Cover Drive
Their debut video 'Lick Ya Down' is already making huge waves ahead of the single's 28th August release, and Cover Drive are set to be the next big thing.
The Cari-pop band recently supported their hero Rihanna in Barbados, and took the time to chat to us about their career so far.
-Your first single 'Lick Ya Down' is out soon, and already has a lot of views on YouTube. Are you pleased with the reaction?
Oh yeah! We're shocked, it's amazing. We want to thank everyone who's been watching the video, everyone who's supporting us. Thank you!
-Are you excited to get it released next month?
Woo! It actually comes out at the this month, August 28th! So, we very excited.
-It's a bit of a different sound to the acoustic tracks you've had on YouTube. What was the reason behind the shift?
It wasn't as much of a shift, just an evolution really. Our Feroda Sessions are an acoustic vibe. We've always been writing and love pop music.
So, we naturally made a fuse of Caribbean and pop music, we like to call it Cari-pop music. That is the sound of our entire album. It's fun, fresh, feel-good, sunshine. You've got your reggae, your dub, your ska, and you've got mainstream pop.
-YouTube helped you get your name out there. Is it a useful tool to help artists make a name for themselves?
Definitely. Never underestimate the power of YouTube.
-A lot of people have said the internet is harming the music industry, but would you say it's a good thing?
It's done wonders. Because of YouTube and the internet, you can have your music all over the world. We get comments from fans from places we don't even know! And it's free!
-On sites like Twitter you seem accessible to your fans. Is that important to you?
Yes, oh my goodness! We get to talk to the fans every day, on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook. The internet makes the world a smaller places, so we can connect with everyone. It's amazing.
-Recently you supported Rihanna in Barbados. How was that?
That was so much fun! We found out a week before the gig that we would be playing for her.
We got an e-mail saying that Rihanna had approved Cover Drive for her concert. We freaked out, and had two days of rehearsals before the gig.
We got there and there was 25,000 people at Kensington Oval. We were really nervous, but as soon as we started playing the nerves went away and we had so much fun on stage.
The crowd had so much fun too. Bajans are known to be difficult crowds to please, but they were so caring. It was the best 20 minutes of my life.
-How was it meeting her afterwards?
She was lovely, so nice and absolutely beautiful. She said she watched our videos on YouTube and that she really loved them, that we were talented and to keep making her proud. She was really nice.
-I'd assume she's been a big influence on your music, but who else do you take influence from?
We love No Doubt, especially their Rock Steady album. Black Eyed Peas, Bob Marley, Bruno Mars.
-What's the music scene like in Barbados?
The music scene is very small. It's definitely developing and growing. There are so many talented artists in Barbados, so many talented people. We know a lot of bands who are amazing. The music industry is growing, but it has a way to go, of course.
-With the different influences in the band, is the writing a collaborative process?
Definitely. The whole album has been a collaborative process between us writing, and also producers and songwriters. We brought our style to them, and they brought theirs to us.
We had a lot of fun. We always write together, because it's important the songs on the album are us. The only way that can happened is if we're all in the room bouncing ideas off each other.
-You mentioned the album. What stage is it at now?
The album's finished. The name is Bajan Style, and it's heavily influenced by Cari-pop music. 'Lick Ya Down' is just a teaser of what you will find on the album.
It is all Cari-pop. If you put your headphones on and play Cover Drive's album, you'll feel like you're in a beach partying in Barbados. It's amazing.
-Will you be carrying on with the acoustic sessions you do online?
Of course, they started everything. We love doing them, and the fans love them as well. We could never stop them.
-After the album, what's planned for the rest of the year? Is there a tour planned?
Yeah. We don't know the exact dates for touring, but hopefully we'll have some soon. We're going to shoot the video for the second single at the end of this month.
We're looking forward to that. Just hopefully good things. We hope the songs do well. To the people watching the video, requesting the song on the radio, thank you so much.
-What message would you give to your fans?
We love you! You're awesome, thank you for supporting Cover Drive and enjoying the music. We really appreciated everything.
Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. We will respond, we love talking to you guys. Keep it coming. Keep doing it Bajan Style.
Female First - Alistair McGeorge