Introducing: Scrump

Introducing SCRUMP, the Midlands-based solo artist and industry veteran who’s bringing a fresh, DIY approach to the music scene. Known offstage as Paul Gibson, SCRUMP has worn many hats, from crewing and staging to performing, working alongside top artists and shaping his own sound behind the scenes. Now, with his debut solo project gaining traction—especially through BBC Introducing, where he’s been named "Track of the Day" and "Artist of the Morning"—SCRUMP’s unique blend of rock, raw emotion, and grit is hitting the spotlight.

With tracks like “Live Life” and “My Equitable Love Letter,” he captures themes of resilience, self-reflection, and an enduring love for rock ‘n’ roll. His journey to solo artistry is a testament to his passion and commitment, as he shares his authentic voice through both heartfelt ballads and high-energy anthems. We sat down with SCRUMP to dive into his creative process, the inspiration behind his songs, and what fans can expect from this exciting new chapter.

1. You’ve worked in the music industry for over 20 years in various roles like stage manager and sound engineer. How has that behind-the-scenes experience influenced your approach to making music as an artist?

It’s influenced it to no end! I'm a multi instrumentalist redefining the one man band and the SCRUMP songs are always written with live performance in mind. From all my experience backstage and front of house I feel I’ve been able to see what does and doesn’t work and I knew going into this project that I wanted it to wow from the get go! I knew it had to be very well put together and rehearsed and that even in the smallest of venues I knew I wanted lights, smoke and a full one man band setup. 

I also find I work easily with venues and technicians due to my time working on and around stages. I can supply everything and run my own lights and sound or I can plug into their system and have them takeover. 

2. Your tracks “Live Life” and “Rnr Rock Star” have gained significant attention, even being recorded in some unconventional places like a van on an industrial estate. How do these unique environments shape your creative process?

As long as I’ve got a tune in my head and a medium to record onto I’m happy as can be. The environment doesn’t really affect the writing and recording process but it can affect the sound, which I enjoy!! It keeps my tracks from sounding too sterile. My style and voice make them unique to me so every element of change I can add just creates a more diverse sound to my catalogue. 

When I recorded Rnr Rock Star I was living out of my van and I had a workshop in an old prisoner of war camp. It wasn’t out of choice to record there, it was my only option at the time so I did it! Sometimes I get nervous to release my music because of these quirks but Dean Jackson from BBC Introducing said, "I don't know how on earth SCRUMP creates such a good sound recording under those circumstances, but it works a treat." It was great to hear and reminded me that you don't always need a big recording studio.  

The environments also create good memories for me. I still remember hearing a pigeon walking around and cooing on the roof whilst recording the vocals on Rnr Rock Star and I thought... 'I hope the mic caught that.' It's still in the song!

3. You’ve turned an abandoned warehouse into an arts hub for creatives. How important is community and collaboration to you in an industry where you’ve largely worked solo as SCRUMP?

Collaboration will always be important to me, even working solo as SCRUMP. I’m still happy to help friends with engineering or production and music is a community project whether you’re solo or not. When SCRUMP goes live it’s high energy and it's a party and that is also created by the venue, the organisers and most importantly the crowd! I never feel alone even as a one man band.

4. You mix a wide range of styles and genres in your music, creating a distinctive indie pop sound. Can you share some of the unexpected influences that have shaped your songwriting?

It's been amazing to be able to draw from so many influences and I’ve gathered so many nuggets of gold from my days playing in a band and engineering a wide mix of genres. I enjoy the power of rock, the pace of punk, the emotion of indie and the joy of reggae and ska. I love to use these as accents within my own writing, creating what I believe to be something unique to me. I don’t try to be any particular genre and that allows me to experiment a lot.

5. From being crew boss at Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage to performing your own music, what’s been the most rewarding part of balancing these two sides of the industry?

It’s all been rewarding. I feel blessed and honored every time I'm near a stage! To be a part of any form of entertainment is a great feeling. I get the same shivers up my legs setting up for a big name band as I do stepping onto stage at a local venue. When I hear a crowd of people enjoying themselves I enjoy myself. Lifelong memories are made on a stage whether you’re working it, playing it or watching it!