It’s been a big year for Clean Bandit.
The classical dance pop trio, who met at Cambridge University, have toured the world, released their new single, Rockabye, and are currently working on the follow-up to their hugely successful debut album.
As if that was not enough, the group are now preparing to make their debut at the MOBO (Music of Black Origin) awards at Glasgow's SSE Hydro on Friday.
Read more: 10 things to do in Scotland this weekend
“We are so excited,” says cellist Grace Chatto. “We watch the MOBOs every year and it has always been a dream to be involved."
The band will perform their new single for the first time with MOBO Best Newcomer nominee Anne-Marie, who features on the song with Sean Paul, during the ceremony.
The track is a collaboration between the trio and Norwegian singer Ina-Wrolsden and Grace says Anne-Marie’s energy brings something very special to the song.
“The single is about a single mother and her son, and how she wants to give him a life better than her own,” she says. “It was written together with Ina-Wrolsden, the brilliant Norwegian singer and songwriter with whom we have been working on several songs for our new album. She wrote the words and they are very special and emotional to me.
“It is one of the first performances of our new single and it’s the very first time we have performed it with Anne-Marie so please expect a lot of fun and dancing, live violins, cellos and electronics.
Read more: 10 things to do in Scotland this weekend
“She is such a brilliant singer and her energy is beautiful and joyous. We have watched her performing with Rudimental at countless festivals over the past few years and always wanted to do something together. We cannot wait to perform Rockabye with her for the first time at the MOBOs.”
The group are known for their unusual sound, which combines classical nuisances with pounding dance rhythms and pop beats.
It may seem like a strange choice, and definitely one that could have proved divisive, however, Grace says the band's unique take on dance has been embraced by the pop and classical worlds.
“We have always played classical music and always loved dance and pop music,” she says. “So I guess it was inevitable. I started a classical string quartet about 10 years ago and when I met Jack (Paterson) he was experimenting with writing electronic music.
“We were very close and wanted to start a project together so we decided to try and combine out music and put on a club night to show it to our friends. Everything went from there.
“We have had a wonderful response from the classical world, including high praise from my favourite singer, Lestyn Davies.
“I hope our sound has introduced pop fans to classic and vice versa. Something we really love is that we get a lot of letter from children saying they have taken up playing violin or cello. Playing an instrument is such a wonderful pleasure.”
Read more: 10 things to do in Scotland this weekend
However, it was the Grammy award-winning single Rather Be, featuring Jess Glynne, that really brought the band into the public eye.
The chart-topping song quickly became a pop staple, even appearing in adverts for Marks & Spencer, but Grace says the group were never worried about being labelled ‘one-hit wonders’.
“The success of the song was very sudden and surreal, but in a good way,” she says. “We love the M&S adverts, the music seemed to work so well with the chopping of those beautiful vegetables.
“We were not concerned about becoming known as ‘one-hit wonders’. I don’t think that will be the case but, even if it was, I’d still be happy that Rather Be has reached so many people all over the world.”
The band are now working on their new album and Grace says fans will not have to wait long to hear it.
“It’s nearly done and it will be out next year,” she says. “We are exploring deeper themes in the lyrics and approached the writing at a piano so that we knew the songs worked as simple songs with just piano and voice before adding all the electronics and strongs.
“This contrasts with the first album where we produced the music at the same time as writing it.”
Clean Bandit will perform at the MOBOs at the SSE Hydro on Friday.
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