You might have noticed the name Groove Armada around a bit lately. It could be due to their “Paper Romance“ single that has been on heavy rotation globally or maybe the massive new album released today. Either way, we thought we needed to corner these lads and get the goods for you. Thankfully, Andy Cato recently took time out of his busy schedule touring the sunny climes of Australia with the Big Day Out Festival to chat with us about where Groove Armada has been, where they’re headed in full force, as well as coffee, cigarettes, and lazers. Let the games begin.
URB: Thanks for chatting with URB while on tour down in Australia, Andy. You are over halfway through the tour, how have they been treating you down under?
ANDY CATO: It’s always special for us over here. We’re playing to 30,000 people a day. The new songs, the show and Saint Saviour on the vocals is feeling pretty electric.
URB: Do you guys have a city in Oz that really does it for you? The Big Day Out Tour does afford you the luxury of hitting all the best spots in Australia.
AC: The Gold Coast crew are the ravers, Sydney does things on a large scale and works the after parties well, and Melbourne’s got a San Fran vibe.
URB: Are there plans to tour in support of the new album, Black Light, on a larger, more global scale?
AC: Yes. We’re touring Europe, Japan, and the coasts of the US over the next few months.
URB: That is good to hear. Black Light has such a distinct new sound for you both. The evolution of Groove Armada seems to grow continually with each release but how do you, as creators, view the progression that has led you to release Black Light? I, maybe strangely, see all of your albums running through the house like kids, some are wilder than others but all belong in the same family.
AC: Glad you can see a connecting thread – it’s not always easy to find. For us, the Black Light sound was a result of lots of things coming together. There was a sense of freedom after some difficult years working with a major label. There was the increasing importance of the GA live show as the basis of what we do, and a need to get the drums, guitars and rock ‘n roll from the stage into the studio. And there was a moment when we sat down to make the record when Bowie, Gary Numan and Roxy Music was all we wanted to hear.
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