Summer Party Interview: Mikill Pane

Christopher Sharpe catches up with Mikill Pane ahead of this year’s Summer Party extravaganza

The line-up for Warwick’s annual Summer Party has finally been revealed.  Topping the bill this year will be singer-songwriter-rapper extraordinaire Labrinth; Rudimental will be bringing their acclaimed drum and bass to the Bubble; and DJ veteran Zane Lowe will be sure to get the crowds bouncing.  We at The Boar managed to bag an exclusive interview with rapper Mikill Pane, who was keen to announce his plans to make an impact when he takes to the stage this June.

Boar Music: Could you describe your sound for anyone who hasn’t heard of you before?

Mikill Pane: I can’t, no.

BM: It’s indescribable, then?

MP: Yeah – the sound of the music changes from song to song; the only way you’ll know that it’s me is my voice, basically.  So I can describe my sound in a way: it always sounds like my voice.

BM: You’ll be playing alongside Labrinth and Rudimental this year.  Have you collaborated with them before?

MP: I’ve never collaborated with either of them.  I’m alright mates with Labrinth, and the Rudimental guys and I have a mutual respect – we  follow each other on Twitter and stuff.  I congratulated them for getting the Number One single yesterday.  We’re yet to strike up a proper friendship to be fair, though.

BM: You’re in the “afternoon party-starter” slot on the line-up (as the SU describes it): how do you plan on getting people bouncing?  Do you have a stagecraft?

MP: More just, you know, do my thing – if they like it, then most of the time it seems to work, and it’s as simple as that.  I don’t think there should be a formula: every crowd should be treated individually to be fair.  But at the same time, you should just try to be yourself: try and do the type of gig that you’d want to watch.  I think that’s the golden rule.

BM: How did you make the transition from Justin Smith Uzomba to ‘Mikill Pane’?

MP: The transition came before the name; the name was only used to classify the transition.  I’d always been a writer before, but I just felt that personally, I was undergoing a transformation, and I thought there might as well be a name, to sort of classify it: to encompass the whole thing that I’d been through.  I thought I oughta see what I could do: I’m a decent rapper – ‘Mic’ – and I’m ‘Ill’ on the mic.  And ‘Pane’ because I’ve been wearing glasses for so long that I feel like I’ve been looking through window-panes.

BM: Is that by deed poll now?  Do you get letters to a Mr. Pane?

MP: Nah, nah, nah.  I’m always on Twitter getting some presumptuous fans, that try and call me Justin…  It’s easier if you just call me Mikill, you know, I don’t know you like that.  It’s not an arrogant thing, it’s not as though I’m wearing sunglasses and being like “ahh… you call me Diddy!”

BM: Your first studio album, Blame Miss Barclay, is out soon – the rumour is June.  Is that still the case?

MP: Nah, August or September, I think.  ‘Summer In The City’ is just getting re-released in June.  Wait, tell a lie: ‘Summer In The City’ is out in August.

BM: What’s the story behind that album title?  Who’s Miss Barclay?

MP: She’s my old English teacher: she always told me to write creatively.

BM: It’s kind of a shout-out to her, then?

MP: It is.

BM: You’ve worked with the likes of Ed Sheeran and Example, and your last EP was called You Guest It…

MP: Nah, the last EP was Lucky Strike which came out like a week ago…  It’s available on my website for free!  It’s basically a precursor to the appearance of one of the characters on my album – which is made up of various different characters – and there’s one in there called Lucky.  And the Lucky Strike EP is an introduction from his perspective.

There’s a prologue on there by a guy called George the Poet, this amazing spoken-word artist.  I’ve wanted to work with him for ages, as he’s like what I wanted to be if I was still a spoken-word artist myself.  But I sold out, basically… [laughs]  I started putting a bit more rhythm into it, and set everything to music, whereas he still kind of carries it off so well.  Expresses himself like no one else does.  He stands head and shoulders above other spoken-word artists of my generation.

He’s so sick, I had to get him on it.  And all the production is done by a guy called Steel Bangles.  It’s free, just like You Guest It!

BM: Your single ‘Good Feeling’ seems pretty in-tune with student ideals; what’s been your own experience with university?

MP: I went to uni, but I walked out, like, four times.  It just wasn’t for me, although I do respect people that seek knowledge.  I’ve got no brothers, but I have four sisters who have all been through uni.  One of them has never even had a year off: she’s been through every single sort of institution… and life is better for her, but it isn’t necessarily for me.  Uni doesn’t teach you to be creative.

BM: You play with a live band, as well.  That seems to be something that’s happened at the moment with a lot of hip-hop and dance outfits: getting a live band.  Is that important to you?

MP: Yeah, a lot of MCs were doing band stuff before.  It’s weird that some of them are resorting back to DJs.  Maybe they’re feeling a bit jaded with the whole thing, but I personally feel that if you can perform with a band, that’s the best way to go.  Unless you’ve got a stupidly entertaining DJ, but there’s only so much a DJ can do.

With a band, it’s all in the interaction between all people on stage.  I’ve got four – sometimes as many as five – on stage with me when I’m performing.  Being able to interact with them adds another dimension to the show.  I think artists are quite selfish when it comes to performing.  An artist shouldn’t only perform to entertain; they should perform to be entertained, as well.

If you can tour and gig, while enjoying it as much as the crowds do, you also get the added bonus of having your pals on stage – jamming around with you and that, and seeing their own reactions to the crowd.  It’s just a big maelstrom of emotions and vibes, basically.  No matter where you look, you’re going to get that.

BM: You’ll be playing alongside a number of other up-and-comers, including Coves and By The Rivers.  Who are you listening to at the moment that you think people should check out?

MP: Honestly, I’m not a massive hip-hop fan.  I don’t listen to that much specifically, I just listen to music.  I don’t go, “oh shit, I wanna find out who the best rappers of the moment are…”, do you know what I mean?  Because I’m a rapper, I don’t imagine myself in that scene too much.

I’m more into bands, myself.  I think people should check out Black Forest Ghetto.  They’re some friends of mine, and they’ve got a really good vibe.  It’s fucking amazing – like New Jack Swing, and they do a really good cover of ‘Poison’ by Bell Biv Devoe.  Really cool, really old-school aesthetic, and even, y’know, sonically…  It’s just the kind of shit that you know your parents might have danced to, if you know what I mean.  So much longevity!

BM: I guess that’s what we’re talking about with this “real music live”: it all comes back to the ‘groove’, which is coming back in a big way.

MP: Yes, yes, exactly.  They do gigs, and when I do gigs, I want everyone’s listening attention; I don’t really give a shit about people dancing.  But when they do gigs, it’s just heads-down sweating, skanking, and it’s sick: it’s exactly what the shows are intended for, you know?

BM: Thanks for your time.  Do you have anything you’d like to say to Warwick before we see you on stage this summer?

MP: Let’s just have a fucking knees-up, let’s have a good time!  I think I start the Professor Green tour that day, so after Warwick I’m off to Guildford, so basically, just make it worth my fucking while!