McClure: Is JLS the best we can do?

Damon Albarn wants more young musicians to push the boundaries of music and resist pressure from "the money men".

Reverend and the Makers frontman Jon McClure wants more young musicians to push the boundaries of music and resist pressure from "the money men".

McClure has been working wuth Blur's Damon Albarn on a project in Ethiopia, and the 28-year-old singer was delighted to have been invited to take part.

McClure said: "It's weird, because I've just come back from Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, with Damon. We've just been jamming with some African musicians. I think Damon's idea is to get a few younger musicians into making African records - he's doing a good job and I'm really into it."

McClure - who is known for his forthright opinions - has also blasted the current state of the music industry because he thinks so few artists have anything to say about the world.

The 'Heavyweight Champion of the World' hitmaker added: "Whether it was The Clash or Bob Marley, people used to care. But we're living in different times - the record industry is owned by money men, it's not owned by people who care about what's happening.

"You watch this year's BRIT Awards and see JLS winning a few and you think: Is that the best we can do?"

"The money men run everything and because there's not a lot of money around people tend to play it safe and go with what they know. 'Oh look, four good-looking lads who can dance, let's sign JLS', you know what I'm saying?

"People revert to type when in actual fact what we need is for some young kids to come along and just smash music to pieces."