70 years of influences have created the Human Rhythms Not Algorithms sound. There’s more than a nod to the classic blues, rock, reggae and soul of the 60’s, 70’s & 80’s that laid the foundation for so much of the music we love today.
I’ll let Jo from Ramrock Records introduce the latest inclusion to the playlist and exclusive premier of the new video from King Brasstards.
“Ladies and gentlemen, be prepared to be funked all over by this HUGE collaboration between one of the finest horn troupes around and original lyrics written and performed by the powerhouse that is Greg Blackman. I said ‘Gawd damn, wait a minute’…….Inspired by the sounds of the streets of New Orleans, seven piece brass ensemble, King Brasstards boast an impressive instrument line up including a magnificent sousaphone, trumpets, trombone, percussion and much more”
The Hoof caught up with Marv from the band for a chat, celebrating the release of King Brasstards latest single, It’s a clash of styles, described by the band themselves as Drum and Brass, a genre you never knew you needed, but you do, so watch NOW, don’t Wait Till The Morning and when you wake up in the morning listen again on Human Rhythms Not Algorithms, King Brasstards alongside 100’s of new releases from 2024 and beyond.
“So, let’s start at the beginning – when did you first discover your love for music? And what was the moment that made you realize you wanted to pursue it as a career?”
I’ve always loved music but in August 1979 when I saw the Specials perform ‘Gangsters’ on Top of the Pops’, the music, clothes and mayhem of that performance really jumped out to me. After saving my school dinner money, I bought the single a couple of weeks later and that was that – I was a 9 year old Rude Boy.
‘Wait Till The Morning’ has such a unique sound. Can you share with us the inspiration behind it and how you developed this sonic identity?”
King Brasstards are inspired by a wide spectrum of music and we all want to play our own music in the car on the way to gigs. It’s been amazing working with Greg Blackman who brings his own influences and a whole lotta soul. Greg instantly loved the instrumental for ‘Wait Till The Morning’ and wrote some killer lyrics. The combination of Greg’s vocals and our instrumental is the perfect match – we’re particularly proud of the Drum and Brass sections in the tune.
“Every musician has that one classic track that they hold dear to their heart. Can you tell us about yours? What about it inspires you or keeps you coming back?”
It’s really difficult to pick a favourite track but I’m going with ‘Light My Fire’ as I love the version by the Doors with Ray Manzarek’s cosmic keyboard solo. But I equally love Stevie Wonder’s version featuring James Jamerson epic bass playing and then Dame Shirley Bassey’s cracking take on the tune. I think I’m correct in saying that Chas and Dave are session artists on Shirley’s version – who’d have thought it, eh?
“We’re always on the hunt for new music here. Is there an up-and-coming artist or band that you’ve recently discovered and think deserves more attention?”
Keeping loyal to Ramrock at the moment, we’re absolutely loving ‘On The Hill’ by King Bee at the moment. (The HOOF, it’s on the playlist above)
“Looking ahead to the rest of the year, what are your plans? Any exciting releases or shows that you can tease for us?”
We’re currently working on a couple of follow ups to ‘Wait Till The Morning’. The tricky part will be deciding which one to go with. We’ve also got a lot of gigs lined up, so keep an eye out for us near you and on our social media, especially our Instagram page.
“Playlists have become such an important part of music discovery in recent years. What do you think the future holds for this format? Are there any playlists out there that you personally listen to?”
Playlists are a great way of finding new music and keeping things fresh. We like Sound of Brass and Jazzineu. We’ve got our own Ramrock Selectahs playlist here
“Connecting with fans is crucial for any artist. How do you prefer to interact with your audience? And have you found that social media has changed the way you approach this?”
As well as Instagram, we’ve got Facebook but the best way to connect with us is face to face with a whole lotta bass at a live gig.
“With so many different ways to consume music nowadays, it can be hard to know what format to focus on. How do you feel about streaming versus downloads versus physical copies?”
In an ideal world, we’d still be buying and playing vinyl but there’s no getting away from the ease of streaming. However, from an artist/label point of view, buying downloads or vinyl is the best way of supporting new music.
“What’s the best way for fans to support you right now? If they only had a few minutes, what could they do to help spread the word about your music?”
Going to the Ramrock Bandcamp site and buying a download of ‘Wait Till The Morning’ would be great.
Wait Till The Morning on Bandcamp
“Do you believe music matters? Why?”
Music connects people and is an ever present positive force for mankind.
“Is collaboration a part of your whole creative process or do you write songs individually first and then collaborate on refining the song?”
We have two amazing singers in the band but we also love a collaboration. We’ve made music with Ashley Slater from Freakpower, UK trombone legend Denis Rollins, iconic house vocalist Lisa Millett, legendary Hammond organ artist Gary Davis from 70s disco outfit, Chocolate Star. Most recently, you can hear our joint project with vocal powerhouse, Greg Blackman, ‘Wait Till The Morning’. It’s great to have external input and see where the tune goes.
