Chatto’s Labour of love
Clean Bandit star says politics may be another string to her bow after witnessing her favourite party leader in action
She has worked with some huge names – Jess Glynne, Sean Paul and Zara Larsson. But the performer Clean Bandit’s Grace Chatto most admired at this year’s Glastonbury Festival was no singer, it was Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
“He was the true star of the festival,” she smiles, and admits she would “never say never” to starting her own political career.
“I think in my lifetime the changes in governments have never mattered like they do now. The two main parties are offering totally different politics,” she says.
Chatto, cellist in the charttopping dance band, is happy to use her own celebrity as a tool to get others interested in politics.
She featured at the recent Labour Party conference in Brighton and says she was energised by the General Election.
“I was so lucky to have hundreds of really interesting debates and discussions with young voters,” she explains.
“The conversations I had with like-minded people who I don’t know gave me a lot of hope.
“My social media platform allowed me to do this, otherwise I’d have only chatted to friends.”
Clean Bandit have experienced a whirlwind of success since hitting the top spot with Rather Be, fronted by Jess Glynne in 2014.
Chatto jokes that her life was “made” after childhood heroine Britney Spears posted a video of herself enjoying the group’s hit Rockabye with her kids in a car.
And despite an already illustrious back catalogue of collaborations, she reveals her wish-list of future song partners includes Miley Cyrus, Bruno Mars and Lana Del Rey.
The group’s high profile recently attracted celebrity fan Sir Elton John to record a track with them for their second album. “It was amazing, he had so many ideas flowing out through his fingers onto the piano, at the same time as cracking loads of jokes during the session,” says Chatto.
But she admits the band are perfectionists and in no rush to hurry the follow-up to hit-packed debut album New Eyes.
I Miss You, featuring Julia Michaels, is released next Friday. Clean Bandit begin their UK tour at Wembley Arena on Thursday.
Cover version albums are often an opportunity to take it easy – not so with Norwegian Brun’s ravishing seventh outing. Inspired in the heat of a new relationship, it brings her shivering sensuality to well worn standards. Stately Foreigner classic I Want To Know What Love Is, the trembling awe of The Righteous Brothers’ Unchained Melody and beauties from Dylan and Cave are tackled with guile. No Reason To Cry emerges as a pointed tribute to the late great Tom Petty. Classy.