♪ MUSIC ♪ >>FROM THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE ORLANDO PUBLIC LIBRARY, WELCOME TO MELROSE IN THE MIX.

OUR SERIES OF LIVE RECORDING SESSIONS IN THE AUDIO STUDIO HERE AT THE MELROSE CENTER.

HI EVERYONE, I'M JIM MYERS.

TODAY'S SESSION FEATURES MUGS & POCKETS, INDIVIDUALLY KNOWN AS SINGER, SONGWRITER SCARLET MONK AND MC PRODUCER EXTRODINARIE, SWAMBURGER.

MUGS & POCKETS IS A RECENTLY FORMED PROJECT AND THE DUO HAVE ALREADY BEEN BUSY CREATING BOTH BUZZ AND MUSIC.

THEY'RE APPEARINING ON ONE ANOTHER'S SOLO ALBUMS THIS YEAR WHILE ALSO PLANNING TO DROP THE DEBUT MUGS & POCKET'S RELEASE IN 2022.

BEFORE THE SESSION, WE HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO SCARLET AND SWAM ABOUT HOW THEY STARTED THEIR COLLABORATION, SCARLET'S MUSICAL BACKGROUND AND INFLUENCES, SWAM'S LONG-RUNNING AFFILIATION WITH MELROSE IN THE MIX, AND MORE.

♪ MUSIC ♪ >>LONG GONE BUT IT LINGERS IN MY BRAIN MEMORIES I NO LONGER ENTERTAIN PASSING THOUGHTS OR SOMEBODY THAT I KNOW A FAMILIAR SITUATION IN MY BONES JUST A WHISPER OR A STAIN MEMORIES I NO LONGER ENTERTAIN LONG GONE BUT IT LINGERS IN MY BRAIN JUST A WHISPER OR A STAIN AND SOMEONE ASKS, "“ARE YOU IN LOVE YET WITH THIS LIFE?

"” AND THEY ASK, "“ARE YOU IN LOVE YET WITH THIS LIFE?

"” NOT QUITE, BUT I KEEP ON TRYING NOT QUITE, BUT I KEEP ON TRYING ALL AROUND IT'S CALLING OUT AND PULLING IN I TURNED AROUND AND FORGET JUST WHERE I'VE BEEN BUT MY BODY'S ALWAYS TAKING MENTAL NOTES THROUGH THE EYES, THROUGH THE EARS AND THROUGH THE SKIN CAN'T STOP IT ALL FROM SLOWLY CREEPING IN CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT WAS IT WAS I JUST SAW AND SOMEONE ASKS, "“ARE YOU IN LOVE YET WITH THIS LIFE?

"” THEY ASK, "“ARE YOU IN LOVE YET WITH THIS LIFE?

"” NOT QUITE, BUT I KEEP ON TRYING NOT QUITE, BUT I KEEP ON TRYING >>HOW DID MUGS & POCKETS BECOME TO BE?

THE PROJECT AND THE NAME?

WOW.

>>WOW.

DIVINCI HAD A LOT TO DO WITH IT.

HE'S THE ONE WHO INTRODUCED US.

I KNEW HIM BECAUSE I PRODUCED USING ABLETON LIVE AND HE'S THE ABLETON LIVE GURU.

SO, WE MET UP ONLINE BASICALLY THROUGH HIS SENSEI DOJO.

HE DOES A MONTHLY STREAM ON THURSDAYS.

EVERY 3RD THURSDAY.

SO, I WAS ALWAYS THERE AND WE HAD A SHOW AND TELL.

SO I WOULD PLAY MY BEATS OR MY SINGING OR WHATEVER AND EVENTUALLY HE WAS LIKE, THERE'S SOMEONE YOU SHOULD MEET.

AND I THINK AT THE SAME TIME, HE WAS TELLING SWAM THERE'S SOMEONE YOU SHOULD MEET.

>>YEAH, DEFINITELY.

>>I ACTUALLY WAS BORN, UNTIL I WAS 12 I LIVED IN POLAND ON A SMALL FARM IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

SO THAT'S SORT OF WHERE I FIRST HEARD STUFF LIKE MADONNA'S MATERIAL GIRL AND ACE OF BASE.

AND WHAT WAS IT BACK THEN?

TECHNOTRONICS AND BLACK BOX?

