As long as it’s honest
I discovered Medicine Boy’s truth in a coffee shop during the peak hour of ‘after work shutdowns’ to breathe the day off. Confronted by the barista’s grounding of coffee beans and surrounded by the end of day chatter, I discovered the duo’s pace resonated with my own. Just like their forthcoming debut album Kinda Like Electricity, our conversation was stripped down, weighty and concentrated on things that really mattered.
I cannot value the renditions of those who cheat the notion of mindfulness and use it as a game to equate their own worth with others. However this is not the case with Medicine Boy- the most integral part of their process is to be, enjoy and create in honesty, and from this side of the spectrum, they come across as the best versions of themselves allowing, their identities to accommodate each ambiguous and crucial emotive narrative within their musicality. Their natural kinship, drive and desire is so strong, that as long as it comes from an honest place – they can move forward day by day. This belief is in line with their first LP, which is only days away from being debuted.
Andre and Lucy never set out to make an album. They met an individual on tour in the UK last year who took a particular interest in the band, even after a gig they felt didn’t go too well. What sounds like a perfect moment of kismet, the individual invested in their ongoing journey by placing money in their accounts to do with it what they wished. Continuing their story with this gift, the plan to record was ahead of them.
According to the duo, they’re at a stage where they’re not too old, but not that young either. The pace of the album is a natural reflection of where they are in their lives currently. With a partnership that grows from strength to strength, they move forward day by day and are reminded to keep taking stock, because priorities change, and the things that matter are the kinds of relationships you have with others and yourself.
Kinda Like Electricity has a softer, more melodic stance in its storytelling compared to their earlier tracks – it reflects a very authentic momentum. The uncomplicated and sincere approach opens up a space to make songs that people can relate to. With arrangements and beats inclusive of drummer Werner Von Waltsleben, the chemistry and substance of the tracks feel organic, genuine and temporal. The LP is autobiographical and has a universal feeling- it’s the first time in a fragmented series of timeline moments that I can sit with each one of the 10 tracks and feel every formation, empty space and syllable pulsating.
The theme throughout the majority of their work is ‘to reveal’, and their music has leveled to new heights because they don’t feel the need to conceal. I think you reveal yourself by doing. I also think you reveal yourself in accordance with how you see yourself. Medicine Boy are always in a continuum of revealing themselves as they are constantly putting in the work. They realised some time ago they wanted to be musicians and that’s what they do. They are constantly learning, about their music, their prelude to the industry and how to support their dream. For Andre, stubbornness, a thick skin and a non existent ego are key traits to hold in making music into a career. Lucy is guided by the zealous nature of over believing in their music and letting certainty lead the way. This is not to say a curve ball won’t ripple the fortress. It will – and it should, because without that, they are above us, but in reality, they are by our side.
Lucy and Andre are working on several strains of music together, however their mood and transition is immediate as the projects are not worlds apart. They all have a natural kinetic energy and can shapeshift depending on where they’re at and what they’re into. Lucy Kruger’s solo material could accommodate Lucy Kruger and the Lost Boys, or even add to the narrative of Medicine Boy. Each track could easily shift into another project. For example; Blue Roses started as a Lucy Kruger song, but found its stature better suited to Medicine Boy. The fluidity and chemistry in all their work is dependent on the day, moment, time and mood.
Their beginnings have grown and so has their pace. There is a slower more cognitive understanding of their current pace of life, which is why their upcoming tour will be a reminder that even though they are serious people and take their music seriously, they often need to just chill out and take it as it comes. Renting a car, driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road and discovering Europe on their own set of wheels and out of their comfort zone will be a sure way to switch up their routine.
Kinda Like Electricity will be unveiling their long-awaited debut LP in the beautiful, intimate setting of The Magnet Theatre on 13 August 2016. And if you’re as smitten as I, there’ll be vinyls and CD’s on sale – so you can cosy up to an evening by the log fire with a velvety glass of red in your hand to sonically repeat the entire experience again. It’s yours to devour and take in.
