For Somerset trio Dream Robbery, honesty is inseparable from the music they make. Although officially forming in 2022, the band have spent more than a decade developing their chemistry, bringing together the expansive psychedelia of Spiritualized and The Verve with the grit and immediacy of 90s alternative rock.
Their latest single ‘The Game’ might be their most personal statement yet. Written in just five minutes during a solitary evening with a glass of whiskey, an acoustic guitar and Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space playing nearby, the song reflects on freedom, memory, loss and the permanence of love against the fleeting nature of life. Experiences from frontman James Coleman's work as a frontline 999 ambulance worker also feed into its emotional weight.
So with the new single out now, we sat down with them to find out more about their origins and what has been inspiring them most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
The guitar! Originally, I started playing the violin at the age of four, but quickly changed once I realised I could have guitar lessons. I spent a few years learning the basics with a classical guitar teacher, but eventually lost interest in that side of guitar playing. My mum then said she knew someone called Mike who was willing to show me some new guitar riffs. He came over and played “Heartbeat” by Buddy Holly. At the time, I was obsessed with Heartbeat, the TV show, mainly because of the amazing music featured throughout each episode. Once I saw what was possible on the guitar, I became completely obsessed with it and everything to do with it. Some would say I’d fallen in love with the guitar and all of its endless musical possibilities.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Growing up, my favourite kind of music was 1960s rock, blues and psychedelia. For me, that era had everything: amazing sounds, incredible ideas and so much character. I loved artists such as Hank Marvin and Margo Guryan, as well as, of course, musicians like Eric Clapton, who helped steer me towards blues music. The 1960s are still a huge favourite of mine today, and a lot of that music was first introduced to me by my Gran and Mike, my guitar teacher.
What was the first album you remember owning?
When I was around 11 or 12, my dad gave me two CDs: Nevermind by Nirvana and Appetite for Destruction by Guns N’ Roses. Naturally, I played them both on repeat for months.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
“Don’t Want to Know” by John Martyn. For me, that is the perfect track in every single way. Just have a listen, and you’ll see what I mean.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
Internally, I can sense when something is wanting to be written. Recognising those moments and making good use of your own internal expression machine to write a song is normally when the so-called “pure musical moment” occurs. It’s something I’d suggest all songwriters try to recognise and embrace. I think it’s also very important to value atmosphere. I enjoy sitting at my captain’s desk with the library lamp on in the darkness, feeling like a 1960s detective or author about to solve a big crime or pen a masterpiece, with a whisky in hand. Intensive listening sessions are also high on our list when it comes to developing new songs. Spending hours with a good selection of vinyl records certainly brings ideas out of us. With the whole band, we tend to jam around an idea and build on it. We love improvising and can go for hours, floating through all sorts of sounds until we stumble across something that has all of us glancing at each other and nodding our heads.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Glen Hansard, both as a solo artist and with his band The Frames, has been my favourite and at the top of my listening list for some time now. It was so sad to hear of his passing; having seen him live only a few months prior, it just didn’t feel real. Queens of the Stone Age! What’s not to love about their music? It has that wonderful ability to get inside your head and take you on the biggest musical journey imaginable. The Flat Duo Jets are definitely another band I’d recommend. Hearing that amount of sound, energy and raw force coming from just two people is mind-blowing, and it’s something we try to integrate into our own live shows.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Queens of the Stone Age. Having the chance not only to share the stage with one of the greatest bands of all time, but to support them and then watch them play afterwards, would be an absolute dream come true.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Once you’ve put out a song, single or album, hearing all the hard work, time and emotion come together in that moment is one of the best feelings possible. You spend so long living with the music, shaping it, questioning it and trying to get every detail right, so finally being able to let it go and share it with other people is incredibly rewarding. There’s a real sense of pride in knowing that something which once only existed as an idea in your head has become a finished piece of music that can now have a life of its own.
And what is the most frustrating part?
The hardest days are the ones when, no matter what you do, you just can’t get into the flow of things. Sometimes you have to accept it, put the instrument down and walk away for a while. I know every musician goes through it from time to time, but it would be nice if there were some way of stopping those days from happening altogether.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
When I first started playing live, I was told, “Most people don’t know the songs, so who cares if you make a mistake? It’s a live performance, you’re human, so enjoy it and embrace it.” That has stuck with me ever since and has pretty much taken away my fear of getting overly nervous or overthinking things on stage. Because of that, walking out in front of a crowd has become one of the most enjoyable feelings in life.
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Dream Robbery's new single 'The Game' is out now. Check it out in the player below.