The Cable Street Collective reveal to Eat This Music why their newest single got banned from Facebook, what music they are fans of, the types of artists they cannot get enough of, and why they continue to make music, in the newest “What We’ve Been Listening To”.
Who is Cable Street Collective?
A 7-piece band from London, who are fed up with the shower of shits currently in charge of the UK, and hoping to counter their incompetence by spreading a bit of sun-speckled joy in these dark times. As John Kennedy of Radio X once said, “when they start playing they bring the sunshine”.
The band are: Fi (vox), Ash (guitars), Tristan (guitars, keys), Aaron (Bass), Sam (Loops, Percussion), Matt (Sax) and Dom (Trumpet)
Who is on your “Must Listen To” list and why?
Rose City Band’s album Summerlong has been on repeat in Ash’s house. He loves the psychedelic blues guitar (in the Wooden Ships vein) mashed up with the country, soul, and pop.
Fi can’t get enough of South African collective BCUC and Tristan has been lapping up the two (two!) albums Saults have put out this year. As well, as, obviously, our go-to favourites like Diblo Dibala and Orchestra Makassy.
What are your guilty pleasure songs?
Something Got Me Started by Simply Red – Ash
Winds of Change, by Scorpions – Tristan
Anything from the early-90s musical theatre – Fi
Which song would you have liked to feature on and why?
We’re still waiting for the call from Damon Albarn to get involved in the next Gorillaz record 😉
Which song of yours would you recommend to a first-time listener?
Our new single Speaking In Tongues. It really summarises the band we’ve become over the last couple of years. It’s big, bold and brassy and you can’t help but dance your ass off to it.
Also, Facebook has banned us from promoting the video, saying it’s ‘too political’, which is hilarious! (Have a watch and you’ll see why – it involves pineapples, Donald Trump & Edward Colston)
What keeps you making music?
Having bandmates who rely on you doing your shit helps motivate you. I think we’d struggle as solo artists with only ourselves to motivate. That, and the feeling of playing to festival crowds who are dancing, to a man, from the front to the back.
