Mamas Gun was initially formed by Andy ‘AP’ Platts, the lead singer/composer/producer in 2009, however the band evolved slowly but surely over the years settling into the five-piece they are today. This force of a line-up includes bassist Cameron Dawson, keyboardist Dave ‘Eighties’ Oliver, guitarist Terry ‘Spiller’ Lewis and drummer Chris Boot. The act has grown considerable both as a collective of outstanding musicians and in defining their own sound and vibe that has become so succinct with the Mamas Gun heard today on their unique records.
Born in a military hospital in Kowloon, Hong Kong, to a nomadic father who had landed in the Far East as a police recruit in their battles with underground triad organizations, Platts soaked up the musical ether that surrounded him (which included the Beatles, the Doors and ELO from his father, and a Filipino mother who played Spanish-influenced guitar), attending countless schools in the process before winning a place at Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. Subsequently, Platts played on Corinne Bailey Rae’s debut album and then, in 2006, landed his own publishing deal with Zomba Music. This led to collaborations with a song-writing list that included Rod Temperton, John Oates, Jed Leiber (son of Jerry Leiber) and former Gil Scott-Heron collaborator, Brian Jackson, before founding Mamas Gun in ’09.
In addition to their activities with Mamas Gun, the band members continue to work in various other capacities ranging from songwriting to studio sessions and touring work. Since 2011, Platts has enjoyed further chart success in Southeast Asia penning number 1 hits “Shine Your Light” for Korean singer Park Hyo Shin, “Falling” for Korean singer John Park and “Your Step’ for singer Tomohisa Yamashita’s Japanese number 1 album You. More recently, Platts has enjoyed success writing the lead single “Do It All Again” from Dutch soul singer Steffen Morrisson’s EP Just Another Man. Since 2015 he has also been an active member of Young Gun Silver Fox alongside Shawn Lee. Keyboard player David ‘Eighties’ Oliver is the musical director for Lisa Stansfield, working both in the studio and on the road. Terry ‘Spiller’ Lewis, who also plays guitar for Lisa Stansfield on the road, has played for US songwriter / artist Leon Ware, Lewis Taylor, The Impressions, The Valentine Brothers and Jamie Woon.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the band’s new single “Party For One,” a modern soul classic with a deeply funky groove. Supremely mellow and smooth, the song feels vibrantly fresh while maintaining a slinky soul vibe that takes you straight back to the more moody and sensual sounds of the 70s when acts like Curtis Mayfield and Parliament Funkadelic were dominating the landscape. The band’s simple harmonies lend themselves nicely to this lyrical ode to getting together and dancing with strangers, a feeling we are once again finding ourselves restricted from as we deal with yet another pandemic onslaught.
Cameron Dawson from Mamas Gun describes the inspiration behind the song:
“This tune is a slow groover that outlines the necessity for being surrounded by people we don’t know- to feel that incredible unifying experience of a sweaty room of dancing strangers, all connecting through tempos, textures, rhythms and lyrics. It’s a bit of a solemn cry to feel that feeling again, I guess. The song is based around a wah-drenched, two chord jam that’s supposed to echo the feeling of an audience locking in to that groove as a unit.”
LISTEN:
Photo credit: Richard Ecclestone
