Marc Guéhi: ‘I don’t know what I would do in this life without music’

This week, 25-year-old Lewisham native Marc Guéhi will begin his first World Cup with England, aiming to break those ever-growing number of years of hurt that now stand at 60. Formerly as captain of Crystal Palace and now at new club Manchester City, he has become one of the country’s best defenders. With his natural leadership skills, he’s almost certainly a future England captain.

All the above is common knowledge. Less well known, though, is Guéhi’s encyclopaedic knowledge of music across genres and eras, his childhood of drumming in the band at church, and the eclectic productions he’s been making at home over the past half a decade.

We’re meeting at the Co-op Live, the venue opposite City’s Etihad Stadium that has hosted both the BRITs and MOBOs this year and put Manchester firmly at the centre of the UK musical map once again. During our chat, Guéhi discusses music’s role in giving him a space for expression away from the football pitch and whether we’ll ever get to hear that music he’s been cooking up.

What sort of music did you grow up around?

A lot of gospel, from always being in church. There’s a lot of gospel music with that African culture and those types of beats, as well as the traditional gospel stuff. Also pop, hip-hop, lots of jazz as well. My mum and dad sang a lot in church and are very good vocalists. My dad plays a lot of instruments as well, so that influence fuelled my love for music.

What age did you start playing drums in church?

Quite young, to be honest. I’d say maybe seven or eight years old. [I was] self-taught. There’s always music in the house and I just started picking it up here and there. Playing in church was something fun for me to do as a hobby, something I always enjoyed doing and something I wish I could probably do a bit more of.

Did your parents encourage you to play the drums, or was it all off your own back?

Off my own back! It’d be with anything I could find in the house. My hands on the table, or pencils – anything to make a beat. I especially love that side of it. I love the melodies, I love the singers, but a beat that accompanies any type of song can really change the feel of the song. I’ve always loved it. I actually wish I had a drum kit with me here [in Manchester]. I probably should get one now… an electric one or something. I just don’t want to disturb the neighbours!

How has your music taste changed as you’ve got older? What sort of stuff are you into right now?

I like fusions of different types of things. I didn’t like house music before, but I like it now, mixed in with any different type of genre that doesn’t necessarily “go” with that. I like jazz and jazz-gospel fusion. [My taste] is definitely changing, and I’m really open to hearing different things and just learning about different musical cultures.

Does that broad taste come in part from growing up in Lewisham, where you hear all manner of musical styles and cultures just by walking down one street?

One hundred per cent. It’s such a diverse place, and you hear all different types of music and sounds. Being introduced to so many different things is really nice, not just being pigeonholed into one genre of music.

Check out Marc’s favourite tunes below.…

What has music done for you in your life?

I’ve always said that I don’t know what I would do in this life without music. Honestly, I don’t think there’s a day that goes by where I don’t listen to something, whether it’s driving in the morning to work or in the house or showering. There’s always something going on. With [my teammates], there’s music always playing somewhere. Some have better music taste than others, but we won’t go into that!

Does something like music help make connections and forge friendships at a new club?

It’s a conversation starter. You can definitely find out a lot about so many different people, their backgrounds, how they grew up, what they’re interested in, just by talking to them about music.

Can you tell us about your own music that you’ve been making?

I started making stuff five or six years ago on Logic Pro or GarageBand or whatever was available. It was a nice escape from everyday life. I’d be sitting there and sometimes not having an idea of what I wanted to make, but just sitting there and something then coming to you. Sometimes I’d be there for hours just trying to figure out how to piece one loop that I had with something else and trying to make that work. It was a really nice process.

With no specific aim at the start, what type of music ended up coming out?

I’ve made quite a few things. I’ve made a few hip-hop beats, a few jazz beats. I’ve made an indie style, acoustic version of different things that I just like hearing. I’ve even made a backing track to a Scary Movie-type function. Anything that I was interested in at the time, or that popped into my mind or I wanted to create, I made. I definitely envy music producers – that’s super fun to do.

If you’re making tracks yourself, it sounds like you are a music producer!

I guess so!

Have your experiences playing and listening in church affected the music you make?

I want to make music that makes people happy. I want to make music that is in honour of my faith. It definitely is driven by my faith, because that’s exactly where it all started, in church. It’s a good centre point for that.

And will we ever get to hear any of it?

No, no, I don’t wanna share it! [Laughs] It’s not going to be on SoundCloud or anything. It’s just a nice thing to do. It’s a hobby. It’s an escape. It’s something I like to do on the side. If an artist ever comes across it one day and wants to use it then great, but I don’t think that will happen. It’s something I do just for myself.

Taken from the June/July issue of Rolling Stone UK. Buy it here.