We’re huge fans of Gorillaz and Damon Albarn - and we’re delighted to say they’re big fans of ours too as we kit out the band and backstage team with our Cosmic Ears range.
For our latest Q&A session, we caught up with the band’s incredible bassist, Seye, to talk working with Damon, what it feels like to play to 80,000 people and why Lenny Kravitz would play him in a biopic (and maybe even provide the soundtrack!).
What was the first album you ever bought with your own money, and did it influence your playing?
I can't remember if I bought it or if it was a gift, but the first album I ever got was Jimmy Eat World's Bleed American. I just remember loving how well the parts were constructed. It was more like orchestrated emo music, and that totally inspired me as a kid.
(Image credit: Blair B Brown @blairbbrown)
You have been holding down the low end for Gorillaz for years now. What is it like working and sharing a stage with Damon Albarn? The man is an endless creative force! How has it shaped your approach to live music?
I am lucky enough to have occupied this role on stage with Gorillaz and with Damon's solo projects, and I can tell you now that I know the secret to a long career in music: collaboration. More than his genius as an artist, I think Damon's superpower is putting great people in a room together and surrounding himself with talent. I endeavour to do the same. A great show is the sum of many great parts. Get each piece of the puzzle right – from band to crew to tour management – and you become unstoppable in your own unique world.
What was your very first gig – where was it, what did you play, and how does that memory compare to the massive arenas you are playing today?
I grew up singing and performing in church, so public performance has always been in my life. I remember the first show with my skate-punk band when I was about 14 in the school hall during some sort of battle of the bands. I was terrified, but I loved it. Honestly, the stages grow and shrink, the pay cheques grow and shrink, the amount of people grows and shrinks, but I have always treated the gigs the same. From my solo acoustic shows to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium: the respect, the attention to detail, the care and not taking it all too seriously is the same. Make a pub a stadium and make a stadium a pub.
How has using Custom Hearing Protection and top-tier in-ears changed the way you perform night after night?
I wouldn't be able to be as confident on stage without such great in-ear monitoring, the hearing protection they provide and the consistent sound. We play in so many different places – so many different-sized stages, indoors and outdoors, day and night, hot and cold. The Cosmics are one of the few things that stay consistent when on the road.
If you had to describe the sound profile of your Cosmics in just three words, what would they be?
Premium, 3D, clarity.
Given that you play in the world's most famous virtual primate-themed band, if you had to be a specific type of monkey or ape, which would you be and why?
Mojo Jojo, because Powerpuff Girls rule – and if you know, you know.
You’re curating your ultimate dream festival. Which three artists (dead or alive) are headlining the main stage?
Prime Beatles, Prince & The Revolution, The Beach Boys.
(Image credit + main story image: Nicholas O'Donnell @nicholasodonnell)
Which band or artist would you most like to write the soundtrack to your biopic, and who would play you in the film?
Even though it doesn't work chronologically, Lenny Kravitz would play me – and he may as well soundtrack the thing too... or maybe Jonny Greenwood.
Keep up to date with all things Seye, including his excellent Performance Peace Podcast series, via this link Seye Adelekan Official Music - Listen to songs on Spotify | Check for Videos on Linktree
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seyemusic/
Performance Peace Podcast host w/ @musicmindsmatter
Ready to Take Your Sound to the Next Level?
Discover the Cosmic Ears C8A or Explore Our Full Range of Custom IEMs to find your pair!
