Q&A with WORSHIP: On 'WORSHIP: MISSION AMERICA' and Hosting the Largest Drum & Bass Tour in North America

Lead image: Sam Neill

What’s it like to host the largest drum & bass tour in North American history? WORSHIP: MISSION AMERICA, produced and directed by Sam Taplin and Bailey Hyatt, has the answer.

The documentary, now available on YouTube, grants viewers a backstage pass to the moments that made up WORSHIP's 2024 stateside tour, which drew 24,000 attendees across eight cities, including Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. In it, streamers get a visceral and unprecedentedly intimate look at 1991, Culture Shock, Dimension, and Sub Focus’ synergy on and off stage, and the emotions – from uncertainty to euphoria and everything in between – that come with plotting such a massive  endeavor in a place that's been slow to embrace drum & bass.

“We don’t normally show that much of ourselves behind the scenes,” says Sub Focus, who confesses to feeling “a bit nervous” when asked how he feels about the documentary's public debut. “I hope that the chemistry and camaraderie we have as a group come across to people watching. When we first toured together in 2020, we realized how much fun this could be as a group and what we could do when we put our minds and years of experience together.”

Yet with this vulnerability also comes enthusiasm. “It’s exciting to finally be able to let people in on what happens behind the scenes when we tour WORSHIP. There’s a lot more to it than just DJing…There’s a level of struggle and uncertainty that you just wouldn’t normally see elsewhere,” 1991 tells Beatportal. 

WORSHIP: MISSION AMERICA captures it all in a format that's triumphant, candid, and deeply human. Highlights include the live premiere of John Summit and Sub Focus' "Go Back," live from the Hollywood Palladium, the group's debut as the first drum & bass act to play the EDC Orlando mainstage, and their reflections on the genre's growth in the States.

Simply put, WORSHIP: MISSION AMERICA is WORSHIP as you've never seen them before. Watch the documentary below, and read on for an exclusive Q&A with the outfit ahead of its sold-out headline show at Red Rocks Amphitheater on October 30, when WORSHIP will deliver the venue's first-ever drum & bass show.

How are you feeling now that the documentary is out for the world to see?

Sub Focus: A bit nervous. We don’t normally show that much of ourselves behind the scenes. It’s really enjoyable for me personally to watch, as it brings back good memories of the tour. I hope the chemistry and camaraderie we have as a group come across to people watching. 

When we first toured together in 2020, we realized how much fun this could be as a group and what we could do when we put our minds and years of experience together. I’ve always been a solo producer and was kind of disdainful of people with big entourages in the past, but I’ve come to realize that being surrounded by friends, family, and like-minded collaborators is the key to all of this. What use are these experiences if they can’t be shared amongst friends?

1991: It’s exciting to finally be able to let people in on what happens behind the scenes when we tour WORSHIP. There’s a lot more to it than just DJing. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears go into these tours, and I think it will be interesting for people to see that side of things rather than just the polished live videos and photos. There’s a level of struggle and uncertainty that you just wouldn’t normally see elsewhere.

Culture Shock: It’s nice to take a moment to look back. In this job, you’re always looking ahead, building toward the next project. Looking back at what we’ve achieved over the last five years touring together is pretty special. 

We initially set out to try and get our music heard in the United States and ended up riding a huge wave that's hitting the U.S. drum & bass scene right now. It's great to be a part of it. I actually haven’t managed to sit down and watch the documentary all the way through yet, so the premiere will be the first time I relive it in full. I’ll definitely be cringing at myself…There are always many sleep-deprived, delirious moments on a tour, but touring as a group makes it a lot more enjoyable.

Dimension: I’m so excited to tell the world our story and to show our fans the reality of touring, as well as the amount of work that went into making this magical journey happen. In a world of 15-second reels, it’s so nice to have a long-form piece of content that allows us to peel back the curtain and talk seriously about what it takes to make a project like WORSHIP get off the ground. I really hope fans love it! 

What was your biggest takeaway from the WORSHIP AMERICA tour?

Sub Focus: Just how much things have progressed for the genre in a short space of time. We were playing the same cities as our tour the year before (in 2023), but in four- or five-times-larger capacity venues. Scaling up so much felt like a gamble, but it paid off.

1991: The North America tours have taught me that drum & bass is a genre that has the potential to be global. We’ve built WORSHIP up over the past five years from small venues to headline festival appearances, and that progression is inspiring as it opens the door to taking WORSHIP to other parts of the world.

