One-man party machine (and occasional full band) Spod has begun 2009 on a high. In between all the late-night gigging, a third album is coming together. FL spoke to Spod ahead of The Essential Festival in Sydney.

You seem to be keeping yourself pretty busy lately. How’s it all going? Any memorable moments?
Yeah, I’ve been suuuper busy which is the best! I’ve been working on a project called Wet Stallions with a friend, which is all based around sampling – pretending we live in a world free of silly sample legalities. I’m also helping Richard In Your Mind with their new record, playing a whole bunch, doing more remixes – oh and album number three is in the works. Moments!

It seems you took a pretty big blow when the original Superfrenz recordings were lost. Has that experience strengthened your resolve to keep productive?
Yeah, I took too long to release my second album. It’s really made be want to stay way more productive and the new album isn’t going to have the amount of time invested into it. I want to keep it quick and fresh, and away from computers if possible.

Was there really a moment when you were ready to give it all up?
When I plugged in those hard drives and smoke came out, knowing the amount of hours that lived inside them. Then I had a sit down for a while, and decided I was done. I didn’t do anything for a good amount of months before people started asking, so I actually DID give it up for a while there. Then certain people almost seem offended that you were gone and refuse to work with you because of the time away. But I guess they don’t give a fuck about what went down, I suppose.

With your performance at SXSW last year, how do you think the US crowds have responded to your sound?
I think the same as here, really. Some loved it, some hated it and that’s how I like it. The love camp was always bigger than the hate camp, which is always good.

The Essential Festival is coming up, among other things. Are you amped for that? The venues seem an interesting place for a festival.
Yeah, I’m always excited! I’m getting the full band together for it, which is always an exciting honour for me. I have no idea how it’ll work split up, and I don’t know where I’m playing, but I’m sure it’ll be good.

Can we expect any releases soon? How often do you write and record?
At the moment I’m working on music every day – be it my own or someone else’s, and yeah, album number three is on its way. I’m writing for it at the moment, and if all goes to plan, it should be a good time! It could be my weirdest or most normal record yet, depending on how it pans out. I never really know till it’s done – I just hang on and hope to not fall off again.

Spod plays The Essential Festival in Sydney on Saturday 25 April at Oxford Art Factory, Qbar and surrounds.