AND ALL OF THAT.

YEAH.

I AUTOMATICALLY THOUGHT, THAT'S ME.

THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA DO.

I HAD A PET LAMB.

WE HAD ALL THE ANIMALS.

SO IT WASN'T REALLY A FEASIBLE DREAM, BUT I WAS LIKE, THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.

BUT I DID GROW UP IN CHICAGO FROM 12 YEARS OLD ON.

I MEAN, BASICALLY, I DIDN'T DO MUCH MUSIC UNTIL I GOT TO HIGH SCHOOL WHERE I JOINED A CONCERT, CHOIR.

I WENT TO WHITNEY YOUNG AND IT JUST HAPPENED THAT THAT SCHOOL HAD AN EXCELLENT CHORAL PROGRAM THAT WOULD DO CHOIR COMPETITIONS WITH OTHER SCHOOLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO I KIND OF CAUGHT THE BUG AGAIN THEN.

WENT TO COLLEGE FOR VOCAL PERFORMANCE DEGREE WITH A DANCE MINOR AND SOME THEATRE.

>>THROUGH US CONNECTING, I SENT THE TRACK OVER TO HER, AND I THINK WHAT?

A DAY.

>>LIKE NEXT DAY I SENT IT BACK.

>>NEXT DAY SHE SENDS IT BACK AND IT IS PERFRECT.

IT'S LIKE PERFECT.

SHE'S USING A SM58 MICROPHONE.

SHE'S ON THE COUCH SINGING THIS.

YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING?

NO STUDIO.

SHE'S JUST ON THE COUCH SINGING WITH AN SM58.

VOICE SOUNDS PERFECT.

PERFECT.

AND IT TOTALLY MADE THE TRACK.

AND I MEAN, IT GOT US A LOT OF HOOPLA.

BASICALLY GOT US HERE.

>>YEAH.

>>AND THROUGHOUT US KIND OF JUST CONNECTING AND PLAYING WITH DIFFERENT SONGS AND THINGS LIKE THIS, ONE OF THE SONGS THAT I HEARD FROM HER WAS PRETTY BARE, IT WAS CALLED, WHAT?

SINCERELY SCARLET.

CORRECT?

>>YEAH, FROM MY LAST SOLO ALBUM IT WAS CALLED SINCERELY SCARLET.

IT WAS LAYERS AND LAYERS OF VOCALS.

THERE WAS VERY MINIMAL INSTRUMENTATION THERE.

SO, I SHOWED IT TO HIM AND HE WAS LIKE, YEAH.

SO, BASICALLY, HE'S SWAMBURGER.

I'M SCARLET MONK.

WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO CALL IT SO WE CALLED IT SCARBURGER.

SO THAT SONG'S GOING TO BE ON OUR FIRST MUGS & POCKETS ALBUM.

♪ MUSIC ♪ >>WHEN IT'S FRESH IT WASHES OVER ME THEN I KNOW I'M WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO BE WHEN I SEE YOU I LET GO WHEN IT'S NEW I FORGET ABOUT THE MANY SHADES OF BLUE WITH REGRETS I NEVER BOTHER, THEY AIN'T TRUE WHEN I SEE YOU I LET GO ♪ MUSIC ♪ EVERY TIME I LOVE LIKE IT'S THE FIRST TIME EVERY TIME I HURT LIKE I'VE BEEN STABBED A MILLION TIMES IN THE SAME SPOT OR IS IT THAT I JUST FORGOT AND DIDN'T THINK TO RAISE MY GUARD WHY DO I HAVE TO FEEL SO HARD AND WHY DON'T YOU?

WHY DON'T YOU?

WHY DON'T YOU?

WHY DON'T YOU?

♪ MUSIC ♪ ♪ MUSIC CONTINUES ♪ >>SO, I DRINK A LOT OF HOT TEA.

LIKE THAT'S MY THING.

THAT WAS ONE THING THAT I KIND OF INTRODUCED HIM TO.

TAKING CARE OF YOUR VOICE.

DIFFERENT EXERCISES.

WARM UPS.

WARM DOWNS.

DRINKING TEA.

I ALSO DRINK A LOT OF COFFEE.

SO, I LOVE MUGS.

ANY SORT OF, ALSO LIKE TEA CUPS, ESPRESSO.

