Savage and Timmy Trumpet made for the ideal Antipodean pairing in 2014 when they combined to release the electrifying “Freaks”, which shot straight to the top 3 on the Australian and Aotearoa charts.
In the subsequent decade-and-a-bit, “Freaks” crossed the 1 billion streams mark, and became the highest-selling single of all time on Ministry of Sound Australia, testament to Savage’s crossover appeal.
More importantly*, “Freaks” also featured in our Best Australian & New Zealand Songs of All Time countdown last year, one of multiple appearances on the list for Savage.
In an exclusive new interview with Rolling Stone AU/NZ, the legendary Kiwi rapper revealed the origins of one of his biggest hits.
He remembered approaching the Ministry of Sound to enquire if they could ever see a rapper like him appearing on their roster, even though they were more known for supporting DJs and producers.
The Ministry didn’t take Savage’s query seriously at first, but things changed quickly.
“I told them to send me songs that needed vocals. I said, ‘Let me record on them and if you like what I do, let’s make a deal.’ They sent me records from TJR and also Timmy Trumpet’s ‘Freaks’,” he recalled.
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian/New Zealand music and globally.
“I still remember hearing ‘Freaks’ for the first time and thinking the instrumental was already so good it didn’t even need vocals. But I kept replaying it on a flight back to New Zealand and started writing the chorus and verses on the plane. I called my engineer before I even landed and told him to pick me up from the airport and take me straight to the studio,” he continued.
That very same day, Savage recorded “Freaks” “exactly how people hear it now.”
“I sent everything back to Ministry of Sound and didn’t hear anything for about two weeks. Then suddenly they called me and said they were putting ‘Freaks’ out,” he added.
Elsewhere in the interview, Savage told us about the making of another megahit, “Swing”, which also featured in our aforementioned songs list.
Savage recalled debuting “Swing” at Big Day Out in Sydney before its official release, where the festival crowd’s “insane” reaction told him he was onto a winner.
“As soon as we walked off stage, major labels approached us,” he revealed. “That’s when we knew the song was about to do something different.”
Savage also told us about the iconic music video, directed by Sophie Finlay (watch below), which he chose because “it felt fun and comedic.”
“That immediately clicked with me,” he added.
Read our full interview with Savage here.
*This is subjective
