Double interview Snelle and Babs.
The Citizen Orphanage is 40 years old. The body may squeak and crack, but the soul is alive and kicking. What characterizes the illustrious Deventer music venue, created in 1984 from a youth center? We'll find out in six double interviews. This is episode 3, with Burger Beurs alumni Lars Bos alias Snelle (Gorssel, 1995) and Babs Schutte, Babs for short (Leiden, 1999).
“Let's see if we see any more frogs today,” Lars says as he descends via the steel stairs to the vaulted cellar under the Burgerweeshuis. In rehearsal room two, a little later, he and Babs settle down on the leather couch next to the drum kit. It smells damp, musty, familiar here.
Lars: “This is my childhood, a warm hug, a nice place.”
Fifteen years ago, he first set foot across the threshold of the Civic Orphanage. “For a concert by Flow&co, a popular hip-hop band at the time. One of the members, Bruno Prent, came from Gorssel, just like me. I looked up to him. For example, I also saw Black Light here and other rappers that I was a fan of. That's when the fire started. '
SingStar and GarageBand
Babs' roots lie one hundred and fifty kilometers west. In Leiden, the city of the Nobel music venue. “But because I mostly listened to international artists, I didn't come there very often. My first concerts were in Melkweg and Paradiso. ' Babs' fire was already burning by then. “As a little girl, at a house party or birthday, I said: “Everyone sit down, I'm going to dance for you now.” It didn't matter that I couldn't dance at all, I wanted to entertain.
Babs: Standing on stage is my way of expressing myself, anything goes, I'm free.
When my parents later allowed me to choose an instrument, I hesitated between a drum kit and a guitar. I chose the guitar because it makes it easier to write songs. In the end, I also bought a drum kit on Marktplaats, I wanted a one woman band become. '
The rappers that Lars watched wore hats, and so did he afterwards. And they wrote rap lyrics in a notebook, and so did Lars afterwards. “At home in the garage, I had a setup with a laptop and microphone from the PlayStation game SingStar.” Babs: “How nice! And then you recorded with GarageBand?” Lars: 'I think it must have been something like that, certainly not Logic. I took a beat from the internet and then I started rapping. I sent recordings to friends. ' He quickly knew: this is it, this is what I'm going to do.
Lars smoked and made music, he left school behind. “I'm lucky to have a hardworking, entrepreneurial stepfather. “Artists are also companies,” he instilled in me early on. Thanks to him, I realized that it would not come naturally. I just had no idea what it takes to succeed as an artist. Building a network and filing taxes, I couldn't get anywhere else. '
'The very first person to believe in me'
After high school, they both studied music: Lars de Herman Brood Academy, Babs, the ArtEZ Conservatory. Lars: 'I thought it was brilliant. Stufi, living in rooms and playing music all week, who wouldn't want that? '
Babs: 'I had a romantic image and thought my career would be fine if I just completed that study. I had chosen to train as a producer, but in my third year I found out that I also wanted to make songs for myself, to perform on stage myself. But I didn't learn that at school. I had no press photos and no money to have them taken. '
Looking for support, Babs sent a demo to Kristel Nijs, responsible for talent development at Burgerweeshuis. “She was the very first person who saw the potential, believed in me. I really needed that, suddenly doors opened in my head. I was very unsure and wondered if I was good enough.
After all, at school, they had said: we don't know if you'll succeed. ' Lars: “I also find that tough.” Babs: “That wasn't normal either. And then I was also the only girl in the class. Emotionally, I was taken less seriously, while I worked super hard. '
Resources, knowledge, network
The word confidence comes up, not for the first time in this conversation. Babs: “I needed that so much at the time.” Lars: “Very understandable. I think that applies to all artists. We're constantly looking for confirmation, narcissistic as we are. ' Babs: “If Kristel had said 'stop it' at that moment, I might have stopped right away. No, no, that's not true. I am a go-getter. But... it does matter a lot. '
Lars: “It's really sick how much influence an employee of the Civil Orphanage can have at such a time. Every now and then, I give guest lessons at the Herman Brood, and I always try to choose my words carefully. I try to be positive and, above all, to provide guidance. '
As a result of the contact with Kristel, Babs will be awarded a Citizen Grant in 2021. For one year, she will have access to the resources, knowledge and network of Burgerweeshuis, plus a budget to achieve her goals. After that, she knows what it takes to be an artist.
Babs: 'I felt: I can do this, I can stand on my own feet now. ' Lars, who received the grant in 2017: “At school, you're one of many, it's personal attention that makes a big difference. Actually, the Burger Beurs is like a good manager for a starting artist.
It's super important to have someone who lines up with local media or plays ball at Liberation Festival Overijssel. It helped me a lot. And, let's not beat around the bush, I could also use the money at that time. Clips, mixing, mastering, producers: everything costs money. '
Tens, twos and sevens
Seven years later, no one can ignore Snelle. He is one of the most streamed artists in the Netherlands, has appeared at all major festivals, there is a Netflix documentary about him and he is a television presenter. Babs is also making a name for itself. She won the Overijssel Pop Prize last year, and her EP was released earlier this year Half, she participated in Who is the Mol?, has performed at several major festivals including Lowlands and is currently working on her debut album.
Babs: “In recent years, I've done a lot myself. It went well and I'm happy with where I am now, but I feel I need input from others, for help again. Just like three years ago. My debut album is important to me, I want to play in larger venues. That's why it's really nice to be here, where I started out as Babs the artist.
Going back to the Citizen Beurs feeling of the year motivates me and hopefully I can go one step further. '
Lars's needs at this point in his career are clearer: keep going like this. “That just sounds so comfortable. On the other hand, what's wrong with comfort?
We only have one life, let the hell be comfortable. ' To stimulate himself a bit, he's going to Nashville for a week later this year: writing new music. 'I hope to be triggered in terms of melodies and to be impressed by other lyricists. By the way, did you know that Nashville really is a factory? You have one tens, twos and sevens. Or at the same time: studio sessions of ten to two, two to seven or seven to eleven. When the time is up, the songwriter says: next. Speaking of music as an industry. '
Pounding, banging, working!
When asked for their advice to future artists who receive the Citizen Beurs, they say: you have to do it yourself.
Babs: “Keep going, keep working. Nothing comes naturally. ' Lars: “My advice for the stock market year would be: take advantage of everything and listen a little bit. Be quirky but not cocky. Don't feel too big to play on a crate in front of ten people at the community center, because that's a very good thing to do. And most importantly: run. Pounding, banging, working! '
Is there anything else they would have done differently with today's knowledge? Babs: “I try not to look at it like that. With how I was doing at the time, I got the most out of it. ' And Lars? He thinks while looking around. Dan: 'I had installed a moisture absorber in the studio, but that's really the only thing. Hey, shall we go out again?”
Photography: Isabelle Renate la Poutre
Interview: Job Hulsman
