INTERVIEW with Dr Meaker

Bristol-based group Dr Meaker are currently Single of the Week on the blog with their single "Right Back" which features vocals from Sian Evans. Below is my interview with Clive Meaker where we talked about Sian Evans, Skyfall and Rudimental!

• Your new single “Right Back” is released July 2014, what can you tell us about that? 

The single was inspired by a going "back to basics" mentality.  We just wanted to make an underground soulful roller and had no expectations on how far it could, should or would go. We made the track with V Recordings in mind and they took an interest in it early on.  My manager, who is a music man (as well as a business head) found the sample and said "go make a tune with that". I asked Sian Evans to write the vocal and it was all pretty simple to put together.  A very liberating track to make as their was no pressure from anyone to make it, so it's got a natural vibe within it.

• Sian Evans from Kosheen features on this track, was it like working with her? 

Yeah it was really good. I sent Sian the instrumental track and she wrote the vocal at home and then we met and recorded at Retrosonic Studios in Bristol. Sian is a seasoned pro in the game. She knows how to write and sing a classic.

• Which vocalists would you like to collaborate with in the future? 

I have all the vocal collaborators lined up for the next album and have 5 of Bristol's best vocalists in our camp. I'm really excited about everything we are working on together. Outside of that I'd like to work with anyone who brings a special kind of soul. I'm not driven by working with big names or whoever happens to be in fashion. It's all about the soul.

• You’ve received critical acclaim from mainstream acts like Annie Mac and Rudimental, how did that feel?

It's great to have Annie Mac consistently selecting our tunes for her BBC RADIO 1 show as she represents the peak of UK dance music and that spreads out across the world. It was the trumpet player from Rudimental - Mark Crown - that picked up on our recent tune after hearing it on 1xtra. He liked the horn sounds we have on Right Back and sent a few messages of support, which was cool of him.  We 're gonna hook up soon for a beer.

•    Which artists and producers would you say have inspired and influenced your sound the most?
The Prodigy & Massive Attack are the main two. So many others to mention from The Beatles to Barber. I'm drawing mainly on the past for inspiration or really random and uncommercial current music.  I'm not really feeling alot of chart music at the moment although there are a few acts that feel true to their cause and I respect them for doing their thing.


• Last year you did a cover of Adele’s “Skyfall” for BBC Radio Live Lounge, what other songs would you like to cover in the future? 

I don't have any current plans to cover anything else but who knows.  I prefer to sample rather than cover and use the samples to make original, new compositions. Skyfall only came about as we had to cover a song for our BBC Maidavale Live Lounge Session for Trevor Nelson and we thought it was the only true quality song in the charts at that time. So we did Skyfall Bristol style. It turned out wicked.   

•    What upcoming projects can we expect from Dr Meaker? 
A 2015 album is the main focus and maybe a couple remixes. We will be signing an album deal which is exciting as we want to finish the album and then take the live show across Europe and the World. 

•    Lastly, this there anything you’d like to say to your fans and supporters? 
To our fans and supporters - Thank you for your support. 

[END]

A huge thanks to Clive Meaker for that and you can check out the single "Right Back" below!