“How do you stay motivated and engaged with your art over time? What keeps you inspired and interested in creating new music?”
We all do a lot of different things in music including playing with the Brasstards and in other bands, as well as session work and teaching. We have a roaming band so we do a lot of sporting events like the Davis Cup, the Billie Jean King Cup, major football and rugby matches, as well as stages shows at festivals like Wilderness, All Points East, Bestival and Nozstock. Over the years, the lads have worked with an incredible list of artists including Rico Rodriguez, Laurel Aitken, Peter Hook, Candi Staton, Dawn Penn, Neville Staples, Tom Grennan, Boy George, Terry Hall, Paul Weller, Dennis Alcapone, Heather Small, Happy Mondays and Shed 7 to name a few. No two days are the same at Brasstards HQ.
“If you could share the stage with one artist, of the past or present, who would that be and why.”
I would’ve loved to have shared the stage with Gil Scott Heron. I only saw him once at the Jazz Café in the 90s but the music was incredible. He talked about very important political and social issues and also very candidly about his own life. He had the audience in stitches at other points during the evening – all in all, a rollercoaster of a gig.
“If you were granted a short audience with the omnipotent being and could play them one track of yours – so that they would know who you are (in that moment) – what track would that be?”
It would have to be ‘Wait Till The Morning’ see what the reaction was.
“What is the best performance you’ve ever seen by another musician?”
For me it would be Gil Scott Heron or Stevie Wonder in Birmingham.
“What’s your opinion on the impact of music festivals like Coachella and Glastonbury on the industry, and what role do they play in shaping music culture?”
The big festivals are great but the smaller ones are equally as important – and the toilets are generally cleaner! There’s something special to listening to loud music in a remote field with 1000’s of other people. We’ve just come back from performing as a roaming band at ‘Gardeners World’ festival in Malvern where we met Hairy Biker, Si King! Amazing gig with great people – blooming lovely! Top of our festival wish list to play at would be Glastonbury and Shambala
“What about music makes you passionate?”
The way it brings people together and has the power to to take you to another place.
“What’s the most unusual fan encounter you’ve ever had?”
We’ve certainly had some strange stuff over the years, but best leave that there !
“What is your favorite lyric from one of your own songs?”
“If you’re ’bout to spread bile and slander boy, I beg you just wait a minute”, from the latest single. Greg’s got a great way with words.
“What was the first album you ever bought, and how did it influence your love of music?”
‘The Specials’ by The Specials bought with more school dinner money
“What is your favorite music-related documentary?”
‘The Sound of Bond‘ on Prime or ‘The Greatest Night in Pop‘ on Netflix.
“What is your favorite music-related book?”
I’m just rereading ‘Scar Tissue‘ by Anthony Kiedis from the Chilli Peppers – its all action.
“How do you define success as an artist? Is it based on commercial success, critical acclaim, or something else?”
As a professional band we’ve go to generate income, so that’s important, but we are all buzzing with working with Jo at Ramrock and the amount of plays ‘Wait Till The Morning’ has got all over the world. As big fans of Craig Charles Soul & Funk show on 6 music we’ve been bowled over by his support, with Greg Blackman we even did a 30 minute Trunk of Funk mix, which will be up on mixcloud soon. The main thing is to keep it fun and fresh.
“Tell us about your writing and recording process, what instruments, software or hardware do you use?”
Our Sousaphone player has a studio so we record there. Sometimes we play live, like our tune ‘Up All Night‘ with Lisa Millett and Gary Davis, which was a one take wonder, other times we’ll just do one instrument at a time, just depends on who’s around.
“Can you talk about any ways in which your music has been influenced by other cultures or musical traditions?”
We have a huge range of music tastes from Funk, Ska, Reggae. all types of Jazz, Techno, Swing, House, DnB, Soul, Classical, Folk and Cinematic. It all goes into the KB melting pot.
“What policies would you support to protect musicians from exploitation by record labels, concert promoters, or other industry entities?”
Ramrock is a fantastic label and really looks after it’s artists but we’ve all experienced dodgy labels and industry entities, so we’d be behind anything that gives artists more power and protection.
“What policies would you support to promote diversity and inclusivity in the music industry, both in terms of representation and access to resources?”
We are right behind policies that support diversity and inclusivity. It’s crucial that all walks of life have a voice and celebrate our differences.
“How do you think music can be used to promote dialogue and understanding between people with different perspectives and beliefs?”
Music has the power to change opinions. Looking back to my childhood, the 2 Tone movement played a massive part in bringing different cultures together and kicking out racism in the 70’s and 80’s.
“How do you handle criticism or negative feedback, and what role does it play in your artistic growth?”
We’re all good mates in the band so if we get negative feedback we can deal with it and move on,
“How do you handle rejection or setbacks, and what do you do to bounce back?”
We’re always busy so if we get a setback there’s always something else to focus on.
