Coco and the Butterfields

Cambridge News | cambridge-news.co.uk | April 24, 2014 | 27 Music Coco and the Butterfields LOADS MORE ONLINE at cambridge-news.co.uk/whatson Y OU may not yet have come across Coco and the Butterfields, but then, they are only just embarking on their first UK tour. Made up of five former buskers from Canterbury – Tom Twyman, Dulcima Showan, Jamie Smith, Micah Hyson and Rob Wicks – the band make merry, hippyish folk-pop and are pretty much designed for festival season. Travelling around in a crazy colourful van and investing in lots of feathery headdresses on stage, ELLA WALKER found out a bit more about them from frontman Tom, ahead of their Cambridge Junction gig. So Tom, what’s your sound like? We like to think it’s quite a unique sound. Unlike what people would ever have heard before, but it’s a combination of what you might class as stereotypical folk, or country, but we’ve also got bits of blues grass and hip-hop elements. Overall I think it makes quite a pop-y sound really. But it’s definitely a very happy sound. With the five of you starting out as individual buskers, has that meant a lot of big personalities vying to control the direction of the music? I think that [big personalities] was key to the band taking off as well as it has. Because everybody is so different in the band, it’s really helped make it extremely diverse. You’ve basically created your own genre: Fip Fok. How does that feel? People started saying that word ‘Fip Fok’ as a joke because they combined the words folk, pop and hip hop. It was never a planned thing. But it suits you? Yeah, it was basically a case of busking with a guitar, adding a violin and then a beatboxer over the top which makes it really quite interesting, obviously there’s a banjo and a double bass and then on bigger shows we have brass as well, a trumpet and trombone, but it sort of just happened. It just sounds quite fun. What are your influences? As a band we try and stay as original as we can, we try not to get influenced by anyone other than each other. We don’t want our band to sound like anyone else. Who would you like to collaborate with then – if you could pick anyone? Jason Mraz, a lot of us are a big fan of him, we’d love to collaborate with him one day. It’d be quite cool to get Eminem to rap on a track – that’s the dream collaboration. What do you want people to take from your music? When they come and see us live, obviously you want them to have a very, very good time. But with regards to the music, whether you would class yourself as someone you enjoys hip hop or someone who enjoys grunge music or rock music or folk, come away feeling that you don’t have to necessarily put yourself into any specific category. Do you ever still get the urge to return to your roots and go busking? We try and do it whenever we can. Obviously we don’t get nearly as much time as before, but busking for us is where it all started and it’s the rawest form of performing. It’s fantastic because you can attract so much attention and it’s a really good feeling when somebody stops and you know they’ve taken the time out of what they were doing to listen to you. It’s really, really good fun busking. Can’t make it to see them at the Junction? They’re playing Cambridge Folk Festival this summer too. ᔡ Coco and the Butterfields, Cambridge Junction, Monday, April 28 at 8pm. Tickets £10 from (01223) 511511 / junction.co.uk. we’d love to collaborate m one day . It’d be ol to get Eminem n a track – that’s the collaboration. o you want people from your music? hey come us live, ly you em you can attrac and it’s a rea somebody they’ ve ta what the you. It’ s buskin C at t playin this s

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Transcript of Coco and the Butterfields

Cambridge News | cambridge-news.co.uk | April 24, 2014 | 27

Music

Coco andthe Butterfields

LOADS MORE ONLINE at cambridge-news.co.uk/whatson

YOU may not yet have come acrossCoco and the Butterfields, but then,they are only just embarking on

their first UK tour.Made up of five former buskers from

Canterbury – Tom Twyman, DulcimaShowan, Jamie Smith, Micah Hysonand Rob Wicks – the band make merry,hippyish folk-pop and are pretty muchdesigned for festival season.

Travelling around in a crazy colourfulvan and investing in lots of featheryheaddresses on stage, ELLA WALKERfound out a bit more about them fromfrontman Tom, ahead of their CambridgeJunction gig.

So Tom, what’s your sound like?We like to think it’s quite a unique sound.Unlike what people would ever haveheard before, but it’s a combination ofwhat you might class as stereotypicalfolk, or country, but we’ve also got bitsof blues grass and hip-hop elements.Overall I think it makes quite a pop-ysound really. But it’s definitely a veryhappy sound.

With the five of you starting out asindividual buskers, has that meant a lotof big personalities vying to control thedirection of the music?I think that [big personalities] was keyto the band taking off as well as it has.Because everybody is so different in theband, it’s really helped make it extremelydiverse.

You’ve basically created your own genre:Fip Fok. How does that feel?People started saying that word ‘Fip Fok’as a joke because they combined thewords folk, pop and hip hop. It was nevera planned thing.

But it suits you?Yeah, it was basically a case of buskingwith a guitar, adding a violin and then abeatboxer over the top which makes it

really quite interesting, obviously there’sa banjo and a double bass and then onbigger shows we have brass as well, atrumpet and trombone, but it sort of justhappened. It just sounds quite fun.

What are your influences?As a band we try and stay as original aswe can, we try not to get influenced byanyone other than each other. We don’twant our band to sound like anyone else.

Who would you like to collaborate withthen – if you could pick anyone?Jason Mraz, a lot of us are a big fanof him, we’d love to collaboratewith him one day. It’d bequite cool to get Eminemto rap on a track – that’s thedream collaboration.

What do you want peopleto take from your music?When they comeand see us live,obviously youwant them

to have a very, very good time. But withregards to the music, whether you wouldclass yourself as someone you enjoyship hop or someone who enjoys grungemusic or rock music or folk, come awayfeeling that you don’t have to necessarilyput yourself into any specific category.

Do you ever still get the urge to returnto your roots and go busking?We try and do it whenever we can.Obviously we don’t get nearly as muchtime as before, but busking for us iswhere it all started and it’s the rawestform of performing. It’s fantastic because

you can attract so much attentionand it’s a really good feeling whensomebody stops and you know

they’ve taken the time out ofwhat they were doing to listen to

you. It’s really, really good funbusking.

Can’t make it to see themat the Junction? They’re

playing Cambridge Folk Festivalthis summer too.

� Coco and the Butterfields, CambridgeJunction, Monday, April 28 at 8pm. Tickets£10 from (01223) 511511 / junction.co.uk.

gwe’d love to collaborate

m one day. It’d beol to get Eminemn a track – that’s the

collaboration.

o you want peoplefrom your music?hey comeus live,ly youem

pyou can attrac

and it’s a reasomebody