In the summer he goes on tour with Blur. Before that, drummer Dave Rowntree released a solo album for the first time. On “Radio Songs” the multifaceted musician sings to unusual sounds.
LONDON – Admittedly, starting a solo career at the age of 58 is a bit unusual, not to say very late. Dave Rowntree grins when asked about the fact. “I needed the necessary self-confidence and the opportunity for it,” says the drummer of Britpop icons Blur in an interview with the German Press Agency. His first solo album “Radio Songs” is now out.
The fact that he has been making music for films and documentaries for several years gave him the decisive boost. “My career as a film composer has been successful so far,” says Rowntree. “And that really gave me the confidence to try to put my songs together, record them properly and put them on a record.” The right time finally presented two lockdowns in England during the Corona pandemic.
Built radios at the kitchen table
With “Radio Songs” Dave Rowntree pays homage to a lifelong passion. The Blur drummer has been fascinated by radio since childhood. “Other fathers go to soccer games or go fishing with their sons, my father built radios with me at the kitchen table,” says the Briton via Zoom.
The album aims to convey the feeling that the listener gets when turning on an old radio receiver. “I had a radio next to my bed as a kid, and you can literally pick up stations from all over the world, especially on long wave.” He raves about it. “To me, a young boy growing up in the south of England, it just sounded incredibly exotic. And I dreamed of what life must be like in those other places with the strange-sounding languages and the somehow unusual music.”
Radio noises as the basis of the song
There are also the strange noises that one could and still can hear on long-wave radio. Rowntree tracked her down for the album. “I spent a lot of time recording noise between stations. That’s where you can often find the best sounds nowadays.” The sound inventor used these as the basis for his songs, for example as a sound bed or for certain textures.
Ironically, the album hardly contains any typical radio songs. “It’s important for Taylor Swift that she gets played on BBC Radio One, but not for me,” says Rowntree. The catchy single “London Bridge” with a driving rhythm, distinctive synthesizers and a slight New Wave touch is best suited to the radio.
On the other hand, other songs are rather slow, sometimes oppressive (“Devil’s Island”), sometimes melancholic (“1000 Miles”). In “HK” the film composer comes through particularly well.
It’s not a political album, but if you listen closely, you’ll also recognize political undertones in Rowntree, who has been a Labor Party member for decades and has repeatedly run unsuccessfully for the House of Commons, but instead took on other offices. “There’s nothing to see here, there’s no need to be here,” sings the 58-year-old – an allusion to the Brexit vote and the surprise at the outcome.
Rowntree says of his new role as lead singer it “felt amazingly natural”. His voice isn’t exactly charismatic, but with its slight monotony it goes well with his atmospheric music. “Radio Songs” is an album that you have to get involved with, sometimes a bit unwieldy, but at the same time extremely interesting.
Concerts with Blur at Wembley Stadium
In the long term, Dave Rowntree also wants to tour with his own songs. But before that, two of the biggest performances in the band’s career are scheduled for the Blur colleagues. On July 8th and 9th, the Britpop veterans will headline a summer tour at London’s massive Wembley Stadium. The first concert is already sold out, and everyone involved is looking forward to it.
“We’ve never played there, but it’s one of those iconic places,” the drummer emphasizes. “When we were asked if we wanted to do it, we said yes straight away.” He even has new music with Blur in prospect, maybe even in the summer. “We have to talk about that now. We have six months until the tour starts. We all have a lot on our minds. So we’ll probably have to talk about it this week.” dpa
