The
definition of Rudimental is “A fundamental element, principle, or skill, as of
a field of learning.” How does that apply to you as a band?
I think soul
is a fundamental element in our music and it’s definitely a principle that we
stand by. The name actually came from a music theory book called The Book of
Rudiments. It's basically teaches the rhythms and roots of music.
The
sounds and styles of this band range from jazz, funk, soul, drum & bass,
and so much more. How does a song get crafted when this band has so many
styles?
It varies.
Sometimes we write the idea and sing it ourselves, sometimes we jam an idea in
the studio and other time ideas are made on our laptops, on the road. When we
make a tune we it’s a lot to do with how were feeling, and the mood which will
normally determine the vibe, tempo and genre of the song.
Your
debut album is be called “Home,” is this an homage to London?
Yea and also
“Home” is really about community and positivity. We are from Hackney, London
but when we play to thousands of people in festivals we also feel at home.
How
has London influenced this band?
Walking down
the street in London you see so many cultures and styles. On my street there
was reggae pumping out of one window, Irish folk out of another, and out of
mine was drum and bass/garage/house. There is also a pirate radio and an
underground club culture that influenced us massively. We used to DJ on illegal
radio stations to get our tunes heard, and go to warehouses and clubs and
listen to various styles of bass music.
Who
are some of your musical influences?
It ranges
from Sly and the Family Stone, Funkadelic, Marvin Gaye to Massive Attack, and
Soul to Soul. We were all heavily into the score by The Fugees when we were
young too. We are fans of many different styles of music and there are 4 of us
so you can imagine our tastes are quite eclectic
After
years of playing together, what was it like to finally get your debut together
and creating it?
It’s been an
amazing journey, we have recorded and made lots of tracks on the road, we
finished "waiting all night" in a hotel room in Scotland. So the
sound is very much influenced by our live gigs and the energy of the fans in
the crowd.
There
are a slew of guest vocalists on the album, how did you assemble who would be
on what song? Were songs written specifically for a voice?
We write and
sing on our songs and then work with singers we feel will fit that song, for
example we met John Newman in a pub and heard him performing and thought he
would be perfect for "Feel The Love". We also have an extended family
of singers and musicians we have met in and around the music scene in
London at our studio in Shoreditch. Sometimes we also write with the singers, people
like MNEK, Sinead Harnett and Emili Sande who are all on the album.
Who
would you still love to work with?
We are
massive fans of people like Little Dragon, Lauren Hill and Janelle Monae.
The
bands live shows are some of the most extraordinary and fun things I have ever
experienced. What is it like to be on a stage night in and night out doing what
you love and bringing that joy to so many people?
It is so
inspirational to write a song and play it live, the vibe and energy we get off
the crowd gives us a buzz, and when we are on stage we are definitely at
one with the crowd.
The
band made a name for themselves this year at SXSW. What was that experience
like?
The Ribs at
Ironworks were amazing! We played the Fader Fort and the Hype Hotel with
Artists like Solange and Laura Mvula. We really enjoyed ourselves and there was
a great reaction from the crowds.
You
do an amazing cover of Fugees “Ready or Not,” who came up with the idea to
cover that song and remix it like you do?
The album
"The Score" by the Fugees was one of our favorites when we were
young, there was a Jungle/DnB remix by DJ Hype of the Ready or not that we used
to rave to so we thought we would mash that up on our live set.
