When you're not strong, The Allergies and Dynamite MC will help you carry on! “Lean On You” is another fast-paced, twangy dollop of funky hip-hop picking up from last year's 'Hot Sensation' collabo. Also check the yeehaw funk of 'Working On Me' on the flip.

The Allergies sat down with Wordplay Magazine to answer our infamous 10 Questions:

1. So, tell me, how did it all begin? What sparked your love for music?

Adam: For me, like many other folk, it all started when I was kid. My family had a record player in the front room and it was a focal point of the house. At weekends we would look through my parents record collection, pick out stuff, and all have a good dance together. Back then it was an unusual mix of my dad's funk and reggae records, my brother's rock, and my mum's folk music. Then, in my teenage years, I fell in love with drum 'n' bass. I used to sneak up to London clubs The End and Fabric when I was 16/17….back when we had fake I.Ds! I went onto study a Music Production degree, then made the move to Bristol, met Roy, made a big change in what I played and made, and the rest, as they say, is history!

Roy: I was bonkers deep into hip-hop, as a wee lad. Loved it. Still do. It always felt like it was a culture that fed off new people throwing their version back at it. So, when I could, I bought some decks as a teenager (one at a time), and started making mixtapes, planning out sets, and figuring out what I could do with hip-hop DJing. And through that stuff, and especially mixtapes, I felt like I was offering up my potted history of this music that spoke to me so much. I don't think I've lost that need to find my voice, and shout about what I love.

2. Who are some artists that influence you and that you want to work with in the future?

Adam: We’ve been chasing Chali 2na for a while, but still not managed to make anything happen yet. But, we’ve got everything crossed for the future. I wish we had done more with the late and great TY. Other than that, we’ve got a solid crew of featured artists and I just wanna keep working with the great artists we already have on our books.

Roy: "Weird Al" Yankovic. I doubt we'd ever get the call to OK something from our back catalogue for him to parody, but you never know. Might be hard for him to work a food pun into Andy Cooper's lyrics, though. Maybe he took change 'Rile 'Em Up' to 'Boil 'Em Up'? Make it something to do with potatoes. Damn, this is harder than it looks.

3. What are some of the problems you have faced making and releasing the music during the coronavirus pandemic?

Adam: To be honest, we were already pretty well set up in terms of working over the internet and sending files back to one another. Because, firstly, myself Roy and Andy Cooper all use different DAWs. Plus, the distance between us and Andy meant this was how we worked. Roy and I stopped making the podcast together, too, which was fine and actually just easier. So, like a lot of people, we’ve just adjusted to the new normal. As for the gigs, I think we both miss them, but have been glad to have a bit of a break. Don’t get me wrong, we can’t wait to get back out there, but we’ve been DJing and doing live shows solidly, every weekend for about 10 years now. So early nights and time with our loved ones has done us good, I think. In terms of getting our music out there, we’ve actually made stronger connections with other artists thanks to live streaming, and we hit A-list on BBC Radio 6 Music during the first lockdown, so it’s hard to grumble on that front. Our music continues to get used on big adverts so that’s thankfully helped pay the bills. I think are probably very lucky compared to most DJs/producers.

Roy: I'll tell you what – Being stuck in a house, in your head, and then putting headphones on and listening to loops for hours, and then losing yourself in that even smaller world, can be hard to stomach. When everything was closing in, adding that extra dimension of...claustrophobia, or whatever, put a lot off producers even attempting to make music. I've talked to a few who couldn't even face going to the studio, let alone turning a bit of kit on. At the start I couldn't face it, but then, as the one who starts the process off, I had to try. The turning point was after a camping trip (after restrictions had lifted). I connected with the outside world again, blew a few walls away in my mind, and then came back home and made beats non-stop for a few weeks, in a trance. I guess it had all been building up and needed to come out.

4. How would you describe your sound?

Adam: Big fat and bouncy, as Craig Charles once said.

Roy: Like my women – Beautiful, smart, and fun to drop in a nightclub.

5. What's your proudest moment to date so far as an artist?

Adam: Playing the Radio 6 Music Festival and hitting the A-list playlist there.

Roy: Yep, getting that A-list on 6. I know it's not all about numbers and someone else qualifying what is good or bad art. But, getting our music out there in front of as many people as possible without compromising our sound was such a buzz. And, such a backslap for everyone who works behind the scenes at the label and the promo team – It felt like a win for everyone.

6. Do you have any advice for our readers who may be trying to play the mad game of music?

Adam: Hang in there, stick with it, you have to play the long game. Surround yourself with good people to work with. Trust your instincts. Look into getting your music on adverts or working with licensing companies to help fund what you really love doing.

Roy: Copy the people you love, on the DL (no biting allowed in public). And then when you figure out what's going on under the hood of their music, strike out and use that as a guidebook for making your own personal noise. Way back when, I would lay out a full track of artists and count how many bars they had for an intro, and then study how they moved the energy about the tune – You know, putting arrangements under a microscope to see what makes them tick. Unless you're a genius off the bat, you're gonna borrow, mate. No shame.

7. Are there any artists on your radar at the moment that we should check out?

Adam: This year has only really been about checking out people's live streams on Twitch. So if you haven’t already jumped in, then I suggest you do. Check out A.Skillz, Skratch Bastid, The Nextmen and many of the other awesome cats out there, playing for free for you!

Roy: Friends and family like Andy Cooper, the Jalapeno Records crew, Skunkadelic, Marietta Smith, Mr Woodnote, Dr Syntax, Dynamite MC, Lyrics Born, Jim Sharp, DJ Format, Boca 45, Peter Hall Music, James Morton, DJ Yoda, Bomb Strikes records, the Soulconder Slices label, Dusty Donuts, the DJ’s on 45 Live Radio, and anyone reviewed on MonkeyBoxing.com or FleamarketFunk.com.

8. What albums are on heavy rotation on your Spotify playlist, currently?

Adam: [Opens up Spotify browser]…Looks like – Shy FX, Ben Howard, Michael Kiwanuka, Loyle Carner, Bonobo, Bosq, and Nightmares on Wax.

Roy: The Salsoul Orchestra – Anthology Vol.2, King Tee – At Your Own Risk, Greg Belson's Divine Disco, Pepe Deluxe – Beatitude, and The Now Sound of Ursula 1000.

9. What do you like to do when you're not making music?

Adam: BBQ’ing! Also, just bought a nice camera so I’ve been getting into taking photos and making graphics. But, the reality is I’m almost a full time stay at home parent at the moment, so as some of you will know, that keeps you busy!

Roy: I'm a music journalist, so that's my other job. I'm just prepping to talk to Squarepusher this week, as it happens. Besides that, I have to try and keep up with the jogging – Probs the only thing keeping me sane, and out the house. And then watching YouTube channels like OSW, Abroad in Japan, Daily Bald, anything by Redletter Media, and then falling asleep to Marc Haynes' Wrestle Me podcast.

10. Name three things you can't live without when in the studio?

Adam: Tea, Waves' JJP Vocals plugin, and strong Wi-Fi.

Roy: Samples, samples, and I'd have to say, samples.