Well good afternoon to you, Tyrone. Let’s kick this thing off. Have people ever confused you with Rufus, the funk band that launched Chaka Khan?
We’ve had some pretty funny messages over Facebook from people thinking we’re the funk-infused Rufus but haven’t had anyone come to a live show expecting Chaka Khan…yet! But one thing people are usually more confused by is that RÜFÜS isn’t just one guy or a DJ, it’s three of us playing live – James on drums, Jon on synths, sample pads and me on vocals and guitar.
Does touring agree with you, or do you tend to get on each others’ nerves after Day 1?
We’re all best mates, so it’s not too tricky. Like any relationship, it’s good to give yourself space or time out, but we know each other so well that it never goes beyond a little outburst or something. Touring for us is more of a free holiday that you’re getting paid for. Even though you work hard and don’t sleep much and there are times when you feel like there’s no way you can keep going, you just remind yourself that you’re getting to see places around the world you might never have thought to visit, you meet incredible people, see some amazing acts, experience new cultures all while you’re doing the thing you love, music. I think that’s a really valuable opportunity so we try enjoying and basking in it as much as we can.
Do you have a plan worked out for the Zombie Apocalypse, or are you playing it by ear?
Well, we wrote our debut album in an emptied out water tank, so I can’t see why we couldn’t set ourselves up in a hollowed out bunker somewhere in the Nordics. Live off baked beans and sitcoms. And hopefully come out with an album by the time the zombies die out.
RÜFÜS’s tour runs from May 9 to June 21.
