Dastardly duo Deafkid, who are in no way actually dastardly, I just like alliteration, recently featured as our SINGLE OF THE WEEK for their track Rosary off of their latest EP, Dialects. It were a cracking single, blending live instrumentation and atmospheric production, coming across as a moody and brooding mix of folk, electronica and a psalm/nursery rhyme like charm.
Following that feature, we only went and chased down Deafkid to share in a few Q’s and A’s to help you get to know the band a bit better, and an informative exchange it is too. Plus, it helps that the lads are good fun too. Enjoy.
First things first, how are you?
We’re good, just back from two shows in Bournemouth & Bristol, both been fighting off the first colds of this autumn/winter time but we had a really good time playing again.
For those of our readers who aren’t familiar with yourselves, how would you describe what Deafkid are about?
Deafkid started as a project where we could blend all the influences we have where nothing is too bizarre to be turned into something musical.
Prior to Deafkid you previously worked with Ghostpoet. How did that come about and what sparked the move toward project of your own?
Chris and Obaro (Ghostpoet) met in Coventry before he was signed when the potential album was a bunch of 2 minute demos. He wanted to do something more interesting with his live show and was keen on bringing in instruments. Chris was at uni at the time so we would snare the free rehearsal rooms and jam. The original drummer wasn’t working out so Obaro put an ad up online and Flo answered. Flo had only been in the country a month or so and his English was fairly dodge but the first jam was magic.
We’d toured the first record solidly for about 3/4 years globally and during the lengthy waits in airports and the endless string of sound checks and tech rehearsals Flo and I would be jamming and sharing ideas. Flo would do an insane beat in an odd time signature and not to be out done I’d add some polyrhythmic guitar nonsense, so when our time with GP came to an end we launched Deafkid.
What are your main musical touchstones when writing and producing? Any particular influences you draw from?
We both approach production from being a musician first and tech-geek second. Most of our material still starts with us playing real instruments; we used to live together so that was very natural. Recently we’ve tended to start ideas separately and then collab the moment it feels like we’ve got something. Influences are so wide ranging, we’re both into different things but there is a big crossover. We like to tell stories with our songs and are informed by what we’re going through at the time.
Aside from musical influences, is there any other art forms that really inspire you? Literature? Films? Art?
Ah massively! We both think almost entirely visually. Flo studied Graphic Design and was living in a warehouse community full of super talented artists, like the wonderful Spike Greenleaf who turned our artwork collage made by Camille Marceaux (who’s a fashion designer) into the structure used in our recent photos and then Sonya Zh who directed the soon to be released Rosary video.
We recently made Rosary our Single of the Week, what’s the reaction to it and your Dialects EP?
Really happy and thank you for the feature. We personally love the new record and are really enjoying playing the tracks live. Its certainly been a progression in our sound, a bit more band-like but still quirky with odd instrumentation.
It’s a little tough because we’re no longer seen as a “New Band”, but we’re not yet “Established” so finding where we fit in the world of blogs etc is tricky, and EP reviewers are a little thin on the ground.
We wonder as more artists’ self-release material if there might be more space made available to shorter length records as making a full length album is an expensive business! But we’ve had really good feedback so far from people who’ve heard it and came to see us live so it’s still positive.
How are things looking on the live circuit? Where can any keen readers come catch you?
We’ve got two dates left in the UK on the dialects EP tour. Thursday 16th at The Waiting Room, Stoke Newington, London and A Carefully Planned Festival in Manchester on Sunday 19th and we’re going to announce a German/Swiss tour very soon for those who follow us from overseas.
Any other artists you’d consider contemporaries that we should check out?
Chris: I got obsessed with an EP by Laszlo.
Flo: I’m currently listening to Ibeyi, these 2 girls from France. Their track River is awesome.
What’s next on the horizon for you guys? LP?
We’ve got our Euro tour in November, a few remixes to polish and we’re finishing off demos for the debut album, certainly got enough for a few records! We’re toying with a self-release again but nothing is set in stone. We both still work as session players; Chris is working with Emika at the moment.
Lastly but not leastly, if you had a pet vulture that was particularly cultured what would you call it?
Chris: Albert. For some reason I picture a vulture with a monocle drinking aged port.
Flo: Eduardo. He would know how to dance salsa and seduce women with his Latino accent.
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