Rakes take a break

London band promise major changes when they return with next album

03 September 2009 - The Rakes have announced plans to take a lengthy break after their forthcoming UK tour.

The London quartet told 6 Music they are set to overhaul their writing style for the follow-up to their recent album Klang.

"I think now is the time for us to take a break and think about what we want to do next," said singer Alan Donohoe.

"(Guitarist) Matthew (Swinnerton) and I are going to start a different style of writing.  It won't be how The Rakes have always written music which usually involves coming in with a couple of ideas and bashing it out in a rehearsal room in east London.

"We will try and make something which for us, is a little bit out there."

The Rakes frontman admitted that he has been inspired by Danger Mouse's The Grey Album, which was famously blocked by EMI in 2004.

The record, which was never officially released, remixed The Beatles' White Album and Jay-Z's Black Album.

"I think we need to come back with something that is completely novel and refreshing for ourselves."
Alan Donohoe, The Rakes

"I'm not a massive hip hop fan and we're not going to make a hip hop record but I started studying that album and breaking it down into what, for me, makes it a very dynamic and novel sounding LP," Donohoe explained.

He continued: "One thing that we're going to try, is get Matthew involved in writing a bunch of short pieces of music that I'll use as a library of samples that will go into the songs.

"I think we need to come back with something that is completely novel and refreshing for ourselves."

The Rakes have lined up four dates in the UK in October in Leeds, London, Bristol and Brimingham.

Damian Jones