Alex de Lacey Interview
Alex de Lacey is an assistant professor of popular music at University of Groningen. His new book is Level Up: Live Performance and Creative Process in Grime Music, which is billed as “the first long-form ethnographic study of grime practice.”
How did you get to where you are today, professionally?
I’ve read so many things where people say “I was into music since I was 2” or something, but without wanting to appear jaded or tired, it was kind of the same thing for me. I started piano at 4, and then took up the guitar in high school. I was into all sorts of styles, playing jazz during the day and—crucially—listening to pirate radio at night, where I’d keep up to date with what was happening in grime music.
The point at which it consciously became a career, though, was probably when I was 18. I was studying Maths at University. I didn’t like it much, but I was good at it and thought that’s what I should be doing. After a fairly shitty term, I decided to make the shift. I applied for Music in London, got an offer, dropped out (a decision not without its risks!) and moved to East London in 2010.