Cherry Mosaic is a five piece band with a classical layout of a lead vocalist, two guitarists, a bassist and a drummer. To introduce, we have Debbie Moody, the lead and sharp vocalist, also the songwriter in the group. Next up is Simon Dowson on guitar and backing vocals, an accomplished guitarist with an authentic pop vocal, he’s also the group’s musical arranger. On lead guitar is the electrifying Dave Burbage, on bass is Carl Slaughter, and the man with the kick is Mark English.
The band members are music veterans who have had plentiful experience inside of the music industry, and now Cherry Mosaic is having a significant rebirth. Their songs are an eclectic mix of power pop, new wave, and funk. Their songs consist of emotive lyrics about heartache, that are merged with a melancholic yet euphoric up beat rhythm and jangly guitar focused sound. Therefore they have developed a musical expression that resembles the tender guitar lines of The Byrds in songs such as “Turn! Turn! Turn!” and the exquisite emotional intelligence of Prince in his classic song “Little Red Corvette”.
The band has always been based in London and East Yorkshire, and it began life in the mid 80’s, going by the name of Private Joy, named after an early Prince track. The band produced some staggering music, but then sadly the group went their separate ways, endeavouring different directions in the music industry as individuals. Some 27 years later, the band reunited with original members, Debbie, Simon and Mark, with their new additional member Dave Burbage. They have set about reworking old classics, and producing some fabulous brand new material too.
“Destinies”:
The first song to showcase is one called “Destinies”. It is a powerful pop tune with a ballad tempo. It captures key strengths of the vocalists’ singing abilities, being able to transcend a sad tune into a happy feeling based on the mighty joy you sense the singer gives to the song, harmoniously complimented by the sullen yet glam guitar parts. This is one of their most chilled out tunes, which gives you that romantic image, of lonely walking in your denim jeans where the streets are bleak. It’s pure darkness and light.
However, their song titled “Breakdown” is more of a traditional pop/rock song. The song is carried heavily by a finger picking guitar riff that rides along with the melody line until the chorus breaks. It’s one to dance to and sing along with, embodying all the brilliance of classic pop music, it is very catchy and you can dance to the lyrics as well as the music. This song is a perfect example of the bands skilful capacity to write hits.
“Breakdown”:
Cherry Mosaic’s second coming has seen them becoming hotter and hotter. The band has since entered the legendary Fairway Studio to record their ten track demo titled Twisted Hearts, with renowned producer John Spence, who is remixing and re-mastering the band’s awesome recordings. The band hit the London circuit for the first time since reuniting at The Tower Tavern last February, and also played at East Yorkshire’s well established music festival the Springboard Festival at the beginning of last summer.
This group of well-oiled rockers have been working their backs against the sun with relentless drive. Their work ethic has earned its dues and seen them put pen to paper, with American indie label Exquisite Noise Records. The next step is for a single release from their album Twisted Hearts, followed by the album’s release itself. The band is on top of its game with material already in line for more future albums. That also means plenty of opportunities to catch this outstanding band live, as they will be gigging up and down the country, and possible finding success in America as well. It’s thankfully looking like this band is going to be around for a while, and what a pleasure it is to have such an eclectic band bringing quality music to your ears. All that’s left to say is good luck, not that they need it, but they definitely deserve it.
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Words by Michael Barrett // Edited by Ayo Adepoju
