The Rhythm Method are London-themed pop duo we’ve been waiting for.
The Rhythm Method’s tracks sum up the best things about British culture, mainly pub culture and our undying loyalty. Inspired by Ronnie Barker and Dennis Waterman and living under a flight path, vocalist/lyricist Joey Bradbury and songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Rowan Martin write odes to their local pub and the bittersweet emotions they feel about their hometown. Upbeat basslines, jammy keys and Bradbury’s almost-spoken vocals allow them to both subvert and celebrate suburbia and British life in a similar vein to The Jam.
Their new track “Home Sweet Home” is an ode to their hometown, with a video that shows the very familiar site of London viewed from the window of an Uber on the early morning journey home. With lyrics talking of the guiding lights of London and the sickness of the backseat of the taxi layered on top of a punctuated rhythm section and a dancing piano part. We wouldn’t be surprised if The Rhythm Method cement themselves as the sound of London in the not so distant future.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H7xCrOioXI
You’ve got a pretty unusual sound here in 2016: what are the influences and how did it come about?
Joey: We wouldn’t really regard our sound as unusual in all honesty. It feels like here in 2016 anything goes. We’ve both reached the end point of creativity and a new frontier. We like to see ourselves in the great tradition of British lyrical pop music. Squeeze, Madness, Prefab Sprout, those kinds of bands. Some kind of joyous celebration of the mundane. Every song we write is in a different genre and most of time they sound nothing like the originals. It’s familiar yet alien I suppose.
Why did you decide on that mostly spoken word delivery (you don’t happen to be Squeeze fans do you)?
J: Can’t sing, won’t sing. Actually I do sing sometimes.
Talk to us about the “Home Sweet Home” video…
Rowan: We wrote the song from the point of view of a 5am Uber after a damaging night out, an experience which we feel is fairly universal. So it seemed obvious to have Joey tell his story literally. For my choruses we wanted to include a combination of the London places we love warmly, Wandsworth Bridge, a favourite club in Holloway, with the cold stream of luxury that is replacing them all.
Famous alcoholic thespian Oliver Reed gets a well-deserved shout out in your song “Party Politics”: long term fans or did he just happen to be a convenient rhyme?
J: Ever since I saw Oliver Reed appear as Bill Sykes in Oliver! he’s been somewhat of an idol. The way he carries himself in that role, like a mix between Phil Mitchell and Ian Dury. He was part of the renowned “Hellraisers” crew with Richard Harris and Peter O’Toole and died arm wrestling sailors in Malta. He lived out his own legend, perhaps a bit too much.
And what about the song itself. Is it about politics, house parties, class, or all three?
J: All three. Our initial brief that we set ourselves was to write a song about the hedonistic nature of our ‘Peter Pan generation’. The never ending party. It took us an awful long time to write so it grew beyond that. The political tones bleed in naturally along with the rest of our songs.
“We wrote the song from the point of view of a 5am Uber after a damaging night out, an experience which we feel is fairly universal.”
What can we expect next from you guys? An EP?
R: We’re playing Nambucca on the 27th of October, after that we’re doing a tour of own. We’re thinking about making a film and then maybe a car boot sale.
“Local Girl” is something of an ode to the pub, so what’s your favourite boozer?
J: The hop pole in Wandsworth.
R: I like the Anchor Tap by Tower Bridge or the Palmtree in Mile End.
Ideal live location (is it a pub)?
R: I actually live above a pub right now in North London, which is a mixed blessing because it’s always open but on the other hand, it’s always open.
Biggest influence – musical or otherwise?
R: Rather than influences we just have stuff we like: film soundtracks, Lovers Rock compilations, old TV theme tunes. We like watching Graham Norton and Inside the Actor’s Studio.
Ideal house party…?
J: Preferably one we’re invited to but it doesn’t matter too much.
R: Music for everybody, ice in the freezer, no crusties.
Where do you want to be in five years?
J: Daily cocaine and champagne habit, groucho club membership, solo artist.
