working on some new material. “Honestly, they are the best songs I have ever done. We have been working on this album for a good few years and written so many songs. It’s unreal, but these are genuinely the best ones we have.”
“YOU HAVE TO RESPECT EVERYONE’S GRIND, NOT JUST IN MUSIC BUT IN LIFE.” And alike many other fans, we can’t wait to hear what Itch has been working on. Another thing we were curious about, beside his new tracks, was Itch’s views on the music industry. It’s known for being one of the toughest industries to work in, and being an artist means this industry is what Itch has to deal with on a daily basis. As he holds true to his social and political views, encouraging change where he thinks it would be best suited, we wanted to see what Itch would change about the music industry if he was given a chance. “I wish people would buy records, that would make the whole industry a lot easier. The second thing I would change is the concept of knowledge. Kids today have little knowledge about the industry, but little knowledge is a dangerous
thing. There’s too much judgment without really knowing the situation. You have to respect everyone’s grind, not just in music, but in life.” Itch will be heading out onto the road to headline this years Kevin Says UK Tour in November. We were wondering what Itch brings to his live shows that other performers don’t. “I give every show all I have. I don’t care how many people are or aren’t there. When I’m on stage and performing, I give everything. I come off dripping in sweat about to pass out. That’s how I know I’ve done a good show,” and as far as we’re concered, a good show is all that matters. Plus Itch is no stranger to the road, and the time that he spent travelling the world has had a great impact on his work ethic. “It [touring] taught me everything. There’s a lot of people out there, especially in rap, who have no idea about life on the road. They can sound nice in their friend’s studio with no pressure, autotune and all that stuff, but until you can kick it live - are you real? You get out in front of people’s faces when you are hungover, when you’re losing your voice and haven’t slept, when you look like shit, feel like shit and may even sound like shit. But if you can take your personality, experience and charisma and make the crowd move, you are a real MC.” You can catch Itch live down the US East Coast, as he is on tour with Deltron 3030 for the majority of October. After that he will be gracing UK ground for Warped Tour and the Kevin Says Tour in November. We know that the end of 2013 of will be big for Itch, but we’re more looking forward to what 2014 will bring.
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WORDS: BY BEKKA COLLINS