DIMC (Drive In Music Club)

I (Bukky) arrived in Ireland aged 9 originally from Lagos, Nigeria. I grew up in Termonfeckin, not a place usually associated with soul music! I have sung in church for as long as I can remember and grew up listening to a diverse mix of music from Lagbaja to sister Rosetta Tharpe. I met the rest of the guys, who were playing around Dublin at the time and we hit it off as we shared a love of vintage soul and also some African influences and DIMC was formed.

As well as having a mutual love of soul music we are all into cars in a big way, especially our bass player Ivan. The name came from a crazy fantasy about being able to drive into your favorite outdoor gigs and watch them from your car similar to that of a drive-in theater.

We definitely consider the 60’s and 70’s to be the golden age of popular music especially when it comes to soul and funk. I would describe our sound as a blend of soul, retro pop and modern R&B. Production wise, we tried to make our first album sound like some of our favorite records from the past, but we ended up adding some modern elements and techniques such as sequencing and the use of synths. Perhaps above all, it’s the emphasis on groove that carries the record along.

The list of artists that influenced us is long but some of them include Curtis Mayfield, Sly and the Family Stone, Booker T and The MG’s, Aretha Franklin, TLC, Mary J Blige, Tracy Chapman, Erykah Badu, The Supremes, Raphael Saadiq, Fela Kuti, Seun Kuti, Lagbaja, The Beatles, The Meters, Burt Bacharach, Earth Wind & Fire, Steely Dan, Marvin Gaye, Lee Dorsey and early Thin Lizzy. We were very lucky to have Booker T Jones drummer Darian Gray play on a few songs on our albums.