Young Brits Doing Bits: NINE8 Collective

YOUNG BRITS DOING BITS: NINE8 COLLECTIVE
Words by Luc Hinson
Artwork by Tom Shotton

NINE8 are an emergent creative collective hailing from West London. Whilst West is ingrained in their identities, the collective, with their unbridled approach to pursuing creativity, are putting themselves firmly on the global map. Comprised of musicians, artists, designers, and all-round creatives, the collective has an almost unique feel, a DIY aesthetic, and a passion for doing fueled by curiosity and ambition. We caught up with three of the members of the collective to learn a little bit more about their roots, their approach to creativity, and the importance of putting West on the map.

In a day of workshops and creative expression at the Westbank Gallery, NINE8 collective exhibited their fiercely D.I.Y aesthetic. It runs through everything the collective does, from designing clothes, making beats, or writing lyrics. The collective functions seamlessly, which is somewhat surprising given their contrasting sounds, influences, and approaches. Underpinned by close connection and friendship, everything the collective puts out is based on their close relationships and understanding of each other.

I caught up with three members of the collective as they hosted a day of creative workshopping at Red Bull’s Music Festival, eager to share their stories and journeys. I sat down with Biig Piig, Mac Wetha, and Lorenzorsv to learn a little more about what it means to be in NINE8.

Biig Piig

Biig Piig is an Irish-born, Spanish-raised singer and songwriter based out of Hammersmith. Having moved around extensively from an early age, she knows the importance of being your own safe space. Through open mic nights and subsequently the collective, Jess has experimented more and more with her sound and style. After meeting Lava and Mac in a music tech class at Richmond college, an organic friendship ensued, and their work as a collective is based on the close bonds of friendship that were forged long before any ideas of stardom materialized.

"IT’S JUST COOL FINDING PEOPLE YOUR AGE WHO ARE ABLE TO COME TO A SPACE AND BE VULNERABLE AROUND EACH OTHER WITHOUT ANYTHING BEING WEIRD."

How did you get involved with nine8 in the first place?
BP: I went to Richmond College and met Ava and Lloyd there in a music tech class, we hung out a lot at school and we’d make tunes. I was shy with it at the beginning but everyone was mad encouraging; we just started making music just for fun. It was cool, it was an escape I suppose.

What influence has growing up in Ireland had on your sound and approach to music?
BP: Moving around, in general, you get into this mindset of being your own safe space. A lot of the collective have the same mentality; I think there's something in that which makes you want to find those spaces and communities where you can be yourself.

What influence has being in London had on you, how did that change things for you creatively?
BP: London as a place can be so hectic; it can be mad intense. With that intensity comes isolation as well. It’s so easy to feel out of the rhythm of it. That's what makes it so special when you find somewhere where it feels right, a hub or home you can come back to.

How do you balance personal aspirations and careers, and your involvement in the collective?
BP: At the start it was difficult, you look at the collective like a different outlet, we can just experiment and do whatever we want. We all support each other's solo projects too.

What are you trying to achieve through the collective, what’s the end goal?
BP: I see it as spreading that mindset that we’ve already got inside the collective as far as we can. I want to work with people my age and have conversations that make a big difference.

What does Home mean to you?
BP: Home means a place where you don't have to explain yourself; you're just who you are and everyone accepts it.

Lorenzorsv

Americanised in both sound and by his influences, Lorenzorsv adds to the already diverse set of talent within NINE8. A product of his lived experiences, having grown up in Chiswick, Lorenzo identifies the leverage he now has, ambitious but tied by duty to his community, Lorenzo aspires to one day be in the position to invest and give back to the next wave of emerging artists.

"BEING AROUND EVERYONE IN NINE8 TO ME, THAT I CAN CALL HOME, THIS IS WHO WE ARE."

Who or Where do you draw your individual creative influences from?
L: A variety of people and places. People like Michael Jackson, not necessarily my sound but how they branded themselves.

How do you balance personal aspirations and careers, and your involvement in the collective?
L: They work well together because we still work together on our individual projects.

What are you trying to achieve through the collective, what’s the end goal?
L: It's about partnerships; we want to do partnerships with people that are authentic and genuine.

What does Home mean to you?
L: Home means somewhere where I can just be myself.

Mac Wetha

Lloyd, who goes by Mac Wetha, is another member of the collective who spent many of his childhood years abroad. Mac’s father passed down an appreciation of music that burns brightly in his son. He sits at the beating heart of everything the collective does. For Mac, every piece of work, every beat, every song has originated out of friendship: "Everything we made from the beginning was made out of friendship, love, and a love for the arts."

How do you balance personal aspirations and careers, and your involvement in the collective?
MW: I'd say they're quite harmonious. It happens really naturally.

What influence has growing up in London had on your approach to creating?
MW: A big-time music influence was my dad; he passed down a love of music to me.

What are you trying to achieve through the collective, what’s the end goal?
MW: To keep things running as a platform, to bring up art we otherwise wouldn't have heard.

What does Home mean to you?
MW: Home is where I can be myself; just come and experience things without pressure.

NINE8 are no longer an emerging talent; they’ve firmed up their place as one of the driving forces in London's creative scene. They're relatable, organic, and more than anything else, authentic. A true breath of fresh air on a creative scene becoming increasingly saturated.