An Interview with Smooth McGroove

If you frequent Reddit or Youtube you may have stumbled across the amazing works of Smooth McGroove. He does acapella versions of various classic gaming tracks ranging from the likes of Sonic 2's Chemical Plant Zone to Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy VIII. Being the cool chap he is he was kind enough to sit down with us for a quick interview. Some of his fans are convinced that he exists in multiple dimensions at once and that his videos are rare glimpses of each dimension...

However, if you're not familiar with his works then why not first tak a listen to his acapella rendition of Final Fantasy VII's JENOVA Theme:


Q. Tell us a bit about yourself - when did you first get into gaming? What's your favourite game of all time? Is it true that you exist in multiple dimensions at once?

I first got into gaming at three or four years old with an old Atari that my dad brought home from a pawn shop. My favorite game of all time? That's hard to answer, but because of personal memories it'd have to be either FF7 or A Link to the Past. I hope that I can exist in multiple dimensions at once...sounds like fun!

Q. Is there a cool story behind how you picked up acapella - was it something you were inspired to do it or did it just sort of happen naturally? Have you had any sort of professional training for example?

I got the acapella idea while I was stuck attempting to come up with an original song. The idea of covering a video game song came to me but I wanted to do it in a unique way, so I decided to use my voice for all the parts. I've been a professional drum teacher for many years and can also play the guitar and piano, but I never sang much except on songs that I'd record and maybe show my friends or family.

Q. Out of all your acapellas so far, which one has been your favourite? Which was the most difficult? Which was the most fun?

I've had fun with them all, but I really enjoy doing complex songs that have lots of tracks like JENOVA or my arrangement of Bloody Tears. The most difficult song to record so far would have to be either U.N. Owen Was Her? or maybe Guile's theme because of the high bendy notes. Honestly I have fun with all of them, but I really enjoy seeing a complex song come together in the end like the FFVII battle theme.

Q. Is there a track you'd love to do but haven't been able too for any reason?

There are tons of tracks that I'd like to do but haven't because of different reasons. Mostly time...because I want to try and keep to a weekly release schedule. I'd love to do Dancing Mad or One Winged Angel, but those may take a while!

Q. Can you tell us a bit about your equipment setup for anyone who may be curious?

I use an old Audio Technica condenser mic that runs into a Focusrite audio interface with 6" KRK studio monitors for mixing and I run it all on a PC that I built last winter. I use an old version of Cubase to record and mix the audio, and recently got a copy of Sony Vegas that I've been using for the video editing.

Q. Do you play any instruments?

I've played the drums since I was 11, and I can confidently say that I'm more confident drumming that singing! I also play the guitar/bass and piano, though not as proficiently.

Q. Have you ever disturbed the neighbours whilst making a video? (if so what do they think of it!)

I was listening to a mix of one of my original songs back in December and I guess I had it turned REALLY loud and didn't realize it, so my neighbors started calling...haha.

Q. Besides having a very talented vocal range you also have a lot of facial expressions - do you realise these are happening or is it a result of being so in the groove?

I do realize those are happening, and I let them happen because I like to have fun with the recording process. When I started doing the acapella videos I felt pretty stiff because I hadn't loosened up yet and wasn't as confident, but I've put hundreds of hours into them now so I feel pretty good about it.

Q. On that note we see your cat pop up a lot in recordings - what's his name? Can we expect future guest appearances from him?

My cat's name is Charl, and you can expect him in every video that he'll allow me to put him in!

Q. Can we expect any more duets in the future like your awesome Pokémon Parody?

Yes, but I did learn that doing a collaboration takes a lot of planning and organization. I've gotten used to doing songs by myself and I enjoy the solo process, so don't expect them too often :P

Q. If you were stranded on a desert island and had the option of being given a daily supply of one sweet or savoury snack everyday - which snack would it be?

Jello... Lots of watermelon Jello...


Thanks again for taking the time to chat with us Smooth McGroove!

If you like what you've heard please be sure to like his videos and subscribe to his YouTube channel for weekly acapella goodness! Whilst you're there be sure to check out his Zelda acapella renditions and the hilarious Pokémon parody!