Biography
“One of my earliest memories is running around the house singing my Dad’s song ‘If I Gave My Heart To You’ – that was his first song that stuck with me,” says McLean, son of Lovers Rock legend John McLean. The Londoner’s family music pedigree is indeed indicative of his own talent – McLean’s graceful velvety voice has melted hearts ever since he sang to girls in the primary school playground.
His rich, spine-tingling singing came to the wider world’s attention through 2007’s independent single ‘Broken’. The break-up tear-jerker was an online sensation, and has accrued over 20 million hits across Myspace, Bebo, Habbo, Last FM etc.
It’s a bona fide Youtube phenomenon too, clocking up over 5 million views. But, what really sets ‘Broken’ miles above any other Youtube ‘hit’ is that this song has moved people (over 500 of them, and counting) so much that they have learnt and performed, danced and programmed their responses - covers ranging from a capella’s to acoustic guitar or rock band versions, dance routines, video and photo montages, or simply lyrics appearing karaoke-style in time to the song.
Never before has a record, still yet to chart, attracted such an avalanche of User Generated Content – without a marketing campaign, ‘Broken’ has naturally captivated music fans across the globe in this way – from Los Angeles to Switzerland to Auckland and back.
McLean is fulfilling his destiny and continuing the family trade: 22 years on, the gentle soul-reggae of his fathers’ ‘If I Gave My Heart To You’ is a perennial favourite heard at community halls, barbecues and family celebrations. While his cousin Bitty McLean reached UK No.2 in 1993 with ‘It Keeps Rainin’ and secured two further UK Top 10s.
Like his father John McLean, Anthony ‘Digga’ McLean’s life-long love affair with music began in church: “My family were really religious so as kids we were in church on both Saturday and Sunday. That’s where I first sang - we would sing hymns, come home and sing for evening worship,” he remembers. “My dad’s brothers were all in bands and had a soundsystem (Blackstarliner), and my mum and grandmother sang in church. At any kind of family birthday or wedding the soundsystem would come out and my dad and his brothers’ tunes would be blaring,” recalls McLean fondly.
Hearing his dad’s music on a mobile soundsystem in Jamaica earlier this year struck a chord as does his first visit to Jamaica aged 18, when he met the sprawling McLean clan. “I got told we were a big family: we’d be walking around and I would be told, ‘See those people over there, that’s your cousin, that’s your uncle.’ It was like McLean Town.” Growing up he was known simply as ‘Digga’ but exposure to his rich family heritage and his artistic coming of age was the inspiration behind the name change to Mclean.
McLean’s own journey of musical discovery began with Yo! MTV Raps, hip-hop, and jungle. When UK garage landed he was producing and a regular fixture on pirate stations employing the scenes staple DIY ethic. “We did shows and made our own T-shirts. That was the first time I took music seriously,” he says.
Under the guise of Digga he collaborated with a couple of his heroes. He recorded with Mercury-nominated garage icon MJ Cole on ‘Gotta Have It’ and Chase & Status (the big-hitting, Rihanna–producing drum n bass duo) on slow jam ‘Take U There’ which features on the bands’ acclaimed ‘More Then A Lot’ album. “Working with Chase & Status and MJ Cole was a big deal for me - in the garage days MJ was getting played in my house every day, and I’ve been into drum n bass since old skool, so I was chuffed,” says McLean in his softly spoken, humble and gentle way - a huge contrast to the soaring majestic power and intense feeling of his singing voice.
This rare combination of sensitivity and power echoes the earlier vocal greats from McLean’s beloved era of music - 60s and 70s soul. There’s a refined, classy quality to his work that evokes soul’s golden age. “I love the soul men and women from then - Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Aretha, Minnie Ripperton. It’s the best music ever made - it just has a feeling.”
Not that the intervening years’ soul artists didn’t make an impression on McLean - 90s R&B and New Jack Swing made a big impression too: “That was a great era, the closest we’ve been to the classic soul era – Boyz II Men, Jodeci, Mariah, SWV, Timbaland, Brandy and Monica were killing it!”