I LOVE IT ALL.

SO, I RANDOMLY ONE DAY SENT HIM A PICTURE WHEN I WAS TAKING A WALK.

IT WAS A LITTLE NEIGHBORHOOD STORE SHOP THAT HAD A BUNCH OF MUGS IN THE WINDOW.

I TOOK A PHOTO OF THE MUGS.

RIGHT?

AND THEN, AS I WAS WALKING TOWARDS MY HOUSE, THERE WAS A STICKER ON ONE OF THE LIGHT POLES AND IT WAS THIS CARTOON, TWO LITTLE GIRLS AND THEY HAD THEIR HANDS IN THEIR POCKETS AND IT SAID "POCKETS!"

YOU KNOW?

BECAUSE WOMEN'S CLOTHING RARELY HAS POCKETS.

WE GET SUPER EXCITED ABOUT IT.

SO I TOOK A PHOTO OF THAT TOO.

I SENT HIM THE TWO PHOTOS THAT SAYS MUGS, POCKETS.

AND I WAS LIKE, MUGS & POCKETS.

BAND NAME?

>>RIGHT.

>>TOTALLY AS A JOKE, AND HE WAS LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE.

>>YEAH, LIKE THAT HAS SOME RING TO IT.

SO WE SHOW IT TO DIVINCI WHO ORIGINALLY GOT US TOGETHER AND HE'S LIKE, I DEFINITELY THINK IT'S CATCHY.

>>I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.

>>I LIKE IT.

>>I WAS LIKE, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

>>HE'S LIKE, I LIKE IT!

HE'S LIKE, I WANT YOU GUYS TO GET YOUR CREDIT AS SCARLET MONK, BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN DOING THINGS FOREVER.

AND THEN SWAM, OBVIOUSLY, I WANT YOU TO GET YOUR CREDITS.

SO I WANT THAT NAME.

THERE WAS A BIAS.

YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING?

TOWARDS THAT NAME.

BUT HE WAS LIKE, I CAN'T LIE, MUGS & POCKETS IS CATCHY.

AND SO AS WE WERE TALKING, I OBVIOUSLY WENT INTO IT AND WAS LIKE, OKAY.

I HAVE THE PERFECT IDEA.

I NEED TO CREATE CHARACTERS FOR THIS THING.

SO I CREATED THE MUGS & POCKETS AND THEN FIRST, MUGS LOOKED LIKE SOMETHING THAT SHE DIDN'T WANT.

>>THAT I DIDN'T LIKE.

LIKE VERY MEAN, STERN.

JUST NOT VERY CUTE.

SO I DREW SOME THAT WERE VERY LIKE, A FIVE-YEAR-OLD WOULD DRAW IT.

BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I DID.

BUT HE GOT THE IDEA.

AND SHE BECAME A LOT MORE, SASSY.

>>EXACTLY.

EXACTLY.

♪ MUSIC ♪ >>1, 2...1, 2...GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GO (REPEATS) [FREESTYLE RAPPING] [FREESTYLE RAPPING CONTINUES] [FREESTYLE RAPPING] >>FIRST OF ALL, SHE MAKES THE BEATS.

DOPE BEATS.

ILL BEATS.

RIGHT?

THAT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I'M A 90'S HIP-HOP KID IN CHICAGO AGAIN.

YOU KNOW, WITH THE HOODIE AND ALL THAT MAKES ME, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST OUT TO BATTLE THE WORLD NOW.

SO I CAN REALLY KIND OF BE IN MY ELEMENT AND FEEL SUPPORTED.

NOT JUST BY HER BUT ALSO BY THESE BEATS.

YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING?

AND I THINK THERE IS ALSO AN ELEMENT TO THEM THAT, THERE'S A SECLUSION IN THEM ALMOST.

WHEN I HEAR THEM, THEY FEEL LIKE THEY COMFORT ME.

AND KIND OF NURTURE WHAT IT IS THAT I HAVE TO SAY.

THEY HELP ME, SHE BROUGHT UP EARLIER IN OUR TALKS, IS REVEALING MORESO THAN JUST THE SHOW OFF.

YOU REVEAL YOURSELF.

AND I FEEL I CAN DO THAT A LOT IN THESE TYPES OF COLLABORATIONS.

