Interviews• Lifestyle• Music

5 minutes with: Dutch Uncles

Okay, so you’ve listened to Hurts, you’ve heard of Frankie and The Heartstrings and you’ve bought Delphics debut. So what’s next I hear you cry? Not ANOTHER new band?

Not quite.

Dutch Uncles, are pretty fresh out of Manchester, already having released an album in Germany with an upcoming UK debut album just around the corner, not to mention currently being busy on the road with Everything Everything- I was lucky enough to have a quick catch up with them, from the comfort of their tourbus…

So, how did it all begin for Dutch Uncles?

Dutch Uncles coming together was strange. Andy, Robin and Pete have been friends since Primary School, and met Sped late in high school and originally formed a band with a different singer. That all came to an end as high school finished, and then we met Duncan at College/Cure gig. We invited him to a rehearsal, and got too drunk to remember doing so. Upon arrival we were surprised/very happy to hear him sing a few covers (to test the waters). Within a month of being together we had put together and recorded our first 3 track ep – and that’s how it all began!

Are there any interesting stories behind the name ‘Dutch Uncles’?
I’d like to say there was an incredible story behind the name but unfortunately there’s nothing too exciting. We’re actually named after a play by Simon Gray called Dutch Uncle.

Duncan also competed against our original band in the last year of high school at a talent show. We came third, he didn’t place. Ha, but he was drumming and his band was called ‘Dutch Uncle’ so the names always been in the back of our heads. We added an S to the end and away we went.

Your debut UK album is due out next year, how different is it going to be compared to your first?
With the first album it was literally a case of getting signed and were thrown a date where we would fly to Germany and record the album. So literally the 10 songs we thought were the best at the time went on there.

Since that came out late 2008/early 2009 we have been writing and writing and writing, putting together a more mature sounding album song by song. We have spent so much longer in the studio working with producers and throwing ideas around all the time. Each song has it’s own A3 sheet on the wall and things get written on and marked off continuously. We started demoing the album ourselves with the intent to shop it around afterwards and Memphis Industries came in half way and took us on which was nice.

Sound wise you can expect more piano, violin, mallet instruments, rhodes, maybe even a piccolo. Bigger chorus’, chunkier verses and alot more dynamics. Oh and links between songs. One thing we really want to do, join songs together and have nice non silenced transitions.

You’ve toured with the likes of The Futureheads, Bombay Bicycle Club, Everything Everything- who have been your favourite/least favourite to tour with?

To be honest we couldn’t possibly answer that question. Every band we have toured with has been amazing. Yes, some have been better in places than others. Each band has given us the opportunity to play our music in front of large crowds of people with a certain taste in music, that should stem to them liking us.

What other bands are you all into at the moment? Is there anyone we should be listening out for?

Friends of ours Egyptian Hip Hop and Deaf to Van Goghs EarFavourites of ours. Both really good fucking bands and thrive on being different.

The bands current taste in music varies. 2 of us are listening to lots of hip hop and the rest share an even mix of minimalism and alternative indie and maths prog pop etc. King Crimson to Talking Heads to Jethro Tull to XTC.

Anything else we should know about Dutch Uncles?

We have invented a game called Schloggle Ball and play it on tour non stop. We are currently constructing a rule book and intend to manufacture a Dutch Uncles Ball and Goal and sell them at gigs.