Perth-based Death By Denim Are Causing A Stir With High Energy New Single ‘Homemade’
{Interview by Emily-Layne Kapetanovic}
Death By Denim has been causing waves across Australia with their tracks Plane From Amsterdam, Wiggy and newest release Homemade. The Perth-based four-piece have had quite the colourful career so far, hitting up the Fremantle and Byron Bay legs of Falls Festival, being added to the stellar Big Pineapple Fest lineup and being announced as special guests on The Vanns’ ‘Red Eye tour’ which has since been rescheduled to September. It’s fair to say, if you haven’t heard of Death By Denim chances are you’ve been living under a rock.
Lets start at the very beginning, how did Death By Denim come to be?
It definitely felt like it began out of nowhere. I was good friends with George since high school times and he had played in a band with Hamish before so there were some old ties there. None of us had a clue who Nik was though. My sister in law knew him through a family connection and practically forced us into a jam room together after seeing him play a solo acoustic gig in the Perth CBD. We clicked pretty much instantly and after a few writing sessions I asked George if he wanted to play bass in a potential band – he then contacted Hamish and a few weeks later we were doing our first rehearsal. It all happened really organically.
You opened up Falls Festival in Freo this year and played a set for the Byron leg, how did it feel to be part of such a jam-packed lineup?
It was a really incredible way to kick off the year. A lot of good things had been happening towards the end of 2019 for us and it felt like we had reached a new level with Falls. We were able to meet some incredible artists – Lime Cordiale, Lewis Capaldi, Dope Lemon, Vera Blue to name a few – it definitely felt like a dream. Sending it off with the artist after party at Mojos Bar was the icing on the cake.
You’ve also been announced for the Big Pineapple Music Festival, what can audiences who have never seen you live expect from your set here and at any other gigs?
The live show is a pretty mixed party bag. Bad dance moves and stage banter are a constant. There is a lot of versatility in our music, especially as our sound continues to develop – so we have a large pool of songs to choose from and this comes in handy to create a well-paced set. The drums and guitar are a bit more unhinged compared to the studio tracks – we all tend to let loose a bit.
You dropped your new track ‘Homemade’ on the 21st of February. How does it feel to have this one out in the world?
I think we were a bit more apprehensive than usual in releasing this song as it was our first of 2020 and we wanted to live up to all the recent hype. It was amazing to see such a positive reaction from fans and the wider industry. It always gets to that point where we have heard a song 500 times and have no ability to listen to it objectively, but it definitely felt like the soundtrack to our summer and we couldn’t wait to get it out.
What was the creative process like behind Homemade? Was it a long writing process?
It actually came about quite quickly. Myself and Nik found ourselves on a long country drive to play a cover gig in a regional town. After running out of things to talk about we started trying to write a song about things/people that were current and by the end of the 5 hour trip we had a good sketch of a new tune. A week later we were jamming it with the band and here came all the instrumental synth hooks and dynamics. It quickly evolved into something we were all buzzing to record.
How do you think you’ve changed as artists and in your music from your earlier releases such as ‘Smoke Screen’ in 2017 to now with ‘Homemade’?
From a sound/style perspective so much has changed since those early days. It almost feels like two different bands when we compare the old with the new. Even Nik’s voice sounds different now from when the band started. I think we have matured a lot in our songwriting and in our style of music too but it’s all happened organically we haven’t tried to push a change. Synth has become a main staple of the sound, and the effects all round are getting more psychy and whacky. Getting in the studio with our producer Andy Lawson time after time has also developed our imagine and shown us what we capable of. We tend to look at him as another member of the band.
Your band name is one of the funkiest I’ve heard, what is your preferred wash of denim?
Oooof that is a tough one. Here at Death By Denim we enjoy all kinds of denim and do not discriminate against any wash. The more we go along we try to convince each other to buy some ridiculous looks. George has about 5 different pairs of overalls which is always a fan favourite. I’m still looking for a purple denim jacket so if you know anyone that has one let me know.
What does the future look like for Death by Denim?
A lot of plans have been changing with all that’s going on right now. A new single will be dropping at the end of April. We have been recording plenty and may or may not have an album on the way. With us we just love constantly recording, touring and engaging with our fans. We have a tour lined up for the end of year and planning on heading overseas soon. Hopefully the world opens back up in time because we have plenty in store!
You can stream ‘Homemade’ here.