What inspired you to first start making music? And how did you come to be in your current incarnation? Or if you prefer, a brief bio about you.

I started making music with my friends in high school. We’d jam anywhere we could—garages, classrooms, churches. (We actually stole a key to a church. Forgive me, Coastline Church. Jesus would.) Then when my friends/bandmates left San Diego for college, I stayed behind and learned production/recording. Now, I jam alone. Kinda sad, but hopefully I can get some more attention on my music and get to play live again with some new or old friends.

Provide us with some info about your latest release…

Funny enough, this song “Mystery Machine” is about my above answer. I just miss my friends and wanna jam with them. It’s kinda like the beat poet philosophical question: what’s the quickest way to San Francisco. The answer is to walk. Going to school, getting a job, paying for flights, all the things you need to do to just get somewhere is so indirect. I keep thinking, if I just made more money, I could go see my friends more often. Wouldn’t it just be faster to steal a van, name it the Mystery Machine, pick up my friends and go?

Which ones would you consider your main influences both music-wise & non-music-wise?

Music and otherwise, I like authenticity and raw insight into other’s human experience. Like, isn’t it crazy how infinitely complex everyone really is? Like, how we can’t really know anyone or ourselves? I like music that gets me closer to seeing someone. That’s what I like about some alt music. I like it when it’s effortless because it’s honest. When it’s really forced, or if someone is trying to sound like an archetype, I vomit a lil. Also, I like funk. Rick James, Zapp, Brothers Johnson, Sister Sledge, The Trampps, Nile Rodgers’ guitar playing. Also the Beatles.

In what way does your sound differ from the rest genre-related artists/bands and why should we listen to your music? In other words, how would you describe your sound?

I’d describe my sound as an ebbing tide of raw chaos with pop hooks like the bioluminescence dance asunder. Something to smoke a bowl to and get taken on a journey through genre and highs and lows of musicianship. Sometimes I think kinda shitty playing is cool, other times I try to be really precise and I guess virtuosic. So I’d invite someone to hear how my consciousness flows from insanity to bubblegum.

Please name your 3 desert islands albums, movies & books…

I’m thinking of this like, “what wouldn’t make me go insane listening to it everyday. Like, I love The White album, but it would surely lead to desert-island dementia.”

ALBUMS

Eureka – Mother Mother

Abbey Road – The Beatles

The Soundtrack to Shaft, so I can feel like a badass hunting boars and shit

MOVIES

36th Chamber of Shaolin

Master of the Flying Guillotine

Five Deadly Venoms

BOOKS

Nine Kinds of Naked – Tony Vigorito

Complete Works of Plato – Plato

Boatbuilding: A Complete Handbook of Wooden Boat Construction – Howard I. Chapelle

Do you prefer studio or performing live and why?

I haven’t played live as Scoobert Doobert yet. I’m trying to figure out how to play solo because I don’t have enough money to pay musicians. 🙁 I prefer jamming live with other musicians because unexpected shit happens. I like studio because I do most of it in a bathrobe.

Is there any funny-unique story you would like to share with us, always in relation to your music ‘career’?

I finally got to go on a solo trip to Japan before lockdown. ($450 ticket!) I was in Tokyo on my birthday and wandered into an underground bar called 音STAGE because they were playing The Beatles out front. Walked down for a beer and saw a bunch of instruments. I asked the owner in Japanese if it was an open mic night, and we chatted for a bit about music. Apparently, the bar is just an eternal jam. He invited me to jam with him and some of the patrons. We played a traditional song then they asked if I wanted to call anything. We jammed on Crossroads by Cream, and they liked my playing I guess. They wouldn’t let me leave! (I was super hungry, but I ate beer.) I spent the whole night with these new friends jamming on random stuff. They were super talented. Beer was good too. Jamming cures jet lag.

Which track of your own would you point out as the most unique and why?

Lol probs Theme for a Himalayan Salt Lamp, because I was super stoned playing piano for a salt lamp. Also it started out with me trying to write a theme song for Karl Strauss. I failed, but I’m not upset. In terms of an actually listenable song, I think My Friend, Scoobert is pretty cool.

Would you like to share with our readers your future plans?

The full-length record is out soon. I’m torn between calling it “Plague Beats,” “Quarantine and Chill,” or “Masks and Monsters.” I’m leaning towards the last one because of my love for Scooby Doo. It’s kinda alt-rock. This song, “Mystery Machine,” is the closing song.

After that, I’m about 3 or 4 songs in on my next next record called “The Funkiest Timeline.” That one is designed to be like a full, non-stop playlist of funk/Nu-Disco. It’s been fun playing bass on that record. Since the drums are mostly programmed on that one, I get to add a lot of humanity through funk guitar and bass.

Free question!!! (Ask yourself a question) you wish to answer and haven’t been given the opportunity…

What is Shaggy’s real name?

Norville Rodgers, probs the heir to the Orville Rodgers popcorn empire. That’s how he affords all those “Scooby snacks.” Lucky bastard. Look how much you’ve learned today, Reader! I hope you tune in next time!

Curated by: Christos Doukakis

Recommended listening:

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Connect with Scoobert Doobert:

Spotify: 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5zKkCi9E4L8p6aRiCSJVTn?si=hydy_mz5SYi5H36yc915VA

Soundcloud:

https://m.soundcloud.com/mrscoobertdoobert

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mr.scoobert_doobert/