INTERVIEW:
Lack of Afro
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IT is time to speak with Lack of Afro…
about his current single, Back to the Day, and what he has planned for the future. I ask whether styles like Disco and Motown are influential when it comes to songwriting; what the main changes to the music are since 2016’s Hello Baby; what gigs are coming up – Lack of Afro recommends a new artist to watch carefully.
I ask him what we can expect from the album, Jack of All Trades (out on 18th May) and what he hopes to achieve this year; how it feels getting positive reaction from the press; what advice he would give to new songwriters – Lack of Afro shares a fond memory from his time in music.
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Hi, Lack of Afro. How are you? How has your week been?
Hello! All good, thanks. It’s the first show of the new album tour this Sunday, so everything is in total overdrive getting ready for that…I’m exhausted and we haven’t even started yet!
For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?
I’m a producer and multi-instrumentalist from the South West of England. My music is a blend of the old with the new and I’m about to release my sixth studio album called Jack of All Trades.
Back to the Day is your new one. What is the story behind the song?
That one was written with Elliott Cole who sings vocal, plays guitar and bass on the song. I’d wanted to do a track with a Jackson 5 vibe for a while and so we gave it a crack – luckily, it turned out pretty well.
It has summer written all over it. Did you set out to pen something people could get down to?
Definitely! That was the brief really: it had to be dancefloor-worthy and it had to make people feel good.
I hear shades of Disco and Motown legends. What sort of music/artists do you vibe from?
Yeah absolutely – that track has The Jackson 5 all over it. I guess I wanted to see if I could do the genre justice. As a producer, you’re always learning. I’ve definitely learnt a lot since the last album and it’s always nice to try out genres you haven’t attempted before – experimenting with different styles, songwriting and instrumentation is kind of where it’s at for me these days...
Generally, though, it completely depends. I’ve never really stuck to one genre: I like to mix it up so I tend to be influenced by a lot of different artists working in different styles. I listen to a lot of Hip-Hop (Piñata by Freddie Gibbs is on heavy rotation at the moment), Disco (a recent favourite is Harvey Sutherland’s Expectations E.P.); Soul (Otis Redding’s Otis Blue; anything by Sam Cooke, Motown; Stax and Atlantic), Rock (forgot how good Pinkerton by Weezer is); Jazz (Cannonball Adderley’s Somethin’ Else), some amazing modern Funk and Soul by Vulfpeck; Sex & Food by Unknown Mortal Orchestra, which has a bit of everything in it and last, but by no means least, two of my all-time favourites: Tapestry by Carole King and Aja by Steely Dan.
That’s what I’ve been listening to recently. I’ll be compiling an ongoing Spotify playlist in time for the new album’s release, so people can check out what I’ve been listening to.
Elliott Cole is on the track. How important is it having him in the mix?
Elliott is amazing. He’s got it all really – an awesome voice, a great bass player; a fine guitarist and, to top it off, he’s a lovely bloke too! I feel very fortunate to be able to write songs with him, to be able to record his voice and I get to play live with him also. He’s just an incredible all-round musician.
Jack of All Trades is out on 18th May. What influences did you bring into the album? Were there particular themes that compelled the songwriting?
The sound I’m able to get now (together with the way of working) has changed since the last album. I have a new studio in the basement of my house that has a separate live room, as well as a 1970s ex-broadcast mixing desk in the control room that everything was recorded through. The addition of the separate live room has meant a much tighter sound when recording the drums, piano; vocals and percussion and it has allowed me to be able to experiment with the drum sounds in-particular.
All the instruments are mic’d up and ready to go which makes such a difference too – if I have an idea I don’t have to worry about setting up microphones as everything is already good to go.
With every album I do, I always set out to better the last one - at least to me, anyway. That’s always the songwriting brief: to progress and just write better ones!
Is there a song from the album, you feel, defines the album?
There isn’t, actually. I think you’d be hard pushed to pick a song from any of my albums that defines that particular record as, musically, they’re pretty much all over the place! I like to think though that, despite the disparate musical styles present in each one, that they all have certain coherence to them.
In the past; you have been lauded by radio and publications. Is that sort of backing important?
It’s important in that it can give you a certain confidence to keep on doing what you do. This industry can be very tough at the best of times, so hearing a track of yours on BBC Radio 6 Music (for example) can really give you a lift. Likewise; when you see your music in a film or T.V. show. I guess it’s a form of validation. As an artist, it’s vital to make music that you feel passionate about but to be able to make a living from it means that other people have to respond to it too.
Jack of All Trades is a good example of the rollercoaster. One minute, I’m thinking it’s some of the best material I’ve produced, to the next, then thinking that no-one is going to like it. It’s how it goes!
How far do you think you have come since 2016’s Hello Baby? Are you a more confident artist?
I would say so, yes.
Generally, you tend to grow more comfortable in your own skin as you get older, which is definitely true in my case and I think that has had an effect on where I am as an artist. I like to think that I’m making some of my best music these days and despite being over ten years in, I still have lots to say. I’m grateful to be able to have my own label which means there’s an outlet for any project I’d like to do.
What do you hope to achieve in 2018?
Honestly; I just hope that people enjoy the new album! By the way, hats off to any artist who makes an album; puts it out there and stands by it, as it’s one of the hardest things you can do.
Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?
There are so many – hearing your first single on national radio for the first time was very special (Wait a Minute, way back in 2006).
Recently, though, I had a text from Madlib who said he liked my music, which was incredible. He’s been a hero of mine for years - I remember reading interviews with him when I started out and buying all his L.P.s on Stones Throw (his Yesterday’s New Quintet project was the direct inspiration for my Unity Sextet series. I stole the idea, basically!).
We’ve actually chatted quite a lot since and I’ve learnt a lot from him. To have someone like that respond to what you do is more than you can hope for. There’s even talk of us working together, which would be insane!
What advice would you give to new artists coming through?
Stick to your guns, be honest with yourself and always have faith in your ability.
Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?
The Fearless Flyers – a Vulf Records offshoot!
Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?
I’m a husband and a father too, so a lot of my time is spoken for! I love the beach though and sea swimming is definitely good for the soul. I’m a rugby and cricket fan too and watch both whenever I can.
Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).
A Brighter Darkness by The Mighty Mocambos
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