The Motor Trade
Carter – ‘A person that aids and facilitates the movement of people and goods’
Fitting then that Del Carter (aka The Motor Trade) has supported his songwriting habit by working as a professional driver for artists including Madness, Paloma Faith, Everything Everything, Miles Kane, Joey Bada$$, JLS, The Selector, Ella Eyre, Sinead O’Connor, Echo & The Bunnymen and The Wombats over the years.
Fatherhood however forced a change in direction, from weeks away touring across Europe to chauffeuring corporate executives and civil servants to and from airports – turns out that’s where the real rock’n’roll is these days! Who knew?
Birmingham (UK) based The Motor Trade is a logical progression from Del’s history with the bands he’s played in for years, achieving some bucket list experiences along the way – recording at Abbey Road Studios, playing gigs at incredible venues such as Union Chapel, Kentish Town Forum, Earl’s Court, and overseas, opening for The Offspring in Tokyo, and playing in L.A. (Viper Rooms, The Roxy and The House Of Blues).
Now as a lead singer and principal songwriter, he is showcasing his own talents front and centre for the first time.
Safe to say though that The Motor Trade couldn’t exist without the help of Tom Livemore (co-producer and extra guitars) and Tim Trotter (drums and mixing wizardry). Whilst Del supplies the vision and the raw materials, he relishes the contributions from Tom & Tim.
Del explains – ‘I’ve been inspired by the David Bowie approach of having loose parameters and encouraging expression. I love the fact that the songs hint at something in my head but always turn into their own beast. I often have a song or artist as a reference point but before long those ideas are transcended. In part, this comes from Tom & Tim’s interpretation, and I guess in part this also comes from my inability to play certain things, but hopefully, it’s a weakness that turns into a strength.
In terms of influences, it’s fair to say we live in unparalleled times – we are exposed to a kaleidoscope of dazzling styles and genres. Ultimately a good song is a good song no matter what its style.
At heart I’m an indie kid – I’m always drawn back to the excitement of a distorted guitar – bands like Radiohead, dEUS, and Broken Social Scene have played a huge part in shaping my songwriting’
The debut release ‘Animal Ep’ is out now, distributed through Ditto and available across all digital platforms.