Becoming a father was the catalyst for McLean to realise his calling. “I thought ‘right, it’s time for me do to something’ but my daughter had just been born so I had to be there. When she started talking and her personality came though, something inside me realised she needed someone to look up to and think ‘Daddy does this!’” he explains. “Me, my girlfriend and business partner went at it hard, making and sending out t-shirts and CDs, and setting up a Myspace page. We’d wake at the crack of dawn and work until we couldn’t stay awake - even if that was two days later. Two of us would sleep while the other would stay up”, remembers McLean. In order to support his musical aspirations and provide for his new family he worked hard to make ends meet taking jobs at Pizza Hut, a fire alarm factory and as a night-watchman – all the while longing for his dream to happen.
The relentless hard work eventually paid off: “In 2006 I met Nicky Clarke from Schizophreniks (who had previously also discovered Leona Lewis pre X Factor) and I wrote ‘Broken’. It was leaked and I’d get emails from all over the world, saying ‘we love you, your tune gets played every day’. And every day on Youtube there would be five new ‘Broken’ videos - my brother went to Vegas and bought a mixtape, and ‘Broken’ was the first track!” he says incredulously. Without any formal support ‘Broken’ secured radio plays across Europe and America – including respected US urban station Hot 97.
The nascent grime scene was also having its own love affair with both McLean’s vocals and ‘Broken’ – both Ironik and Tinie Tempah delivered their own heartfelt interpretations of the song. More recently, when Fraser T Smith Smith (the UKs most successful producer of 2009, with 3 Number 1s and Top 10 smashes for Tinchy Stryder, Taio Cruz and James Morrison) was assembling the hottest urban acts in the UK to record as Young Soul Rebels for the top ten charity single for War Child, McLean was requested for premier vocal duties.
Watching McLean live is a primal, hypnotic experience. His relaxed, confident stage demeanour masks the intensity of channelling fiery emotion into that beautifully creamy, supple voice. He’s a sight to behold and it’s no surprise to find McLean feels at home on the stage - “I’ve never been nervous, performing live is my favourite part.”
Now McLean is poised to surpass his father and uncle’s illustrious footsteps with his debut album. Asylum has assembled an A-list team of collaborators, including the aforementioned producer Fraser T Smith, Naughty Boy (Chipmunk, Wiley), Simon Franglen (Leona Lewis, Michael Jackson, Avatar), Nate ‘Danja’ Hills (Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Timbaland, Britney, Pink, Nelly Furtado), Manny Marroquin (Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Rihanna), Dylan ‘3D’ Dresdow (Black Eyed Peas, Missy Elliot, Alicia Keys), and Phil Tan (Leona, Usher, Rihanna, One Republic, Snoop, Jay-Z). “Fraser brought a real old skool soul classiness to the album. It draws on modern R&B with programmed synths, right through to classic live instrumentation. But it’s Soul all the way through,” says McLean.
Forthcoming single ‘My Name’, reaffirms McLean’s natural ability to affect the listener with the honesty intimacy of his lyrics. The track sees shimmering synths nudge McLean’s soaring voice into outer space. The rousing ‘Great Escape’ is the equivalent of sun peeking through the darkest storm clouds, whilst ‘Try Me’ is juicy funk - reminiscent of ‘Superstitious’ Stevie Wonder - with backing singers contrasting McLean’s luxurious tones and gliding between fatback grooves and bongos. McLean and his debut album have a deep sophistication that’s scarce in contemporary R & B largely because the song-writing is subtle and metaphorical, like the classic soul era McLean’s inspired by.
Fraser recalls their first session together: “Initially we worked for two days building a beat. He didn’t sing or write down a thing. I was starting to worry the session was in vain, but ten minutes before the end of the session he jumped into the booth and sang ‘One More Night’, in one take – melody, top line, top line, lyric, BV’s, harmonies, and inflection….It sent shivers straight through me, I was floored. He’s the modern day Marvin Gaye.”