Band Profile: Clement Marfo and The Frontline

Words by Joe Ridge | Wimbledon Guardian

Not many artists would cite Jay-Z and Annie Lennox as their biggest musical influences, but once you've listened to Clement Marfo and The Frontline's exciting combination of different styles, it is evident they take inspiration from every form of music. It is impossible to pigeon-hole Mitcham's Marfo and his band as they offer a vibrant fusion of soul, ska, rock and R&B, miraculously gelled together by Marfo's talented rapping. This unique mixture of different styles is not an awkward jump from one to the next, rather a seamless blend of the band's various influences into one complete sound."I love Jay-Z, I've got all his albums," says Marfo. "When I was growing up, I used to listen to my parents' Annie Lennox and Phil Collins albums and Wyclef Jean is also someone I look up to. "I try to let my music absorb the whole vibe of all my different influences." When asked to describe his music in three words, Marfo says: "Energetic, colourful and appealing." The group were formed after Clement, then a solo artist, advertised for a band and a friend put him on to drummer Dion, then studying at the ACM in Guildford. Five additions later, Clement Marfo and The Frontline came into being. The South London based group are performing at the Cleethorpes Music Festival this Saturday where they will be supporting The Zutons and The Proclaimers and the range of acts the band have supporting further highlights their wide appeal. "We've supported Lloyd Banks from G-Unit and lots of other hip-hop artists," says Marfo. "But now were looking forward to playing with The Proclaimers and The Zutons." Marfo, who was deputy head boy at Wimbledon College, also had an eclectic mix of artists in his ultimate festival line-up. "It would have to be Basement Jaxx, Daft Punk, definitely Jay-Z, Michael Jackson if he was still alive, Tina Turner and of course, Clement Marfo and The Frontline," he says. Fore more information on the band, visit myspace.com/clementmarfo.