There’s an old saying that goes, “When you know better, you do better,” and it seems to be a concept that local hip hop duo Spit Syndicate have embraced wholeheartedly.
“We’re the sharpest we’ve ever been,” smiles Nick Lupi, one half of the talented pair who met in high school. “We’re working on becoming the best performers that we can be – and we’ve got a few surprises up our sleeves too.”
Speaking to the BRAG from the balcony of a recording studio in Sydney, Lupi is excited about an upcoming national tour to celebrate the release of their latest single ‘Know Better’, and he is keen to share a few insights into their latest project.
“There’s been a lot going on,” Lupi says. “We’re continuing to get better at making music, but we’ve been really busy doing stuff with our crew, One Day, and putting on these parties we call One Day Sundays. So that’s taken up a fair bit of time and energy, but it’s been a really awesome and rewarding experience.
“All the while, in the background we’ve been working on a new Spit Syndicate release. We’re actually in the studio today – I’m just taking a little break. The record is almost done, to be honest. There are just a few things we need to line up which are a little bit harder to control. We’re currently between managers and between record labels, so we’re free agents in a sense, which is quite exciting but makes trying to pinpoint exactly when the album is going to come out more difficult.”
Despite his obvious uncertainty, Lupi hopes we will be hearing new Spit Syndicate sooner rather than later. “I think it would break our hearts a little bit if we don’t put it out this year, because we’ve been working really hard and the music feels very ‘now’ to us. The sound is very current and it’s a true indication of where we’re at in our lives at the moment. So we’re really hoping to get it out in the next few months, because right now I think it’s the best music we’ve ever made and we’re more confident in ourselves and our abilities than ever before.”
Ten years on from releasing their first mixtape, The Future’s Bright, Lupi and his partner in crime Jimmy Nice have had their fair share of unforgettable experiences – some even providing inspiration for their lyrics. In their latest single, ‘Know Better’, Lupi quips, “Don’t do as I say, just do what you feel / Shit, I stole pizza from Bob Dylan’s fridge out in the Hollywood Hills”. Clearly not shy about their night of frozen food and a brush with a famous folk family, Lupi says he would do it again.
“One night we met Pablo Dylan [Bob Dylan’s grandson] and ended up at the family compound. Stealing pizza from Bob’s fridge – that’s definitely gotta rank as one of the highlights of the last few years!” he laughs.
Another highlight that Lupi shares is a recent catch-up with mates from the One Day crew, Horrorshow, Joyride and Jackie Onassis. “It was a really nice dinner and it got quite boozy, like it can when old friends catch up – and of course it ended up with a bunch of us pretty drunk and playing demos and albums to each other. There’s so much benefit and value that can be derived from being around other creative people. We don’t share a studio anymore, but we do share an office these days.”
Lupi says he spends a lot of time in that office working on promoting One Day’s wildly successful parties all around the country. In fact, the popularity of these events has afforded him a freedom that most 20-somethings only dream of. “I don’t have a day job anymore, me! Jimmy still works in childcare a little bit here and there, which is an awesome side job. About a year ago I was able to leave my side job, which was an amazing feeling because it’s extremely difficult to earn a living in music, especially when you want to live in a city like Sydney.
“So that’s been one of the cool changes,” he adds, “and I’ve expanded my horizons a little bit and become somebody that is traditionally regarded as an enemy by musicians – that’s a promoter,” he laughs. “It’s very confusing.”
Lupi may be having a tough time adjusting to his new role, but he must be doing something right – tickets to their national tour are selling fast, including their one-off Sydney show as part of the Come Together festival. “We’ve got a few surprises up our sleeves for this one too, and we’re really trying to work on our performances a little bit more, rather than just worrying about where the afterparty is,” Lupi says.
“Come Together is a pretty monumental event for Sydney and for the Australian hip hop circuit in general. So we really wanna make these shows as memorable and as special as possible for everyone, because they’ve given hard-earned money to come and see us – but we will still be talking shit onstage. That’s something that’s never going to change.”
Come Together 2016 on Saturday June 11, atBig Top Sydney, Luna Park, features Drapht, Allday, Tuka, Dylan Joel and more, along with Spit Syndicate. Nick Lupi will appear at One Day Sundays at the Factory Theatre on Sunday June 5 as part of Vivid Sydney 2016.
