More than three decades after they first lit up dance floors and airwaves, D:Ream are proving that reinvention can be as thrilling as a debut. Best known for their era-defining anthem “Things Can Only Get Better,” the duo of Al Mackenzie and Peter Cunnah have never stood still creatively, weaving together club euphoria, sharp social observations, and the kind of melodies that stick in your head for years. Their fifth studio album, Do It Anyway, finds them embracing the same restless spirit that propelled them from warehouse parties to the Top 40—only this time with the benefit of experience, perspective, and a refusal to play it safe.
The title track “Do It Anyway” began life 30 years ago as a pitch to Kylie Minogue. What was it like unearthing and reimagining that demo after all this time?
Al: To be fair, Peter played me the intro to the track but told me not to listen to the rest of it. I loved those 20–30 seconds, and they absolutely crafted the tune. I’ve always wanted to write about the days and times that molded me, and for some reason, the ‘80s vibes that were so evident in the intro to Peter’s demo really inspired me. Peter didn’t need any encouragement—he never does when it comes to writing—and we got stuck in. I love the juxtaposition of the tune having so many early ‘80s electronic vibes, but the lyrics are essentially about the early ‘90s. Obviously, we’ve brought those sounds right up to date!
You’ve described the track as rooted in ‘90s club culture. How did you manage to blend that nostalgia with a sound that still feels fresh and current?
I kind of said that in the last question. The lyric is based on our ‘90s experiences. The music was what it was.
How has your creative dynamic as a duo evolved since those early days in the club scene? Do you find yourselves working differently now?
Definitely. When we met, I was clueless. I was a DJ and loved music, but I had no experience of writing and producing. Over the years, I’ve learned things and grown in confidence. Peter has helped me with that.
The album spans electro-pop, gospel, trip-hop, and broken beats. What guided the decision to stretch into so many genres, and how did you ensure the record still felt cohesive?
We never really think about a plan for how an album will sound. We love many different genres of music between us. We don’t like all the same things, but there are a lot of artists and genres we absolutely love jointly. I’ve never really thought D:Ream has a specific genre. We have our own sound—what that is, I don’t know. Most of our tracks come from Peter writing a lyric; it may be a line or a few lines, sometimes even almost a whole song. I’ll listen and, if it hits me, I’m like, yeah, we can do this or that. When they’re done, we listen together and some don’t make the cut. They may end up released later. We have a few belters we’ve done for this album that will see the light of day another time.
Recording in Peter’s coastal Donegal studio feels like a shift in energy from the ravey city origins. How did that setting influence the sound or atmosphere of the album?
This didn’t influence me at all, to be honest.
You brought in some incredible collaborators like Lisa Moorish, TJ Davis, and Gemma Doherty. How did those creative partnerships come about, and what did they bring to the project?
Lisa is a friend of our percussionist, Lea Mullen. I was aware of her work, so it was a no-brainer. Ella B worked with Lisa and she is a powerhouse. TJ has been with us for years and is an amazing vocalist and person.
The album doesn’t shy away from social commentary. What inspired tracks like “The Geek Who Rules the World” and “Anthem for Change,” and what message were you hoping to send?
Pete wrote most of “Anthem.” I chipped in with a couple of lines, and I’m quite proud of them. However, it really was his vision. “Geek” was something he’d been playing with. We were at the end of a two-week recording session when he played a sketch of something he’d come up with. At the time, we had very different views on Mr Musk, and Pete’s initial musings were a bit fanboy, from my perspective. Whilst travelling home, I started writing my alternative ideas and sent them to Peter. We then tempered them and, as any song does, it evolved to where it is. There’s no message, per se. However, you have to fool the world to rule the world.
On the other end of the spectrum, tracks like “Funk U Up” and “Famous for Nothing” seem cheeky and playful. How important are humour and irony in your songwriting?
