Clean Bandit keeping busy

The British band, which mark their 10th anniversary next year, will kick off 2018 with a world tour and aim to release multiple albums

Clean Bandit comprise (from far left) Luke Patterson, Grace Chatto and Jack Patterson.
Clean Bandit comprise (from left) Luke Patterson, Grace Chatto and Jack Patterson. PHOTO: AUREUS PRODUCTIONS

8Q

British trio Clean Bandit might have made their name in recent years with classical/electronic pop hits and a Grammy win, but they have been around quite a while.

In fact, the group, which will be back for a gig at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre on Jan 22, will mark their 10th anniversary next year.

Asked how they plan to celebrate, multi-instrumentalist Jack Patterson, 32, tells The Straits Times they will have to come up with some "mad plans".

"We will probably get our label to rent us a stretch Hummer and drive around London for a week, drinking champagne and listening to the Spice Girls," he says in an e-mail.

Besides Patterson, who sings and plays instruments such as piano, bass and keyboards, the group also comprise his brother Luke, who plays drums and percussion, and Grace Chatto, who plays cello and percussion.

The fourth member, Neil Amin-Smith, who plays violin and piano, left the group last year.

  • BOOK IT / CLEAN BANDIT LIVE IN SINGAPORE

  • WHERE: Halls 601 to 604, Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Raffles Boulevard

    WHEN: Jan 22, 8pm

    ADMISSION: $108 to $208 from Sistic (go to www.sistic.com.sg or call 6348-5555)

They met as undergraduates at the University of Cambridge.

They released their debut single, A+E, in 2012 and debut album New Eyes two years later.

A song from their album, Rather Be, went to No. 1 in countries such as Britain, Germany and Ireland, as did their 2016 single Rockabye.

Rather Be, which features vocals by British singer Jess Glynne, picked up Best Dance Recording at the 2015 Grammy Awards.

Home-grown pop quartet The Sam Willows will open Clean Bandit's Suntec concert, their second here since their 2015 set at The Coliseum, Hard Rock Hotel Singapore, Resorts World Sentosa.

Concert promoter Aureus Productions is running a talent contest in which the winners will get to play as the show's opening act.

While Clean Bandit will kick off next year with a world tour that traverses Asia, Australia, North America and Europe, Patterson says the band will also be working on a lot of fresh material and will record them for new releases.

"Our resolution for next year is to release multiple albums," he adds.

1 Now that the year is winding down, how would you sum up how 2017 was for Clean Bandit?

It was a crazy whirlwind of a year. We travelled so much and loved every bit of it.

2 It has been two years since your song Rather Be won a Grammy. Has that put pressure on Clean Bandit?

Not really. It was such an honour to receive a Grammy.

Now we have one, there is no pressure anymore.

3 What do you remember best about the last time you performed in Singapore?

We played in 2015 at the Hard Rock Hotel and it was raining like crazy, but it was very fun.

There will be lots of dancing, flashing lights and banging tunes at the upcoming show.

4 The new single, I Miss You, features Julia Michaels; Symphony features Zara Larsson; and Rockabye features Sean Paul and Anne-Marie. How do you decide which singers to feature in the songs?

Sometimes we write songs with our friends and think, "Ooh, this person would sound good on that." Sometimes we write songs with the artist who features. We were massive fans of Michaels and wanted to tie up with her for a long time. We were so happy when she wanted to collaborate.

5 If you could choose to have any singer at all, even the ones who are not around anymore, for a Clean Bandit song, who would it be?

Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley and Gwen Stefani.

6 How do you feel about how much the band have achieved all these years?

We are very grateful for our success. So grateful to all our beautiful fans around the world who have made it happen.

7 What are the benefits and downsides to playing in a group with your brother?

The benefit is that it puts everything in perspective. Any arguments are normally resolved quite quickly because family is the most important thing. The downside is that he is annoying.

8 How would you like to be remembered?

It doesn't matter really, I'll be dead.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 25, 2017, with the headline Clean Bandit keeping busy. Subscribe