A Serious Interview with Super Silly

By Mary Meadhbh Park | Feb 5 2018

Speaking with bassist and rapper, Solo, Mary Meadhbh Park discusses the music and future of Super Silly. Super Silly is made up of four young musicians: Solo, Grvz, Whodis, and Glory, who all met playing gospel at church. They released their first single, 'No Pressure' in 2016 and since then have played many festivals and gigs all around Ireland, including the Cork Jazz Festival, Hard Working Class Heroes, Sim Simma, and Forbidden Fruit. ‘No Pressure,’ went on to get a lot of online attention after a remix was released with Australian production duo, Odd Mob.
"We're trying to do something that hasn't been done before. We're trying to create the same type of energy Travis Scott would create."
I meet Solo on his own, and he has a humble air about the success of the track: “It was our first song – as corny as it was, people just liked it.” He picks one word to describe the group’s sound: “progressive. We're trying to do something that hasn't been done before. We're trying to create the same type of energy Travis Scott would create, but with live instruments… But making [them] not sound like live instruments.” He offers good insights into the workings of the music industry, saying, “Music is changing at such a fast rate and people are adapting to it… You listen to Travis Scott, Future, and then you listen to the 1975… and like they’re almost trying to bring people to their time.”Super Silly come across as artists above all else. Solo seems genuine in his desire to be authentic and original, something that isn't so easy in the music industry right now. “We're not trying to be someone else, we take inspiration from the people that we listen to and we take what we need and think, 'OK, how can we morph this? How can we make this amazing sound?'”
In 'Not Ready to Leave', they incorporate R&B, hip-hop, and funk influences, with psychedelic bass interludes and a touch of beat poetry.
Super Silly's music is certainly unique. In 'Not Ready to Leave', they incorporate R&B, hip-hop, and funk influences, with psychedelic bass interludes and a touch of beat poetry. This fusion of genres is a common feature of the group’s work. “They have funk elements in them, and then the way we sing, the way we ride the beat… we're playing with rhythms and we're trying to get people feeling things they've never felt before,” says Solo. The lyrics of ‘Not Ready to Leave’ comes across as both meaningful and relatable. The pre-chorus, for example, goes: “Tunnel vision blocks away the truth/Don't judge me for the path I choose/I still know where the truth lies/Let me skate a little longer on this thin ice.”
"When I'm producing the music, I'm putting myself into the music but I'm also thinking about other people who are listening to it, like, what do I want to make them feel."
I ask Solo about his song-writing process. “I'm a writer first, I like to be poetic with what I write... When I'm producing the music, I'm putting myself into the music but I'm also thinking about other people who are listening to it, like, what do I want to make them feel…I want to transcend my emotions into the music so that they can feel how I'm feeling.”Super Silly have found a perfect balance between serious and fun. Their music captures what it is to be young right now, with a mixture of self-discovery and anxiety along with optimism and positivity. Their backgrounds also play a part in their music: “We're still very African at heart. We represent where we're from, but we also represent Europe, and we represent Dublin, and we represent Ireland.” It seems important to the group to bridge the gap between present and future.
Their music captures what is is to be young right now, with a mixture of self-discovery and anxiety along with optimism and positivity.
Super Silly are releasing a new single in March, and a four-track EP in May. Solo won’t give much away, but he promises that we’ll like what we hear. Some of Super Silly's tracks can be found on Spotify, Soundcloud, YouTube, and iTunes, but Solo suggests that going to a gig is the best way to get a real sense of the group: “The energy is insane… People go crazy! We love playing live.”Showing confidence for the group's future, Solo remarks: “We plan on taking over the year! 2018 is our year, and I know that for sure. He adds “We played a lot of big festivals last year, not necessarily the biggest stages, but this year you’ll find us on the big stages.”As Super Silly grow and evolve, they are definitely a group to be watched out for. Solo is emphatic: “You'll be hearing a lot of us!” Super Silly play It Takes A Village on 14 April. They headline the Button Factory on 19 May.