Turin Brakes Got Too Busy For Rob Allum To Keep Playing Cricket

Turin Brakes drummer Rob Allum has a secret passion. He's an avid cricketer. Until recently, the Brit was Captain of his local Chigwell Cricket Club. But, ultimately, music comes before the game.

"I was getting too busy with doing festivals and stuff with the band," Allum explains. "But I do still play. I was actually at [the] nets last night and I'm absolutely knackered today. All my joints are aching like anything — just from an hour of bowling in the nets. It's crazy! Indoor nets, of course, 'cause it is [the] middle of winter here." The amiable Allum has "been threatening" to start an "indie" cricket team — possibly roping in Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien. "I used to play with a BBC team and occasionally you'd get these people that you recognised and you'd later on realise it was an actor or perhaps a musician," he reveals.

Old Glastonbury faves, Turin Brakes are returning to Australia for Bluesfest. Allum will be looking out for Billy Bragg, having gigged with him pre-Turin Brakes as a muso-for-hire. "His son [Jack Valero] is in a band now called The RPMs and I went to see them with Bill last year."

"All my joints are aching like anything — just from an hour of bowling in the nets."

The versatile Turin Brakes were formed in London by childhood friends Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian, who struck a label deal as a duo, with Knights fronting. They recruited Allum for early studio sessions — and touring. "No one was sure what was gonna happen and how long it would last and how they would work." However, he hung around.

Turin Brakes unwittingly became leaders of Britain's 'nu-acoustic movement' with 2001's acclaimed debut LP, The Optimist. But, Allum says, they considered themselves less traditionally "folk" than "like Ry Cooder crossed with hip hop". Turin Brakes enjoyed their biggest hit with Painkiller from 2003's rockier Ether Song. Nonetheless, their music was licensed for chillout compilations. And they assembled a Late Night Tales mix-CD. This "confused" dance music-types, who wrongly assumed that, because of their handle, Turin Brakes was a breaks outfit. They've collaborated with DJ Flux Pavilion ("he does all wub-wub music!" Allum quips).

Over time, Allum assumed official member status, along with bassist Eddie Myer. Today's publicity photos show a quartet. "We all sort of realised, we are a group and that's what we do — it just reflects the reality," Allum says. "I think, if we weren't a strong team, we wouldn't still be doing it." Knights and Paridjanian remain "the bosses" — though, curiously, Allum is the band's manager.

More assured than ever, Turin Brakes are currently plotting the follow-up to 2016's seventh album, Lost Property. "I think often what happens with this band is we react to the last record that we did and go a little bit maybe against it — not necessarily against it, but more try to do something different to keep ourselves interested," Allum says. "Now what we've realised is we know very much what we like... I s'pose the band's got more comfortable in its own skin."