Rejoin The Cult

When The Music gets Living Colour's Corey Glover on the line, the singer is doing laundry while wrapping up their tour commemorating the 25th anniversary of platinum-selling debut LP Vivid. He's reflecting how in some respects zilch has changed regarding the eclectic, socio-politically conscious hard rock/funk metal outfit's modus operandi.

“It was very important that people got a chance to hear us, which is what we were all really looking for,” Glover muses. “What I find interesting is that it's the same now. It's not the same apparatus, but the idea of people actually hearing music is much more important to me than the idea of it being something big.”

Therefore, as the band seeks to complete their first full-length since 2009, flow-on effects of the digital age actually help rather than hinder them. “I think that's how to get to the music, and cut away the bullshit of the hype of a band,” Glover explains. “That you can get it as it's happening. In the same way that your friends might have hipped you to a band that you went to school with, now it can be done via the internet, and be that much more immediate in terms of how you get the music. You don't have to wait to go to a record store anymore; you can just turn on your phone.”

Also assisting Living Colour reach fresh audiences has been signature anthem Cult Of Personality (from Vivid) experiencing somewhat of a renaissance recently, thanks largely to its inclusion in video games, as well as being utilised as the theme music for World Wrestling Entertainment superstar CM Punk. They performed the track for a reported 80,000 fans at the company's flagship event, WrestleMania 29, in 2013.

“I don't think the song is ever not going to be relevant in any social strata,” he explains. “There's always going to be somebody who is famous for being famous, throughout human history… Whether it's for something they said, or something they did, there will always be famous people and there will always be people who will follow them because of that. [CM Punk] heard that song when he was ten or 12 years old and has always loved it. It fits into his narrative, that I'm important because I say I'm important. 'I'm the greatest wrestler of all time, because I say I am'. To have a positive mental attitude is just as important as my skills as a wrestler. That's basically what the song is saying.”

However, those planning to investigate their Soundwave set solely to hear said biggest hit before bailing may be pleasantly surprised. “If you know anything about this band you know that Cult Of Personality is not the be all and end all of Living Colour. Once you're there, it's an experience to be had all the way through.”