Culture Shock: After spending a lot of time touring solo, traveling with the gang has been a total game-changer. Even the little things, like getting stuck in endless security lines, are so much more entertaining when you’ve got the crew with you. We’re usually jet-lagged, sleep-deprived, or hungover, chatting nonsense and laughing our way through it. It makes the whole grind so much easier and a lot more fun.

Dimension: That some things are meant to be. The moment I stepped into our first show, I knew this project was going to work. It was palpable; the energy, the feeling, it was just different. It was clear that something very special was taking place. 

Back then, our ultimate goal was to one day play the Palladium, an esteemed dream we held up in the sky, and we just sold out Red Rocks. There is something special and unique about the four of us on stage that was immediately very special, and I’m incredibly grateful for that. 

In your opinion, how has the drum & bass scene in America grown and evolved over the past few years?

Sub Focus: It has really taken off in the States in the last few years as a sound, and it’s amazing to see the change! We started touring as a group in the States, playing 1,000-person venues, and last year, we played the EDC Orlando mainstage. In October, we will be the first d&b group to headline Red Rocks. We saw massive potential for the genre to grow in the U.S. and wanted to help it get the love and recognition it deserves out there! 

Working with guys like John Summit on "Go Back" has helped raise d&b's profile, but I think the general public has been coming to the genre naturally through the strength in the depth of d&b producers doing great things in the last few years, from Chase & Status, Bou, and Kanine, to underground guys like Simula, not to mention the other WORSHIP guys. 

There are also some great American d&b producers like Justin Hawkes, Bensley, and REAPER, and we hope that continues to grow. In the past, it felt like there was a bit of a generational divide in U.S. d&b, with our more modern style not being represented. We are trying to do things a bit differently there and reach a new generation of fans.

1991: Drum & bass as a whole has grown massively in America over the past few years, and that’s come from the efforts of everyone involved in the scene. I’ve been going to the States since 2017 and have witnessed d&b go from small clubs to huge festival stages. The progression is crazy to see, but it’s what this amazing genre deserves. Special mention needs to be given to the grassroots promoters who have been keeping the scene alive in America for years before the recent surge in popularity. Without them, we wouldn’t be touring America the way we do now.

Culture Shock: The difference is honestly night and day. Before we started touring as WORSHIP, Rob, Fred, and I did a small run of U.S. shows together, and back then, the drum & bass scene in the U.S. was being held up by a handful of dedicated fans. We were thrilled just to be playing in the States, especially in places like New York, but I’ll never forget one show where we had about 10 people in a dive bar on a Thursday night. Fast forward six years, and we’ve headlined festival stages and played for 60,000 people at EDC Orlando. The growth has been incredible, but what means the most is that the fans now know the music and truly love it. It’s connecting in a way that felt almost impossible back then.

Dimension: There has been an enormous swell of interest in our genre. I remember flying over to the U.S. so many times, meeting incredible and deeply passionate fans, only to be disheartened that the venues were often half-full. A lot of foreign artists that I’d spoken to had almost given up playing in the U.S., but I always felt there was an enormous potential for d&b to have a large presence in North America. 

A mix of music trends changing, not giving up, artists putting in the work, and packaging tours in an enticing manner, as well as social media, has led to a surge in the popularity and acceptance of d&b in North America. There has always been a strong d&b heartbeat in the States, with deeply passionate DJs and promoters doing an incredible job of keeping the heart and soul of the genre alive, but it’s undeniable that d&b is in a totally different place now, which is a fantastic thing for the genre as a whole. 

How are you feeling ahead of your massively anticipated show at Red Rocks this October?

Sub Focus: We are very excited. We’re working with some top show designers on a new production and can’t wait to show people what we have been up to.

1991: The fact that we have sold out Red Rocks is surreal to me. We didn’t expect to get to this point, so it feels incredibly special. It’s a bucket list moment for all of us, and I think I speak for everyone when I say we’re so privileged to have the opportunity to bring drum & bass to this iconic venue. We want to make it as amazing as possible for the fans who have bought tickets. 

Culture Shock: It’s sort of astonishing that we’re doing such an iconic stage in the U.S.; I'm excited and anxious about it. We’ll be delivering something that's another level from what we’ve done so far in terms of music and production. I’m also really excited for the after party, which is at one of our favourite U.S. venues, Mission Ballroom.

Dimension: I’m incredibly excited and proud! It’s a huge step towards showing that d&b can seriously sell tickets anywhere in the world, and we’re going to go above and beyond to give fans the time of their lives. It’s been a long journey getting here, but I’m so ready!

Purchase tickets to the WORSHIP - The Official Red Rocks After Party here.