Joining the D.O.T. with Rob Harvey

Liz Crosthwaite • Published 9 Nov 2012 06:30 0 Comments

See also:

The Guide speaks to Rob Harvey ex-The Music about his new project with Mike Skinner

STILL mourning the break-up of alt-rockers The Music, or craving a dose of Mike Skinner's whip-sharp wit, as showcased in The Streets?

Well, while The Music frontman Rob Harvey's new project with Skinner, The D.O.T., definitely isn't Mark II of either of their previous bands, it is something rather interesting.

With Skinner taking a backseat vocals-wise, tohandle production duties, and Harvey up front, discarding his rockier signature vocal style for more of a sweet, soulful sound, the result is a debut album, And That, mixing techno-rock and more laid-back, chilled-out club tunes. The collaboration, which began back when The Streets parted ways in 2011, was sparked by a desire by both frontmen to do something a bit different, as Harvey told The Guide.

"We wanted to step out of what we were doing, do something fresh. The plan is to keep gigging and writing songs and just keep getting better.

"It's going to take a long time but we are dedicated to it. I think that's one of the biggest things that people do not understand - it's not a side project."

Their partnership fuelled, apparently, by epic amounts of herbal tea and protein bars, The D.O.T. keep fans in touch with band goings-on with polished, rather cinematic, online video diaries, complete with plot-lines and faux-posh voiceovers.

"I think the idea was just to keep people in touch with what we are doing; a lot of the direction comes from Mike. We like to have a bit of fun with that," explained Harvey.

The pair are coming to Sub89 on Tuesday for an intimate gig in the 600-capacity venue - a far cry from the huge venues both The Music and The Streets played at their peak.

"I do not think people realise exactly what's going on..." added Harvey. "It's pretty different from our previous things, we're playing different instruments and we both sing. It's quite a step out of our comfort zone."