With five minds working in perfect tandem, London-based future soul act Brother Zulu are making music that's a cutting-edge interpretation of classic soul and R&B. That dichotomy provides them a sound that's both refreshingly contemporary and nostalgic in all the right ways simultaneously, and their emphatic return Honey is just as sweet the namesake suggests.
The silky vocal harmonies and smooth-as-anything production take you on a journey up to the clouds, truly whetting our appetite for what's next from this inspired act.
We caught up with Max, Noah, Youssef, Ale, and Lawrence to each share a motivational track that set them on this musical journey.
Max: Your Song by Elton John
This is the first song I sang in front of my mum, in very dramatic fashion as we were walking back from a school parents evening. She was the first person to tell me that I had a talent, and I believed her! That was a life-changing moment for me! Cheers Mum, and Elton.
Noah: Jonz In My Bonz by D'Angelo
The version from the 2000 Live at Montreux gig, I was17 years old, fresh out of school, just starting to dig into things. This blew my mind! Questlove and Pino do this thing- they breakdown the entire grove one note at a time until everyone on stage is grinding on the ground. The swag, face paint, the backing singer with handcuffs on, Q's bug-eyed glasses. They channel some serious James Brown vibes out of it, the crowd goes mad. This is the first time I realised what I really wanted to be doing in life. It's on YouTube still, like 29 minutes in. I still watch it, check it out!
Youssef: The Hardest Button to Button by The White Stripes
That song taught me the impact of a few well placed notes and really made it clear to me that drumming is all about feel and pacing. That was the first time I really heard the drums as part of the composition and not an auxiliary.
Alex: Curable Disease by Blake Mills
Some songs are like friends and this one has been a close one.
Lawrence: The World it Softly Lulls by Hiatus Kaiyote
Beautifully defined a fixed point in time and space that I'll always look upon fondly.