Sounds and Sonics: Badger - 'Let's Av It Right'

Badger (Alex Goodger-Marsh) is a fast-rising electronic producer and artist who first started gaining notoriety with his remixes of much-loved Pop songs, including his much-loved remix of ‘These Words’ by Natasha Bedingfield, which has now nearly amassed a staggering 200 million streams on Spotify.

However, not content with just being known for putting his own spin on songs by other artists, Badger has managed to harness the appeal of his remixes and convert a good chunk of his audience into fans of his original music, which continues to grow at a rapid pace.

And now with the release of his debut EP, Let's Av It Right! Badger is keen to expand his audience even further and create a loyal fanbase that is keen to hear what he has to say with his own music.

Badger first gained a love of music from being in the house with his dad putting on his record collection of different genres. This early introduction inspired him to pick up the guitar at nine years old, which then transpired to spending a lot of his teenage years in indie, acoustic bands.

He has joined New Wave Magazine over a Zoom call amid the chaos of a jam-packed live schedule full of festivals, which recently included a performance at Glastonbury, to delve a bit deeper into the creation of his EP, talking about the musical choices he made and the reasons behind them.

Track 01- ‘Sweet’ feat Chelcee Grimes

The opening track ‘Sweet’ manages to touch upon the genres of house, garage as well as drum and bass. Was it a conscious decision to begin the project exploring multiple genres or did it happen naturally?

With that one, the top line was sent by Chelcee first. She’s done a lot of work with Dua Lipa as well as artists like Jess Glynne. She’s been behind the scenes as a writer for a while now. As soon as I heard ‘Sweet’ I immediately connected with that anthemic nature of it. I also think knowing a bit about her background, I wanted to get a mixture of sounds that could hit in the rave but also be used in palatable commercial spaces. I think that is what led the track to being a mixture of different sounds. I was trying to make a tune that basically anyone could hear in the depths of an underground rave, as well as on mainstream radio and have people understand it. That’s also why it felt like a good lead single, as it was just ticking a lot of boxes. So, hearing that you can hear a lot of different genres sprinkled in there is a good sign.

Track 02- ‘Afters’ with Danny Graft, Comma Dee and Scrufizzer

‘Afters’ is one of those tracks that can really bring people together to just let loose and have fun. As an artist, how important is it for you to bring the energy in not only your music, but also your live sets?

I think it is definitely important to be in the electronic music space. Having tracks that have fun, party-infused lyrics, alongside energetic production, can really elevate both the listening experience and live experience. ‘Afters’ felt like a good track to showcase that as again; there is an element of commercial accessibility with it. However, this one is leaning more into storytelling, with a cheeky lad ethos to it.

It really felt like a good track to have out in the summer and around festival season. The concept and message of having to have one more pint probably resonates with a good portion of British people who are festival goers. We started creating that song over a year ago, and it was always been great, but didn’t quite feel right to put out at the time. Danny Graft, one of the featured rappers said that in the last year it has been his most requested tune which has been great to hear.

Track 03- ‘House Music is for Nerds’ feat Kyle Kidd

‘House Music is for Nerds’ is an undeniable crowd pleaser as it seems to really encapsulate some of the old-school house classics that have come before in a fun and tasteful way. Are there any tracks that you took to the drawing board to help craft this song?

I think the Chicago, Detroit house sound was a real influence on the track. The synth is the same one used in Inner City’s ‘Good Life’, which is obviously a classic 90’s house tune. With that one, it felt like the right song to put in the middle, as it has more of a house feel to it than garage, as well as having a nostalgic element to it.

The EP has two tracks before it with lyrics across most of the production, so it felt like a refreshing change of pace to have the first half of the song as an instrumental. On the back-end, Kyle Kidd, who is an incredible vocalist from New York is singing. It felt like a good track to showcase a side to me that isn’t just about the silliness and show that I can tap into sounds that are more rooted in an old school style and could be considered a bit more serious.

Track 04- ‘I’ve Been All Alone’

‘I’ve Been All Alone’ is a slight departure in mood and energy from the other songs. Can you talk me through the inspiration behind it and why you found it important to include on the project?

That track is the latest production on the EP; I made it at the start of May in the UK when I had just finished my debut US tour. I had just spent a month in America and was in the back-to-reality crash that comes after spending so much time away from home. I was in a slightly more melancholic space, and maybe even romanticised sadness after trying to adjust to real life after having such a great time on the road, so that track was made in that headspace.

The thought process went even further into widening the scope of the EP sound; it felt like another way to expand the repertoire on the project. I also thought it was important to include as I really wanted a more recent production on the EP.

If all the songs had been started over a year ago, it might have sounded slightly off, and the song also helps broaden the emotional spectrum of the project, so if just felt like the right choice to include it on the EP.

Track 05- ‘Lights Down (Fast Lane)’

This is your second link-up with Scufizzer on this project. What do you think it is about Scrufizzer that really resonates with you and the sound you were trying to convey on this EP?

I mean, he’s just such a cool rapper, with such a distinctive voice, with such accessibility to a wide range of flows. He can tap into more of a deep Patwa voice, alongside his quick, skippy UK flow. He’s also very efficient, with both tracks, he turned his parts around in no more than three days.

A lot of rappers, you can be waiting months for them to send their verse in. He’s just a great artist to work with, it’s very rare to not only be so talented but also be so driven and locked in with delivering. I think that is why he ended up being on two of the tracks. Shout out to Scrufizzer.

Have a listen to the full EP here