Morcheeba: Dive To Rise

“I don’t think I ever envisaged getting this far really” Paul Ross declares when asked what he’s achieved with Morcheeba’s most recent album 'Dive Deep'. There might be a little modesty involved here. Founded by brothers Paul and Ross Godfrey, Morcheeba have established themselves as pioneers of music and leaders in the UK chill out scene over a career spanning 6 albums and thirteen years.

Yet looking at the band’s career Paul also makes a good point. Fame has not without it’s problems, with Morcheeba’s career being, Paul describes, “challenging” in recent years. The band has very much been the victims of their own success. The constant pressure of touring and recording took their toll on the band, causing a rift between band members that would see original singer Skye Edwards leave the group in 2004. The cold reception tour of 2005’s 'The Antidote', both in the press and on tour, only made matters worse. “It was a lot more awkward” Paul explains than their previous tours, “people were expecting the more kinda mellow thing”. Though joined by a new singer for 'The Antidote', confidence was finally shattered on her departure, as Paul states “it got quite dark for a while”.

Thus with the chart and live success of 'Dive Deep' it’s no wonder then that Paul describes the success of the record as the ‘bounce back’. With a moodier edge than recent records and an innovative blend of styles evident on the releases ‘Enjoy The Ride’ and most recent single ‘Gained the World’, Dive Deep is a return to “doing what we do very naturally”.

To get to such good times, the band has gone through some changes – not least in proximity with Ross’ move from the UK to Los Angeles. Despite his brother being the other side of the Atlantic, Paul insists things have never been better for the group. “I think absence made our hearts grow fonder and we started really getting along well again”. LA of course would seem the natural environment a chill out record. But it has been the contrast between the brothers’ locations that has shaped Dive Deep. “America [is] almost too positive, where if you look at the UK it’s almost too negative”. In creating a balance between these two lifestyles has resulted in a “more realistic” record Paul believes.

Another major change saw the band using a variety of singers rather than just one. Recruiting artists online and through recommendation, the range of vocalists on the album includes a Norwegian singer Thomas Dybdahl, rapper Cool Calm Pete, British pop aficionado Judie Tzuke and Manda, who is now acts as the band’s main live singer. With so many different artists, you’d have expected that it would have been difficult for the perfectionist Godfrey brothers to get what they wanted. Yet Paul believes that working with so many people was actually of benefit to outcome of Dive Deep. "Everybody just kinda stepped up and did their best and across the board we got a really good standard from everybody… I actually preferred it."