Rudimental feat. John Newman & Alex Clare – Not Giving In
The old saying that ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’ doesn’t seem to ring true in Rudimental’s case. On paper, a band made up of four producers should be a recipe for disaster, much like a band made up of four lead guitarists would be. You’d expect an endless clash of egos, with each member constantly tweaking things, desperate to impose their vision on the finished product. Thankfully, this isn’t the case. On the strength of their previous singles and remix work for the likes of Wretch 32 and Ed Sheeran, the Rudimental working relationship is paying off very nicely.
“I think that, even though we’re essentially four producers, we all contribute evenly to the eventual sound of the song rather than all of us just wanting to be the guy who makes the beat,” the band’s Piers Agget told Contact Music. “We all like to dabble in bits of everything; from writing the lyrics to coming up with the melody. If one of us writes something that sounds good at 160 bpm, we’re not gonna put a house beat over it and because we’re all so eclectic in our tastes – we listen to soul and other old school music like blues – we know that we can incorporate a much more fitting style and we’re not restrained by a narrow musical knowledge.”
This breadth is very much in evidence on ‘Not Giving In’. There’s an organic feel to it, with plenty of dad-approved ‘real’ instruments jostling for position among the beats and bleeps. Capping it all are John Newman’s mahogany-rich vocal tones, smoother than a silken otter and more soulful than a branch of Schuh. He did a similarly impressive job on Rudimental’s last single ‘Feel the Love’ and – if legend is to be believed – was randomly discovered by the band at a karaoke night. That certainly puts the Stella-addled caterwaulers at our local into perspective.
If this has tickled your curiosity gland, you shouldn’t have too long to wait for a bit more Rudimental. They’re currently in the process of finishing up their first album, which will be released early next year.
