Fresh off the back of the release of Cult of the Damned ‘Part Deux: Brick Pelican Posse Crew Gang Syndicate’ we spoke with the man with a thousand fingers in a thousand pies Lee Scott about the album release, tour dates and upcoming projects.
Lee instructs his pianist to play some gentle classical music in the background while we do the interview.
The new Cult of the Damned album dropped on Friday 13th, How long has that been in the making?
Its been in the making for about two years really, when we released that first video Part Deux, that was the first track then we started making a few others. We made a load of tracks, most of them just got scrapped or thrown out or whatever. So basically it’s been about two years, but only about six months of that have we been actively doing the album, you get me. We kind of had a break and then came back to it and made it sound hard.
How did Children of the Damned transition in to Cult of the Damned?
Children of the Damned had expanded as a group cause people were all over the place doing different things and what have you, and we just had the idea to do a big Blah posse cut, which was that ‘Cult of the Damned’ track, the first one you know, the black and white video one. So we did that and were like why don’t we call the track Cult of the Damned, and then it just sort of turned in to a natural thing you get me. There was no super big plan or nothing, it just became that, and then we changed the name cos its not the exact original lineup, and everyone hates it when people do that shit you know, bands replace members and that so we just though fuck it, different name, but still paying homage to the original Blah crew, you know what i’m sayin’
Cult of the Damned brings together a bunch of different styles, whats the creative process like with so many people and who jumps on a track etc.
I mean for that album its just more like whatever inspires the people you know, not many verses really get cut from the tracks and that, its just pretty much very natural. There’s not really any big secret to fucking tell you man, they just get made.
For anyone who’s never heard of Cult of The Damned, what would your 3 reasons to listen be?
I don’t know man you tell me innit. I really just don’t, I can never answer those questions bro, cos its just like fuck knows man, I’m too busy making the music to sit around thinking why you should listen to it. Just do or don’t innit you know what I mean (laughs) I don’t know.. Just listen to it, don’t be a cunt.
You’re personally one of the most prolific artists in the UK, how do you juggle all your solo projects with crew projects and label responsibilities?
I’ve got other people that help with the record label, like Salar and Reklews been helping for years as well so its just one of them really, but I don’t know man its like when you think about it when people do 9-5’s that’s like… how many hours is it from 9-5? however many hours that is they do that Monday to Friday, so its like how do they manage to then go home and make dinner and look after their children, you know what i’m saying, its just what I do innit, I make music every day, but someone else would work every day. It’s just literally what I do.
Yeah man, I read your interview with Ginger Slim, and you were talking about taking a break, but you’ve not showed any signs of slowing down since then.
The thing is I say that but like I’ve got albums, I’ve got tons and tons of shit just not out you know what Im saying, cos the thing about it is you’re supposed to do videos, get it pressed up, do promo all this shit you know, and really I don’t wanna do none of that shit, I just wanna throw it all out, but then it just seems like a waste you know what I mean. It’s like if you do some videos and put a little effort in to each project they reach more people so you know, its kind of necessary, but man I’ve got enough albums to literally see me through the next ten years if I stopped doing new shit now. For real man , I got projects like with next sounds that people can’t even fathom yet you know what I’m saying. So when I say take a break man, that’s different to how someone else would take a break, when someone else says take a break that means you wont hear from them for time. you’re still gonna hear from me though, cos I got albums upon albums, you know what I mean, I got a new Hock Tu Down album, Mcabre Brothers album, Mcabre Brothers EP, fucking two solo, other solo records. tons of shit man, you get me?
Photo By: Lyza Jane
What’s next for yourself personally and for Cult of the Damned?
For me, I’m not sure yet man, like I said man I got so much shit, just whatever I feel like is the right mood for the time, you know what I mean. My plan is to release the ‘Hock Tu Three’ album, that’s the third Hock Tu Down joint, that’s me and Reklews are Hock Tu Down, if you don’t know. He produces it I rap on the shit. We made an album ‘Prozium Peddling’ years ago and then we did an EP and this is the third project, so I think that, but at the same time man I got a couple of other little small things I might squeeze in before then, its hard to say for me. As for Cult of the Damned, I’m actually in the studio now, just going through the tracks. We’ve made the third album already innit, I’ll reveal more on that as time goes on cos this one is crazy. if you think that Part Deux is mad, this one is next level man.
And you got the tour coming up as well, whats that 6 dates?
Yeah its six dates, Friday and Saturday for 3 weeks. It’s only a little tour man, we’re going with places that we know there’s an audience, well maybe except for Exeter, that’s just the wildcard, I have no idea if that’s even gonna get filled, but all the rest of them are nearly sold out. They’re smaller venues but we prefer that anyway, Intimate, you know what I’m saying. So yeah man, that shit is going to be crazy. Already its been crazy successful in proving to ourselves we can do it.
So what’s the craziest shit you’ve seen go down at an event?
[REDACTED]
…Actually maybe don’t mention any of that (laughs)
Ah bro, there’s so many crazy things happened man, like one of the funniest ones was years and years ago actually. We were going to this thing called UK Takeover, this was years back like when Skinnyman and all them were on the circuit. We were supposed to be performing, and we got a big coach from Liverpool, like a big massive coach full of scousers, and we were late as fuck so we missed our slot. Basically we were late because we stopped at like every single petrol station and shop on the way and literally just robbed everything out of all of them like left them clean you know what im sayin’, just all the way to the place, smoking out the bus, destroying it up, but the coach driver was the illest old guy ever, he just did not give a fuck, that was hard man, that was years ago, like 2003/4
Photo By: Lyza Jane
Any shoutouts?
Yeah shout out me mum, and me nan, and me brother, and me cat Jesus who’s actually now not my cat cos he lives with King Grubb and Shakes, but yeah shout out Jesus the cat, and that’s all I want to shout out really, to be honest.
There’s a war anyway, we’re all gonna be dead soon, get the interview up before we go to war!
That’s it. Shouts to Lee Scott for taking the time to talk with us, Cult of the Damned ‘Part Deux: Brick Pelican Posse Crew Gang Syndicate’ is out now and available on various formats on Blah Records website as well as any half decent streaming site.
Catch a Cult of the Damned show in the following cities; Click for tickets!
Leeds – 27th April | Manchester – 28th April | Exeter – 4th May | Bristol – 5th May | Brighton – 11th May | London – 12th May
All photos courtesy of Lyza Jane