With 5 albums and 3 EPs under their belt, it has been a busy decade for Submotion Orchestra who are now in their 10th year as a band. Often high fived by the likes of Gilles Peterson, Pete Tong and Trevor Nelson who continue to support their unique blend of electronica and jazz time and time again. Headlining the 6,000 capacity Pula Amphitheatre at Outlook Festival, selling out the Barbican Theatre and The Forum for London’s Jazz Festival, as well as headlining the Royal Albert Hall is now something of the norm for them – and after an enforced few months on lockdown, they hope they’ll be back out on the road real soon. DMCWORLD checks in for a world exclusive as they release their new single ‘Blend’…
Hi guys, hope you’ve all been well during lockdown? How has it affected the band? I recall you had a single and tour scheduled for March.
Lockdown has affected all musicians and artists pretty seriously; effectively everything live is on hold for the foreseeable future. We were planning on releasing a fair amount of music this year and had a tour scheduled and a few festivals however this is now all due to be rescheduled once the government gives the go ahead for live music venues to reopen.
It’s been difficult for us as a band but we also count ourselves lucky, as we’ve been able to have ten years of solid touring and releases. It must be really hard for those just coming up in their musical careers. Fingers crossed the music industry gets back on its feet as soon as possible.
Will you be rescheduling the tour and rereleasing the single?
Definitely rescheduling tour and we will be releasing music in the next couple of months; the first being our track called ‘Blend’ which is released on 17th July. We’re really excited for you all to hear it.
To compensate for the loss, you’ve got a new track coming out called ‘Blend’ – we’re loving the breakbeat element to this, can you tell us about how the track came about and the underlying meaning?
Last summer Ruby (singer) and Tommy (drummer) got together and just started writing a few bits. This stemmed from the idea that now as a band we know who we are. We’ve done a lot of experimenting over the years but we find ourselves making music simply for the love of it, plus we’re really lucky to have such a solid fan base that support us throughout. Blend was one of the tracks that came out of this session with Ruby and Tommy. This track has quite a raw sound, a bit ‘bashy’ in its production but that’s what was required to go alongside the emotional element to it.
Why did you feel now was a good time to release it?
It’s important to keep putting out live music and keep the ball rolling. It’s a difficult time right now so if we can put out music that people can enjoy then that’s great for everyone.
For the tech fans out there, would you be able to give away one production tip, or a secret from the studio that helped bring ‘Blend’ to life?
‘Blend’ is a bit like a duet track. Both Ruby and Tommy sing on it in unison, which was Ruby’s idea after she heard the demos that were originally sung by Tommy. Two really basic microphones were set up in the studio, it was meant to be a demo but it really resonated with us and it stuck. You’ve really got to look out for those moments during a session – those ‘happy accidents’ are really important to use. If it feels and sounds good it doesn’t matter what microphone or equipment you’ve used or where you’ve recorded; just go along with it.
What have your coping mechanisms been for lockdown?
It seems as though lockdown has enforced a routine on people, which maybe they never had before. As a musician a routine can seem impossible especially when you’re on tour. The idea of doing the same thing week after week seemed really daunting but I’ve actually really come to embrace it. I’ve found with those structures I’ve actually been able to become really productive and creative which has been a great silver lining.
What does the future hold Submotion Orchestra?
We’ve got a lot releases lined up – some new stuff and some re-,releases. As soon as it’s made possible we’ll be touring once again. As long as we have our fans that want to hear us play and watch us perform live, we’ll be sure to supply!
Submotion Orchestra – Blend
Release Date: 17/07/2020
Label: SMO Recordings
