Beats, Booze and Bottom End: A Vibey Chat with Rudimental
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Rudimental is all about “vibes.” In fact, over the course of our 15-minute conversation, the band’s Piers Agget and Kesi Dryden use the word—and related phrases, including “good energy” and “manifesting”—approximately a dozen times.
The UK group, breaking now in the States on the power of their (excellent) singles “Free” and “Feel the Love,” pride themselves on their vibes: the family vibes of the musicians within their sprawling collective, the deep vibes of their music, and the communion of vibes they share with fans during live shows. The duo also rolled up to our chat with a nearly empty bottle of Jack Daniels, and amidst a post-set backstage party, the vibe of this particular scenario was lively and fairly sauced.
Let’s not beat around the bush, man. EDM as of late has gotten a bit boring and repetitive.
So, you’re getting booked at EDM festivals alongside big electronic acts, but you’re a band with live instruments and singers and stuff. What do you make of that?
Agget: We’re like the antidote to the EDM world everyone knows in America, like Calvin Harris. I’m not bashing those guys; I’m a big fan of Calvin Harris, but we’re kind of the opposite of the one DJ-type act. We’re musicians and songwriters and producers. We’re bringing that whole Sly and the Family Stone, Funkadelic vibe. They’re our inspirations, and we have nine, ten, eleven people onstage; so it’s also a family. That’s what we promote: mixing the old and the new. We all grew up on jungle, drum & bass and garage [charmingly pronounced “GAY-REJ”], but we also dug into our mum and dad’s vinyl. Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye and those guys were in our blood as well, so we kind of tried to fuse all that.
Where, then, does Rudimental exist in the world of EDM?
Agget: We love providing the antidote. Let’s not beat around the bush, man. EDM as of late has gotten a bit boring and repetitive. We provide electronic music that has a soul vibe. We love thumping bass and drums, but we’re also about mixing that with soul music. It’s not just about going out and getting off your face—although that’s cool—but it’s not just about doing that and listening to music that you don’t know what it’s about. This is music with emotion that makes you dance, but also makes you cry.
You’ve played for massive crowds back in the UK, the BBC named you the “festival band of the summer,” and your debut LP, Home, was nominated for the Mercury Prize. What’s the vibe you’re getting here in America?
Agget: I feel like we’re at that stage where Disclosure was last year, where there’s a buzz happening. I feel like it’s really healthy right now, you know? But I feel like we need to keep coming out here, because it’s such a big country.
[At this point, someone in the room starts screaming, as the party goes on behind us. Agget yells at one of their singers, “WE’RE HAVING AN INTERVIEW HERE, CAN YOU PLEASE GO AWAY,” and we proceed.]
What’s the best part of being on the road?
Agget: Imagine a school trip with no teacher; or there’s a teacher—he’s called a tour manager—but he can’t get you in trouble. It’s a lot of fun because we’re really genuinely good friends and a good family. It really makes a difference, man.
I realize they’re referring to the butts of two of their band members, who have dropped their pants and are standing, bare-assed, approximately three inches away from me.
You’ve collaborated with singers, including Emeli Sandé and Joe Newman—whom you met when he was singing in a local pub. How did the band originally form, and then how do you find these collaborators?
Agget: There are four core members of Rudimental, and we all grew up together in school. Everyone in the band are people we’ve known for a long time or just met and really, really vibed off of. When shit started to kick off for us, we were like, “Let’s bring in our musicians and family members and good friends that we know.” It’s all about energy. It sounds a bit trippy, but we only work with people that we vibe off.
How do you know when the energy is good?
Dryden: You feel it! If the energy is good and we work well together, then we invite them on tour with us and all become something bigger and greater.
Agget: We’re manifesting.
What are you manifesting right now?
Dryden: A new album. I’m so excited about it.
Agget: We met George Clinton earlier this year, and we’ve done two songs with him—which is amazing because we’re big Funkadelic and P-Funk fans. We’ve worked with Lianne La Havas and Ed Sheeran. We’ve also stayed true to the first album by having Emily Kaye, a good longtime friend and collaborator, Joe Newman, Ella Eyre, and some new artists. We’re always searching for new talent, because Rudimental is really a platform for vocalists.
How do your actual families feel about what you’ve accomplished?
Dryden: My mum is 68 now, and whenever we’re in town, she’s in the front row. I’m like, “Mum, be careful, it gets a bit crazy down there.” Last show she came to, she was near the front, and—I don’t know if you’ve been to a Rudimental show before, but especially in England, it gets a bit wild with everyone pushing and jumping about. Halfway through the show, she disappeared. I was playing my instrument like, “Shit, where’s my mum at?” Turned out she had to get out of there because it was too crazy. Now she knows not to be at the front while we’re performing, because when she disappears halfway through, I get a bit scared and forget what I’m playing.
What’s your favorite place to eat in the States when you’re traveling?
Agget: So many. There’s that place in Brooklyn that has the best meat, like brisket and salted everything.
Dryden: There’s that rib place in Texas, and that kind of dark, roundish place in Texas too. [Both laugh really hard at I’m not sure what.]
Dark, roundish place in Texas?
[This is when I realize they’re referring to the butts of two of their band members, who have dropped their pants and are standing, bare-assed, approximately three inches away from me. Basically, that’s the end of the interview. Vibes.]
