Rudimental Interview

The Drum & Bass quartet that is Rudimental has done nothing short of taking over the scene the world over with their infectious beats. Comprising of members Piers Aggett, Kesi Dryden, Amir Amor and Leon Rolle, they’re about to drop their debut album ‘Home’, and have worked with the likes of Alex Clare and Emeli Sande and will be keeping the sounds of London town global for the forseeable future. We caught up with Leon Rolle to find out a bit more about what makes Rudimental just so successful…

Hi Leon, how are you? Whereabouts in the world are you right now?
Really good at the minute, happy to be home in London and in the thick of rehearsals for our UK tour, which is going well. We are extremely excited, we’ve added a drummer and I think we’ve now become the band I have always dreamt about.

You recently performed at the South By South West Music convention in Texas, how did that go? Were they any acts you saw that really stood out for you?
SXSW was an amazing experience. It was like us bringing our home – the streets of London – to Texas. The reception was great and I think it is just going to get better. Laura Mvula was exceptional, would definitely go to see her and her band live again.

How would you compare US festivals to the UK, what’s the atmosphere like? Are they particularly different?
The US is just as crazy and mental as the UK. The atmosphere was amazing. There’s something special that happens when we are all on stage together, which translates to the crowd.

I read online about how youth-centred studios play a big part in your music. Tell me a bit more about this?
Youth centres and community centres have an important part to play with helping youth access a way of expressing their negativity in positive ways. I worked in a secondary school alongside Kesi as Behavioural and Learning Mentors. We have first-hand experience of working with teenagers with behavioural issues and barriers to learning. We found that using music with students can have a positive effect on youth whilst helping them knock down those barriers, so it’s an element we are keen to continue to weave into our music by the positivity.

We’ve had a listen to your debut album ‘Home’ which will was released in April. What did you want to put out there with this album? Does it have any running concepts or themes?
We created this album in the studio and on the road. We always said that we wanted to make an album that would set festivals on fire, one that would allow you to feel like you’re Michael Schumacher on the way to work, as well as give that motivation to clean your house on that dreaded Sunday. The occurring theme that runs through this album is what solidifies us as a band… Soul elements with bass!

Your track ‘Feel The Love’ has been a huge success all over the world; did you think it was going to be such a huge hit when you were writing it?
Like most producers, you always have a good feeling about the tracks you’ve made. In our case, when it comes to the creation of ‘Feel The Love’ – this is no different. I remember when the core idea of ‘Feel The Love’ came to the studio, we ended up trashing the place through sheer excitement, taking our tops off and going absolutely mental. ‘Feel The Love’ has been a smash hit which we are only coming to terms with now, that it was one of the biggest selling singles of 2012. It’s amazing and it has given us the license to show the world what we are about and, with the release of our debut album will help solidify our selves in this game for a long time to come.

You’ve got quite a few impressive names to feature on the album, like Alex Clare and Emeli Sande. How did you go about approaching them? What was it like working with them?
Both artists are true professionals and have an amazing passion for music. Emeli came to one of our gigs, which funnily enough she was struggling to get into and at that point she shared her desire to work with us, which was an amazing honour.

Who was your favourite guest to work with whilst recording the album?
All the guests have been amazing to work with. The most important thing to us is this element of family. It’s expressed on the album and also on stage, so typically everyone we’ve worked with shares that mindset or brings that vibe.

You’re touring the UK in April, what are you most looking forward to on this tour? Is there a particular city you’re excited about performing in?
Really looking forward to playing in front of all the fans that have been supporting us. There is absolutely nothing better than being in your own country with large crowds singing along to the tracks you have slaved over for the last year. These are the rewards!

What’s the craziest thing to have happened to you whilst on tour?
Don’t know if it’s that crazy, but whilst in Australia, Prodigy gave us a big shout on stage “YO RUDIMENTAL!! THIS NEXT TRACK IS FOR YOU!” we actually felt like little kids again when we heard this.

That’s amazing! What’s been the most unusual gig or festival you have played?
The most unusual place we’ve played in so far … is deep in the forest whilst doing Snow Bombing festival, was an amazing experience with a great crowd!

What kind of music and who did you grow up listening to? Would you say your family’s taste in music was a big influence? Would you say growing up in London played a big influence?
Sly and the Family Stone, Prince, Marvin Gaye as well as Dizzee Rascal and James Blake. When growing up in London, you had no choice but to surround yourself with nothing but eclectic sounds due to the cultural surroundings and diversity exploding on the streets of London, but it varies for all of us… I think that is why we connect as a band.

What’s been a career highlight for you so far?
The Hackney Weekender for the simple reason that it was our second live gig and we smacked it out the ballpark! The crowd fed us and we fed off the crowd. Amazing!

By Rachel Pottle

Rudimental have announced an Australian Tour in September, more information here

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