SO THIS IS LIKE MY FOREVER THING.

THIS IS KIND OF WHAT I WANT TO ROLL OUT WITH.

MAINLY BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S JUST A PROJECT FOR MUGS & POCKETS.

I THINK THIS IS THE PROJECT THAT THE WORLD SHOULD BE KIND OF TAKING A HINT FROM.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

I'VE ALWAYS LIKE THE DYNAMIC OF A MALE AND FEMALE, ESPECIALLY WITHIN HIP-HOP MUSIC BECAUSE USUALLY IT'S MALE DOMINATED.

BUT, HOWEVER, A LOT OF IT BEGAN WITH THE POWERFUL FEMALE.

AND THAT WAS ALWAYS A HUGE ELEMENT TO ME.

AND SO I ALWAYS REALLY APPRECIATED WHEN I SAW GROUPS THAT HAD BOTH THE MALE AND THE FEMALE ENERGY IN THERE.

BUT THAT'S WHAT REALLY KIND OF CALLS ME TO THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAT WE DO.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

>>I MEAN, MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT THIS COLLABORATION AND SOMETHING WE TALK ABOUT OR JOKE ABOUT A LOT IS THAT WE DO WHATEVER WE WANT.

WE FEEL LIKE WE'VE BOTH DONE SO MUCH RIGHT NOW AND WE'RE NOT REALLY WORRIED ABOUT IS SOMEBODY GONNA THINK THIS IS REALLY WHACK?

IS THIS CHEESY?

IS THIS CORNY?

EVEN COMING UP WITH THESE CHARACTERS.

>>YEAH.

>>LET'S DO IT.

>>EXACTLY.

>>IT'S VERY RARELY THAT ONE OF US HAS AN IDEA AND THE OTHER ONE'S LIKE "NO."

>>YOU'RE NOT STUNTING YOUR OWN GROWTH.

YOU KNOW?

BECAUSE I THINK WHAT'S ALSO GREAT ABOUT THIS IS, IT'S FUN.

>>SO FUN.

>>IT'S RELAXING.

LIKE IT DOESN'T TAX YOU FOR THIS ENERGY THAT YOU FEEL YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE.

>>AND SO... ON WITH THE JOURNEY.

MAKES ME FEEL LIKE LITTLE RED RIDINGHOOD.

YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING?

AND UH, I'M LIKE TRAPPED IN THIS WHOLE WORLD RIGHT?

[FREESTYLE RAPPING] [FREESTYLE RAPPING CONTINUES] [FREESTYLE RAPPING] >>MUGS & POCKETS.

PEACE TO ALL YOU AMBITIOUS, UNDEFIABLE LEADERS AND COUCH POTATOES.

WE LOVE YOU ALL THE SAME.

THANK YOU.

MELROSE IN THE MIX.

YA BOY SWAM HAS BEEN A PART OF MELROSE IN THE MIX, MAN.

THIS IS PROBABLY THE NINTH TIME.

BUT IT'S BASICALLY BEEN EIGHT OTHER TIMES THAT I'VE BEEN HERE.

7 OR 8 OTHER TIMES THAT I'VE BEEN HERE.

HELP BRING ONRY OZZBORNE WHO'S ALSO FROM SEATTLE.

HELPED BRING AMIAM.

HELPED BRING SEAN SHAKESPEARE, E-TURN.

OH MAN.

VAPOR CAVES AND PROBABLY SOME OTHERS I'M GOING TO FORGET.

BUT NOW, I'M TRYING TO BRING MUGS & POCKETS.

WE ARE BRINGING MUGS & POCKETS.

EVERY TIME I COME HERE, WE ARE WELCOMED TO THE HIGHEST DEGREE.

IT'S A WONDERFUL EXPEIRENCE.

I DEFINITELY ADVISE IF YOU KNOW ABOUT MELROSE IN THE MIX, TRY TO LINK UP WITH MY BOY, JIM.

HE'S GOT YOU.

>>THANKS FOR JOINING US FOR THIS EPISODE OF MELROSE IN THE MIX FEATURING MUGS & POCKETS.

WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN SOON WITH ANOTHER LIVE RECORDING SESSION HERE IN THE MELROSE CENTER AT THE ORLANDO PUBLIC LIBRARY.