ROACHFORD
THE MEANING OF SOUL
Andrew Roachford’s mum has reason to buy a new hat. The day after CP is due to speak to him, the London soulster is off to Buckingham Palace to pick up an MBE for contributions to music. Has he chosen his suit?
“It’s like one day before, I’m not crazy enough to leave it that late!” For a split second he sounds mildly offended, but nothing could dampen his buoyant outlook.
“It’s very surreal!” he laughs. “My mum is over the moon and back again. When I first heard about it, I was completely in shock. I didn’t think I’d get emotional but I did. I was chuffed to bits. I make music because I love music – it’s the air that I breathe. I don’t do it for that kind of acclaim, but every now and then it’s nice to be acknowledged... I’m not going to lie, that’s how it is!”
It’s an opportunity to have a little nose around the palace…
“Exactly, which is probably the most surreal part. If I’d have said to my mum as a kid, ‘I’m going to take you to Buckingham Palace to receive a medal and an award’, she would’ve thought I was completely bonkers!”
The occasion denotes a high-water mark in a renaissance that Roachford has been enjoying over the last decade as lead vocalist in a revamped Mike + The Mechanics. But what’s particularly impressive is the diversity of his 35-year career and refusal to be pigeonholed. He’s done it all from jamming with Joe Strummer to playing stadia.
Andrew Roachford’s
12th studio album Twice In A Lifetime features members of the late
Amy Winehouse’s band
“IF I’D HAVE SAID TO MY MUM AS A KID, ‘I’M GOING TO TAKE YOU TO BUCKINGHAM PALACE TO RECEIVE A MEDAL AND AN AWARD’, SHE WOULD’VE THOUGHT I WAS COMPLETELY BONKERS!”
ROACHFORD
MUM’S THE WORD
In conversation, Roachford is extremely humble and down to earth. Evidently, his mum is a big presence in his life – there to revel in each key milestone. Even at 55, he’s lost none of that childlike joy in making his ma proud, like the kid who just bagged the best role in the school Nativity.