15 Jun 2006 // An interview by Shade
Hi Derek
Thanks heaps for such an awesome opportunity for me to interview you and the band! I am really looking forward to hearing your answers and especially seeing you guys play in Wellington next Saturday.
First of all – I just want to say I love 'Awake At Dawn', you guys have done a great job! I had been waiting for it since hearing you play at Rhythm and Vines back at 04/05. Years of hard work has been put into this album –
1. What is your strategy for surviving as a band?
Keep playing Live, keep pushing to create new songs, focussing on what is working and following that direction.
Not listening to what anyone else says about how tough it is to keep a band going!
2. How was dDub formed?
6 years ago, from an acoustic guitar, a didgeredoo weilding bass player, and a sax player.
Lots of jamming and playing live in Auckland and around the South island, after a couple of years other members joined, we got a drummer... and went from 3 to 7 players. Lots of different musos joined up for a while, and around two years ago the members solidified into what you see before you today.
3. For those who don’t know anything about dDub – what are you all about?
People get different things from a band - we like to keep it pretty fluid, and let people decide for themselves. Much of what we are about is indicitive in our sound and lyrics
4. What is the best thing about being dDub?
The group creative process, the fact that everyone loves touring and live performance. Also the unknown - where we'll be in the next few years, and how our music will keep developing.
5. How do you feel now that ‘Awake At Dawn’ has been released?
Fantastic, wicked, extremely happy. People seem to love the album, and it's a great feeling to know they can play dDub whenever they want - rather than having to wait for us to come through for a live show. And we're stoked with how we made the album, on a shoe-string with a lot of support from our close crew and family, and to create something we are all proud of... yeah - very happy!
6. What is your favourite track on ‘Awake At Dawn’ and why?
Mine...not sure what the other guys fav tracks are, but mine is 'No Smoke'. It's a beautiful track.
7. When you have an idea for a song what comes first – the lyrics or the music?
yeah - the age old question...
Seems it's different for each musical idea , each song, each day. Thats the beauty of writing - being fully creative - there isn't any hard and fast method or rules. Although the framing and development of a song takes discipline and focus, especially when there are 6 musicians in a room, that's the challenge... and the rewarding part for me. Ideas come easily... following through, creating an interesting tune with all the elements of dDub is the real work!
8. What do you like most about being in the NZ music industry?
The fact that it's so small, and everyone can kinda know everyone - or at least know who they are.
9. Where does your passion for music come from? Have you always wanted to be in the music scene?
I guess I've always written music - even at an early age when I was forced to take piano lessons - I would always tinker away on the ivorys, making stuff up and going on tangents. Luckily I wasn't taught classical, so writing basic songs came easy. Then I found a guitar under my parents bed - a very old crapped out thing, which I put fishing line on to complete the missing strings! And taught myself how to strum a few chords, bought a book on how to play, and got a few lessons from my auntie. I was bought up on 70's music, so learnt a lot of Stones and Doors and Beatles, Dylan etc. great music! I saved up and when I started college, bought this big standup keyboard, and formed this we band at school in Otorohanga. They never had music at our school, so we just played old covers and had a great time.
10. What is your philosophy in life?
Mmmm... that's a bit deep for a quick chat aye... be happy, deal with the lows, try not to get caught up in your own dramas, good times and bad times - thats the way it is, and it's all good.
11. What is the most embarrassing CD you own?
My own solo album - D.W.Browne... makes me laugh... kinda
12. What do you do to relax and chill out?
Fishing, boarding, Kawhia.
13. What future plans are ahead for dDub?
Aussie, Japan, Europe next year.
- Felicity