If the whole music thing doesn't work out for Katy B—a highly unlikely proposition seeing as she recently released her third album, a collection of floor-oriented tracks that pair her agile voice with beats by forward-thinking club mainstays like Geeneus, MssngNo, and Four Tet—perhaps the UK dance-music crossover favorite could be London's night mayor. "I think I need to nominate myself," she says. What, exactly, a night mayor actually does remains unclear to both of us, but there's no doubt that someone needs to speak up for London's nightlife, where club after club keeps dropping like flies. In recent years, venues like Cable, Mass, Matter, and Plastic People have all closed up shop; the latest hallowed nightspot to fall is Dance Tunnel, which announced its imminent closure on the very day I call up Katy B to discuss all manner of late-night hijinks on the dance floor.
"It's really sad," she says of Dance Tunnel's demise. Among the regular parties held at Dance Tunnel is FWD, the pioneering dubstep weekly, which moved to its current home back in 2013, after a long stint at Plastic People. When Plastic People abruptly shut down in the first week of 2015, the closure left much of the city's clubbing population reeling. "Dance Tunnel filled that void in people's lives," says Katy, "and now it's having to close down because of licensing issues as well.”
Long before Katy B's "On a Mission" introduced radio audiences on both sides of the Atlantic to the still-shadowy world of South London bass music, she was deeply entrenched in the city's underground club scene. She was just 16 years old when she started sending demos to Rinse, the pirate radio station turned bass music empire. And while her last album, 2014's Little Red, aimed more squarely for the pop spotlight than her Mercury Prize-nominated debut, her new album, Honey, takes several steps back toward the bass-rattled basements where she cut her teeth. Featuring beats from a wide range of producers (Kaytranada, Major Lazer, Wilkinson, Mr. Mitch, Jamie Jones, Hannah Wants, and more) and guest verses from Craig David, Novelist, and D Double E, it doubles as a survey of contemporary grime, house, R&B, and hybrid club styles. Given that vocal Plastic People fans Four Tet and Floating Points both turn up on the album, it's not surprising to learn that the beloved basement ranks high on her list of formative clubbing experiences.
"I felt like my mind had been blown," Katy says of her first visit to the Shoreditch nightspot. "It was completely blacked out, no lights, with this ridiculously loud sound system. The sensual experience you get listening to music that loud in the dark is amazing. I had never been to a club like that. Before that I was under 18, so it was any club I could get into."
Pitchfork: Do you remember your first clubbing experience?
Katy B: It was a drum 'n' bass rave at a club called SEOne in London Bridge, which closed down as well. It's really heartbreaking. That was a sick club, because it was under the railway arches. It was a no-frills sort of thing, and it had three rooms, and I always had such an amazing time at that club. I remember going there the first time with a photocopied passport. I changed my birthday in Microsoft Paint, and I printed that off, and it looked quite real, if you can believe it.
I remember getting dressed up to go there: I wore these denim shorts, this black top, and these little gold flats. My friend was wearing a tracksuit. We had an argument, because you can't come out wearing a tracksuit, and she was like, "Yes I can, it's a drum 'n' bass rave, and when we get there, Katy, you will understand, everyone wears track clothes." She was really into graffiti, and she was writing on the train. We were scared that we were going to get in trouble. And then being on the queue and just telling myself, "Walk like Beyoncé, walk like Beyoncé, walk like Beyoncé." That's what I said to myself to try and get in. And then I got in! The bouncer asked for my date of birth and my star sign, and I remember being like, "I'm a Taurus," and he gave me a little quiz, and I got in. And the rest is history. Actually we stayed there till 7 a.m. and my mum picked me up.
How old were you then?
16.
That's about the time you submitted your first music to Rinse—that must have been an intense year for you.
It was really fun. I started making this music and I got to go clubbing and raving. I still look quite young, and I'm quite short and I've always had a bit of a baby face, so it was always difficult for me to get into places and get served alcohol. And then I started singing and I just got to walk in. So I was having the time of my life—working with Rinse and it being like, “Yeah come to FWD, you know, bring your mates.” My street cred went up so much that I could get everyone into FWD for free.
How often do you still go out just for fun, rather than to perform?
All the time. It's really important for me. On my album I've got this song called "Calm Down"—I wrote that in Rainbow [Birmingham club], listening to this house beat, and singing into my phone. It's about me and my friends, saying, “When are we going to calm down and stay in and watch Netflix?” We're not ready to do that yet.
Are there any clubs outside the UK that you're particularly fond of?
Mainly the clubs I do know are in the UK. I went to this club the other day when I was on holiday in Jamaica, called Jungle. It was so funny. On the sign it was like, "No gigolos, no prostitution, no drugs." That's the actual disclaimer before you go into the club! It was such a mix of people—tourists from Canada but also locals. I love the battle dancing. I wish I could go to more things like that, because I get really excited. I felt like I wanted to be the ringmaster or something. But Ibiza is also really fun. DC-10 is my favorite club there. Always had amazing nights there.
When you were younger, did you ever go out to Ibiza with your friends for a week? That seems to be a rite of passage in the UK.
One of my best friends worked out there for a season. And then when "On a Mission" started to take off, Annie Mac invited me out there. I must have been 21; I hadn't gone before then. I remember "On a Mission" getting big, and being really terrified, like, Uh, I'm going to sing live on the radio from Ibiza! But I had a really amazing time with Annie, just partying. I've been back like about 15 times since then.
If you could travel to any city for a night out, where would you choose to go?
I'd go probably somewhere warm. I'd love to go to South Africa and see Black Coffee play.
D Double E mentioned that the inspiration for his verses on your song "Lose Your Head" came from very "plush" clubs in Dubai. Have you been out there?
I played at Creamfields in Abu Dhabi, which is quite random, but I have not been clubbing out there.
What’s the worst club you've ever been to?
It's funny, because sometimes at really shit clubs you have the best time. You can't take them too seriously, so you end up getting really drunk and having the best night.
Do you have a favorite London club?
One of my favorite clubs is Bussey Building in the south of Peckham, because that's where I'm from. It's an old cricket bat factory. It's like going to your local pub—you see everyone you know, people from school, people you've known throughout the years. Everyone always seems to be in there. And they've got a place downstairs called Rye Wax, which is a record shop.
How about after-hours spaces? Is there much of that going on at the moment?
In Birmingham, it's always about rooftops. There's a place called Rooftop that's a good after-party spot. I saw someone having a dance-off in the smoking area, which was quite fun. One was doing a full-on ballet routine and the other was doing these shuffle house moves. It was proper intense—I filmed the whole thing. Whenever I'm feeling down I just look at it. It's really funny, hearing people argue about their dance moves.
What was the last time you stayed out all night?
I've just been to Annie Mac's festival in Malta, called Lost and Found. That was amazing, because it's warm, and when the sun comes up, you're like, Look at the lovely sunrise! It was so picturesque, rather than in London, where you're like, Ugh, I need to go to bed.
Do you have any anti-hangover tips?
Anti-hangover tips? Yeah, because I do have a little bit of one now. [Laughs] What did I do this morning? Oh, I like a sausage sandwich. It has to be a sausage sandwich and a coffee. Or a can of Coke. Those sort me out, always.