What are your Full names?
We are
Josh Kerr (@TUI_Josh),
Murray Siddans (@MuzSiddans),
Pete Sercombe (@petersercombe)
What is your band’s Genre?
It’s honestly a challenge to ‘lock-us-in’ to any one genre…but if you took a healthy slice of groove, add some funk flavouring with a dash of pop you’d be pretty close.
Give us a little bio of the band and you guys as individuals.
Murray and Josh went to the same school, and the friendship and music began there. That was 20 years ago…we’ve all been involved in different bands/projects/churches, but The Updraft Imperative is almost like a standalone music ministry with good mates that contribute to it with the music and influences they bring to the table. We’ve all had very different life experiences, but always allow those experiences and influences to play a part in how our music is shaped and formed. It’s almost semi-fluidic in nature-as we change and our situations vary, that builds into The Updraft Imperative’s form and function.
Where did you get the band name from?
There’s a passage found in The Bible, talking of how you shall run and not grow weary, you shall walk and not grow faint, and how you will rise up on wings like and eagle. We all found that to be a really encouraging passage. As a gospel group, we believe our spiritual strength, mental strength and physical strength can be sustained if we put our trust in somebody who is not limited to the same conditions we are. Another passage in The Bible talks about Jesus came to ‘let us have life, and life to the full’. It’s been said to us after gigs that God’s like a big fun policeman in the sky…while we can understand how some could see that, we believe they are only looking at a very small portion of character. Rising on wings like an eagle, and soaring with an updraft under you is letting something or someone else energise and empower you, which is so very needed in today’s busy life…hence The Updraft Imperative
Who does what in the band?
Josh on vocals, Murray on guitars and Pete on drums. Another modern twist (at least for Murray-the elder statesman in the group;)) is tracking on a Mac. This means as a 3 piece band, we can sound like a four piece or ‘more piece’ band.
The song writing process is a group effort. Sometimes a song comes from a simple riff…other times it can be fully “4 tracked” and just needs lyrics. It’s often Josh who’s the wordsmith, leaving Pete & Muz to lock in a good, fat groove to the ‘music’ already in play.
Are You Signed?
No. We are not signed. Do we want to be signed? If that’s the right thing for us and our music we’d certainly look at the options on the table. We think that being signed often means A is now achievable, but you can’t look at B, C or D anymore…that’s a big hypothetical of course.
What instruments do you play?
All the common instruments between us, plus some strings/brass. Murray is currently trying to have a song written featuring an accordion…the other lads are rejecting such notions.
How did the band come about?
As mentioned previously, Josh&Murray have been playing together on & off for over 25 years. 6 years ago both their respective projects folded, which once again had them at loose ends. After an impromptu night of acoustic ‘jamming’ is was clear there were a few more tunes to come from their creative fiddling. After another year, a 10 track EP was released. Pete came on board as a good friend of Josh’s, and the rest is modern history.
Who are your influences?
The influences are so varied and mixed it’s almost like saying put a radio on auto tune, listen to the first 100 songs that auto stops and plays, and probably 75% of those are influences. If it helps we are often compared to the likes of Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Matchbox 20, early Maroon 5 etc. So that can give somewhat of a minimal answer to a massive question.
How did music come in to your lives and when did you start doing it?
Pete has always been into music in some form, and was with a band shortly before joining The Updraft Imperative…he did find the other group a challenge to play with as their world view and take on music differed from his own.
Josh is the ballads man, probably being influenced by nice gospel songs&hymns heard in services. He then inherited his dad’s old guitar…with a few lessons under his belt around year 6&7 he never looked back.
Murray has the eccentric eclectic taste in music, and can happily swing from listening to Paganini to Pantera in a heartbeat. 60’s&70’s folk/rock flooded his house earlier on.
All those influences often play out in our finished tunes.
When will you be releasing material?
Within the next 2-3 months!!!!!
How do you get inspiration to write songs?
Personal experiences always.
Where do you see the band in 2-5 years time?
Still doing what we’re doing now…just with taller kids I guess.
Where would your dream place be to perform
Would love to tour oversees in the future
If you could do a collaboration with anyone who would it be?
Newsboys would be awesome!!
If you weren’t doing music what would you be doing?
Josh is a manager at a staircase company, Pete’s into IT at a school, and Murray manages a mechanical workshop. So that’s WHAT we do when we’re not in band mode.
Do you have any Social Media Websites for fans to follow you?
