When it comes to music, it’s like an old friend to most. Whether it’s your bestie or one you only keep up with via Facebook – music will always hold a special place in the lives of most. For Liam of The Winachi Tribe though, he calls this friend “a blessing and a curse at times,” saying, “Either way it’s always been there. It’s never let me down. From an early age, maybe eight or nine I remember being transfixed by it and the overpowering feeling that listening to it was it enough, I had to create it.” Growing up listening to everything from Hendrix to Dylan to Guns N’ Roses – it was clear that this young man would soon grow to be his obsession and that it did.
Today he’s part of a grand band that rocks with funk and soul influences and he notes how that sound came to be, “We listen to a broad range of music. Hip Hop, Reggae, Rock, House etc also Funk & Soul. We sometimes get labelled as a funk band, that couldn’t be further from the truth. We just make funky music, there’s a big difference. We’re just groovy cats. We could peel a Banana and it’d make you bob your head.” Fans can hear that on their latest, “Sense of Danger.” Ironically though, Liam said it wasn’t music that influenced that track, but rather a movie, “I was obsessed with the film Zulu when creating that track. So I was probably mentally on a dusty field in South Africa, wearing a grass skirt, screaming like a madman while running at Michael Caine with a spear and a flip flop.”
Thank goodness for Zulu because that song landed them a deal with a clothing brand. Liam believes this is the right path for them right now, adding, “I think the overall feel of the song fits perfect with the brand. It’s very street and slightly menacing as is the song. But not in a gangster way, in a cool, slightly dangerous way. It feels great to be associated with them. They’ve got our back as we have theirs,” but has noted that if they could have their music attached to another brand, he’d love to work with professional wrestling. Does anyone have The Rock’s number for them?
Being from across the pond in Manchester, The Winachi Tribe have played their fair share of gigs all around there but they’re not done yet. They’ll be in Aberdeen on April 8, Manchester the following night, headlining Camden Proud the 22nd, and playing more festivals come the summer that they’ll be announcing soon. Why head out though? Well Liam was asked to describe their live shows with a handful of words and he chose, “Sweat Gurn Dance Dribble.” Perhaps “gurn” and “dribble” are UK terms? While we wonder about that, note that the band is deep into finishing up their debut that’s slated to drop later this year.
