Secondhand Setlists

After 40 years of performing, ESG is only now starting to wind down. I spoke with founding member Renee Scroggins about their latest, and possibly some of their last, shows in NYC and LA.

While you may not be familiar with ESG, you are certainly familiar with their work. Sampled over 400 times, their track “UFO”, off their seminal EP ESG, appears on songs by Miles Davis, Notorious B.I.G., Logic, and Nine Inch Nails. Scroggins and her sisters, the original members of the band, never received much in terms of payment or recognition for “UFO”‘s impact. Understandably, this soured their feelings on sample culture.

And ESG deserves more renown than simply for their samples. Recruited into music by their own mother, Scroggins and her sisters formed Emerald, Sapphire, and Gold, a group dedicated to “funky dance music.” Their driving and bare-bones style evoked a lot with a little, and the New York scene responded in kind. They emerged as one of the city’s hottest acts, performing at venues like the Paradise Garage and opening for the Clash. Their music took them all around the world – as recent as 2014 they performed at Glastonbury.

Today, their minimalist and repetitive songs continue to strike a chord among new and old fans, and their recent material stacks up to the classics. The current lineup includes Scroggins’s daughter Nicole, Nicholas Nicholas, and Anthony Alieso, with Scroggins still writing and performing. They recently played a show in NYC, and now plan to travel across the country to play a show at LA’s Regent Theater this Thursday.

Over the phone, Scroggins gives off a vivacious energy. After a few years of promising final shows and tours, she seems, at last, after four decades, ready to take some time off.

What brought ESG back to the stage after a few instances of you guys saying you were over?

Well, it’s always fans, right? They say “We’d like to see ya!” As long as I’m able to do it, I’d like to try to do it. Actually, around five months ago I had a health scare and almost lost my life! It was a very serious health scare – in fact, it was after my last show in LA. I got home and was doing some rehearsing and it turns out I had a pulmonary embolism. 

So I’ve been recovering. I’m glad to say that I’m fine. I lived nearly four months on oxygen. The doctors worked with me and now I’m good, I’m happy to say. I just can’t fly overseas until next year.

How does something like that affect your songwriting, especially as someone who’s been writing 40 years?

When you have a scare like that, it makes you appreciate the little things in life that much better. I’m happy to still be here. On the same basis, I said to myself “I’m gonna stop doing it.” After I finish up my contracts overseas in 2019, I’m totally gonna slow down.

As you slow down, how is ESG gonna be a part of your life?

I’ll continue to write songs. I can sing and record. But as far as physical travel… It’s hard for ESG to function without Renee. So I don’t really see ESG continuing on – when I retire, the band retires.

For the show at the Regent, what songs can we expect to hear? Old, new, a mixture of both?

We play a mixture of all. I can’t do every old song I’ve ever done, but we have to have the classics in there. “Moody” will always be on the setlist. We do songs from Closure, What More Can You Take?. We’ll do our song, “Watching”, and the fans love that song and we enjoy doing it. My thinking is to make the sets fun and always moving. I challenge you not to dance.

What do you love about performing?

Every time I come out there, it’s interesting how younger and younger audiences are discovering ESG. It’s always amazing to me when they’re singing along. I still have fun, but unfortunately, in this instance, it’s health over fun. *Laughs

How does it feel to know that younger fans possibly found you through sampling, considering your past issue with the process?

In a way, I have to say if they went that far to seek out the original artist, I can’t say I’m happy because I’m never happy when someone samples my music. But, I guess it’s a good point.

I always tell people in interviews: one day I’m playing “UFO” and someone says “Hey, they ripped that off Doug E. Fresh!” and I’m like “Excuse me?!” Sometimes I gotta educate people that this is the original song.

I saw a line you said – “It’s everything you’ve ever heard, but it’s ours.” How does that feel to know the critical music world recognizes you, and that you will have some sort of legacy?

That’s a great thing for my children, and one day when they have children to know ‘My mom did something, she made a mark in musical history.” That’s a good feeling.

You sing and play guitar. Is there an instrument you regret never learning to play?

I can play bass, drums a little bit. I can play congas, somewhat – enough to keep a beat. When I was a kid I learned to play violin in school. No, I did not like violin. As far as something I would’ve liked to play would have been something like a trumpet or a saxophone. That would have been cool, but that’s not a good thing for a person with respiratory problems.

The current lineup is your daughter Nicole, Nicholas, and Anthony – will they go on to form their own band/music?

They’re working on projects [of their own]. Nicholas, who helped engineer our last album, is into that and songwriting. Nicole wants to continue to sing. We’ll see in the next couple of months. We’re working on an album for them called Who’s Gonna Take The Lead? – basically, it will be a couple of numbers from each of them, and we’re gonna see what they can do.

You said you have a few more shows in 2019?

When I finish these two shows, I have one in London, somewhere else in the UK, and Paris, Germany, and then I’m done.

How does it feel to be going abroad and knowing people are there and still listening to your music?

I always say to people “I traveled the world on a song.” That’s an amazing feat. Basically there isn’t any place I haven’t been in the world. Maybe a couple of countries, but in 40 years, I’ve traveled the world.

That’s incredible! Where did you have your best or most memorable experience?

One of the most interesting experiences was we had played a club in Paris. After we finished, there were people outside. We’re packing up our stuff and our hotel was actually just a walk away. We figured we’re gonna dash over to the McDonald’s.

And they followed us, applauding in the streets, into McDonald’s. It was like, “Oh God!” It was a large crowd. I’m thinking “Okay, maybe they’ll stop when we’re in McDonald’s” and then they’re still clapping and the people inside are like “What the heck?”

That’s just a testament to your impact on people. Are your sisters still involved in the band anymore?

Marie was supposed to come along this time, but she got ill. I’m not sure my other sister will or not… We’ve been around 40 years. We’re mature ladies. *Laughs

When I’m up on the stage, and my mind says I’m 18, 21, while the body says “Stop it!” Up there, I get the urge to salsa, rumba, do funky moves, and then later on in the hotel I’m like “Oh my god.”

But for that hour it’s just me and the music. Doing music, performing or recording, it’s such an energy that drives me. When you’re on the stage in front of an audience and you’re feeling it and they’re feeling you, that’s a fantastic feeling. After 40 years, though, it’s like, yeah, I have enough stored in my memories.