Oh yes. Generally, we try to write lyrics that aren’t banal—“baby, baby, baby, let’s do it,” that kind of nonsense. With “Funk U Up,” we’d pretty much finished the album, and I said I wanted to do something fun and great for playing live. He had started a song but it wasn’t right. I changed the melody of the lyric he had to make it sound sexier! He loved it, and then I played him an early Prince track (my hero!) and we went from there. It was so much fun. “Famous for Nothing” is another track Peter had done so much to, but the lyric wasn’t working for me. Once we sorted the tone of the lyric, it flowed, and I love the sentiment now. Yes, it’s obvious what we’re talking about, but we’ve added a human element. It’s not all negative—there’s love in there! Lyrically, I think it’s one of our best.
Looking at the tracklist as a whole, was there a central message or emotional arc you were aiming for with Do It Anyway?
Not for me. I just wanted to make something I was proud of.
“Things Can Only Get Better” has resurfaced in wildly different eras—from political campaigns to lockdown playlists to Glastonbury with Brian Cox. How do you feel about its shifting meaning in public life?
I’ll leave that to Peter. He wrote the lyrics. It’s been a calling card for us, and it’s really weird to have a song that seems, to me, to be so intrinsically stuck in the psyche of the UK public, for whatever reason.
Do you ever feel like that one track overshadows your broader body of work, or do you embrace it as a bridge to bring new listeners to the rest of your catalogue?
Simply, yes!
This is only your fifth studio album in a career that spans decades. What made this the right time to release something new?
I left after the first album, prior to the major success. We had four Top 40 singles, so it wasn’t so bad! I came from the DJ background and found the whole pop/record label thing too much to deal with. I wanted to do more new things, but the label (Warners) just wanted us to go on tour with East 17 (at the time) and do pop stuff. It wasn’t me. There are two ways to look at it. Me leaving allowed Peter to tour with Take That, the album got re-released, and the success that everyone remembers happened. Had I stayed, we would have made new music, and that may have been amazing. I know what was in our minds at the time—it would have been more on the underground dance vibes. Would we still be here now, though? Who knows! We got back together around 2009, by chance—long story. We did In Memory Of…, then life got in the way and another ten years seemed to go by. We were still doing the odd gigs. We never stopped writing. However, we’ve been much more productive since we started focusing on Open Hearts. I think we are at our creative peak now, bizarrely. Taken us some time!
Your Glastonbury performance this year had a kind of full-circle energy. Did that moment help catalyse the spirit or visibility of this album?
To be fair, we were well into the album. We played three or four tracks from it on the day. It was amazing finally playing there, and thankfully it was absolutely rammed and went down really well.
You’ve both lived through enormous changes in the music industry—from vinyl and radio to streaming and social media. What’s something you miss about the early days, and something new you actually enjoy?
Life moves on. We were young back then and it was all an adventure. We did well. It’s still an adventure now—just very different.
Was there ever a time when you thought D:Ream might be done for good? What pulled you back into making music together?
When I left in ‘93, I was done. Obviously, Pete did another album. We met by chance in a park at about 8 a.m. in London in 2009. I’d been up all night, Pete was out with the kids! Absolutely bizarre. Just seemed right to make some tunes.
Outside of music, what’s been grounding or inspiring you lately, personally or creatively? Any unexpected influences that found their way into this record?
It’s all music for me. I’m not great at writing lyrics from scratch. Pete is a natural—he does it all the time. I love to take an idea and then work it. I love playing with language and, in my head anyway, creating images and things that make you think. I could never come up with a title like “The Geek Who Rules the World,” but once it’s in my mind I can write around it.
Peter, you mentioned this album reflects the reckless freedom of the ‘90s. Looking back, would you still “do it anyway”? Al, you’ve said you’re stubborn about not wanting to change the past. How has that shaped the decisions you’ve made with this album and beyond?
You can’t change the past. Only learn from it. That probably hasn’t affected anything with this album. Personally? I keep making the same mistakes. I’m only human!
If your younger selves—those two guys lost in a smoke-filled ‘90s warehouse party—heard Do It Anyway today, what do you think they’d say?
These guys are alright.
What do you still want D:Ream to stand for in 2025, and how do you hope this album expands that legacy?
We’re just a band that makes music. Hopefully, it’s music that all people, regardless of sexuality, colour, or religion, can get enjoyment out of.