Keeping it in the family
LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY: TUNDE BAIYEWU AND PAUL TUCKER COME TO SA
Blue Sky in Your Head, a long-awaited ‘banger’.
There are already a few massive announcements about international artists making their way to SA next year. DJ Snake will be one of the headliners at music festival Ultra SA and Kiss is set to leave the TicketPro Dome ablaze when they bring their End of the Road tour to the Johannesburg arena next year.
But if you know your ‘90s anthemic pop and rhythm and blues, British duo the Lighthouse Family’s first tour to SA is quite an event.
This year Paul Tucker and Tunde Baiyewu regrouped to release their latest album Blue Sky in Your Head and embark on a world tour that shows the way their melodies have been internalised in a loyal following.
Even bringing up the Lighthouse Family in conversation is often met with reciting, “Don’t know why you’re so blue, Sun’s gonna shine on everything you do, And the sky is so blue, Sun’s gonna shine on everything you do”.
That sort of easy-listening has meant heaps of success – even Ladysmith Black Mambazo has covered the Lighthouse Family. Its a magical thing, where their tracks are instantly recognisable and beloved.
Ahead of their visit to Johannesburg and Cape Town next year, we had a chat with keyboardist Tucker.
How encouraging is it to know you have been able to keep a pre y loyal fanbase?
I was talking to someone recently and it’s almost like a kind of family – actually it’s a lovely community.
In the past you couldn’t see it, but in the time we’ve been away our music was still out there.
Now it almost feels like we were never away.
Will the new tour feature predominately music from Blue Sky in Your Head?
We’re definitely playing the songs from the album, but it’s everything, too.
The music industry has changed, from releasing music through streaming, maintaining social media – did this factor into making new music?
When we started to talk about it in 2007, we just wanted to make some uplifting music – my kids call them bangers. We wanted to make big anthemic tunes to put a little sunshine in your brain. We fundamentally didn’t change that.
The industry has changed – there’s a lot of data attached to what you do. But because we knew what we wanted to do it was easier.
I can say I’m glad we’re not starting now.
What kind of music are you listening to?
I’m listening to a lot of piano music and Maribou State. I still get a buzz from something new.
What has the process been like this time around?
We knew what we wanted to do, and now I’m glad we’re doing it again, even if I’m not 25 anymore.