No Rest for the Florist are in Full Bloom
No Rest for the Florist are in Full Bloom
‘You can’t keep a good man down’ is the saying, and how apt it is in this case.
Singer-songwriter and all-around nice guy (double thumbs up) Ste Dunn, AKA Dunno, is one such gadgie who keeps getting up and fighting.
Well-known on the local music scene since what seems like the 1880s, Ste has been in a myriad of bands over the decades, including The Daisy Chain, The Giant Loop of Sound, The Postcard Band, and now No Rest for the Florist.
Having overcome many battles of late, he is back, and to hear those dulcet tones over the phone was brilliant as he is as upbeat and buoyant as ever.
The band No Rest for a Florist is still in its early stages, and they have yet to gig; however, the content and tunes being drip-fed online are top-notch and a bit of a bloody tease, to be fair.
Times have changed, and so has Dunno in how they are formulating the band and their path.
Not in a conceited way —more to do with the tools now available and the decades of experience, a combination that will fare them well.
Ste said,
“The whole thing is great; the concept came from working with my son Eden; he writes the songs and I sing.
It’s fantastic considering I lost my voice last year and couldn’t sing for nine months. I thought I’d never sing again.
We rehearsed at home, and over time it got better and stronger. As for the name, it’s a throwback to The Smiths and the links to the Daisy Chain; it’s a bit of a statement and almost like a character-in-itself. I like the idea of the Florist as a character.
Musically, I would describe it as a real mix of new wave and music hall. Think Two Door Cinema Club combined with modern R&B.
Having Eden on board is brilliant; he’s pulling out chords that I can’t even spell. Andy Cairns is on keys, another proper muso, and Mike Denton, ex-Lucid Dream, is our bass player who now lives in Germany.
Singing has been a challenge as the voice is damaged. It made me think about my voice and how I use it. I feel like I’ve been given another chance.
The beauty of this setup is that I don’t have to play an instrument, which is liberating. It also brings me back to The Giant Loop of Sound and playing with a full band again. Our drummer is Raymo, who lives in Glasgow, so you could say we are an international band. Glasgow is where we have been rehearsing, we get a dozen practices pulled together in one day.”
The next chapter for No Rest for the Florist will see them head to Alderley Edge, where they will be recording their first EP. July will see the first of four tracks released across their socials.
The EP will consist of an eclectic mix of edgy, new wave, laid-back, r&b-laced tunes with a hint of bossa nova thrown in.
No gigs are planned as of yet, which they aren’t in a rush to do by the sounds of it; yes, they will be gigging, but on their terms.
As I mentioned earlier, they are doing things their way.
Ste says,
“There are things in the pipeline, but nothing solid, and that works just fine. We know we will be playing on both sides of the border, and our aim at this stage is to get the package together, then aim for Radio 6 music, music festivals and decent venues that we want to play. All in all, it’s going great; all I have to do is turn up, throw my nonsensical words into the mix, and let Eden crack on with writing, producing, and being the driving force behind the band.
I’ve always wanted to just sing and enjoy myself, and this set-up caters to all my whims. It is brilliant playing with a full band, and everyone is on top of their game; our first rehearsal with the full line-up gave me pure goosebumps.”
Sound good?—Trust me, it is, and I can’t wait for the EP to come along!
In the meantime, head over to No Rest for the Florist and be first to find out what the fuss is all about facebook page
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