Sarpa Salpa discuss new sophomore EP, A Feeling You Can’t Replace

Sarpa Salpa have returned with their sophomore EP, A Feeling You Can’t Replace, which was released today.

The six-track record is available via regular streaming platforms with a vinyl version due to follow in June to tie in with their headline gig at the Roadmender.

A Feeling You Can’t Replace follow’s 2020’s EP Say Something and brings together three of Sarpa Salpa’s most recent singles, two new tracks and a remix.

Beginning the recording process in March, the last of the tracks were finished in December just before the UK went into its third national lockdown.

Talking about the writing and recording of the EP, singer Marcus Marooth said: “As everyone knows, it's been a strange 12 months and I think a lot of people in lockdown one were saying, 'I need to utilise this time to write’.

“There was a lot of pressure on us but when we actually got into record these tracks and watch them sort of grow in the studio, the excitement built and that was awesome.”

A Feeling You Can’t Replace features the songs Stick To What You Know, Forwards Backwards, Ghost, Another Life, As Good As It Gets and a remix of Forwards Backwards.

The tracks Ghost and Another Life were written during lockdown while past single Stick To What You Know had previously been ‘shelved’ until Meg Amirghiasvand joined the band in 2019 on keys.

Forwards Backwards had been a recent addition to the band’s live set before lockdown.

The EP again reinforces Sarpa Salpa’s knack of crafting upbeat alt-pop hits designed with the indie dancefloor in mind.

Marooth and Amirghiasvand are joined in Sarpa Salpa by guitarist George Neath, bassist Ethan Whitby and drummer Charlie Doe.

Marcus added: “People will have heard a version of As Good As It Gets for about five shows before lockdown but it would have been a completely different kind of style of the song.

“It's completely had a revamp and had more electronic parts put on it.

“I wasn't keen on it when we were playing it in the set originally, but since we took it to the studio and reworked it, I'm really excited to play the new version.

“The song asks, 'is this as good as it gets really?'

"It's the worry and the doubt that this is it - and almost at the same time has a sort of sarcastic undertone of when you’re sat at work on a Monday after the weekend of touring thinking 'is this as good as it gets'?”

Talking about Ghost, Ethan adds: “Ghost is quite a personal track about a relationship where you're in love with someone but the other person is with someone, but they also love you and like a lot of things that jealousy and anger and resentment and all the ups and downs that come with basically being a secret lover for a number of years.

“It's quite emotionally driven, but it's very disco. It wasn’t originally, then we rehearsed it once and we changed the drumbeat and the bass line and it just became a disco song.”

Last year Sarpa Salpa received money from the PPL Momentum Fund which was used to help record the EP. A limited-edition vinyl release is due out on June 25.

The record’s title is taken from As Good As It Gets.

Guitarist George Neath said: “The title, A Feeling You Can’t Replace, sums up how we were feeling when writing this EP.

“We miss live music and the ability to interact with both our fans and other musicians.

“We are so grateful that we were able to write over the Internet but it cannot replace the feeling of performing live music together, we feel like many can relate to this at the moment.”

Since forming, Sarpa Salpa have received support by local and national BBC radio stations, Radio X, Amazing Radio and the Student Radio Association Network.

The likes of Steve Lamacq and Jack Saunders have both championed past singles.

In June, Sarpa Salpa will begin a run of gigs across the UK, kicking off at Esquires in Bedford on June 21.

Talking about the prospect of getting back out on tour, Marcus said: “We're going to hopefully pick up exactly where we left off, which is absolutely gunning it live – playing as many shows as we physically can.

“We’ve also got a lot of new songs ready to go, but they need to be a bit more 'Sarpa', because each individual member has sort of written them, so they need to be hashed out as a gang but we've already got a good six or seven which are sounding good.

Because venues have been closed due to coronavirus restrictions, Sarpa Salpa were unable to play a headline hometown show at the Roadmender, which had originally been pencilled in for last Christmas – 12 months after having previously headline the venue.

However, they are set to return their on their next tour.

Ethan added: “It’s a bit daunting the Roadmender is one of our first shows back because over the last couple of years we've been playing non-stop.

“We’d got into quite a rhythm of gigging and felt very confident in our live performance.

“It's quite a daunting first one back in Northampton, but we can’t wait.”

Limited edition T-shirts to tie in the release of A Feeling You Can’t Replace are available via the band’s website.

Tickets for all of Sarpa Salpa’s UK gigs are on sale now.

For more information, visit https://www.musicglue.com/sarpasalpamusic

Sarpa Salpa will play the following date:

Jun 21 Esquires - Bedford

Jun 23 Crofters Rights - Bristol

Jun 25 Roadmender - Northampton

Jul 3 Music Hall - Ramsgate

Jul 4 Wedgewood Rooms - Portsmouth

Jul 10 Muthers - Birmingham

Jul 15 Oporto - Leeds

Aug 6 The Castle Hotel - Manchester

Aug 7 The Grace - London

Sep 18 Broadcast - Glasgow

Oct 16 Portland Arms - Cambridge