Progressive, soulful pop at its best is what Mike Rutherford and his Mechanics present at their latest studio work "Let Me Fly". The Genesis-bassist/guitarist Rutherford (66) and singer Andrew Roachford (52) are also in a splendid mood when they talk about the current work.
eclipsed: Mechanics has been around for 32 years. The eighth album has just been released. How has this project initiated by you changed over the decades?
Mike Rutherford: A lot has changed, especially since the group has always lived from its own dynamics. That's how I conceived it, and that's how the band name is to be understood: Mike's the nucleus of the whole thing, he's holding the place together. But without his mechanics, he's nothing. And as is usual in a workshop, he always recruits new employees to keep the shop running. In addition, professionalization continues in a positive sense. While our debut more or less consisted of demos, which we tried to put into a halfway bearable sound garment for the listener, we now go into the studio with very concrete ideas, which then have to be implemented.
eclipsed: There have been some singing mechanics. After Paul Carrack and Paul Young, Andrew Roachford and Tim Howar have been with us since 2010. How much influence do they have on the music?
Rutherford: I merely concoct the basic melodies in the quiet chamber. I then introduce them to my comrades-in-arms, after which the finishing touches are done. At the moment we are six people who are involved in the events, of course there is a lot of debate. I consciously surround myself with people who have a lot to offer creatively, so that ultimately an exciting result will see the light of day. One in which many talented people have participated.
