In our next band spotlight, we chat to Tim and Craig from garage-rock powerhouse, Dancehall.
[like_to_read][/like_to_read]S] How important is the visual aspect of the band?
Tim] I’d say visually we are skipping daintily between teenage colour puddles and considered grown groomers, both style in body, spirit and video. it’s always playful and never taking itself seriously, that is definitely the most important aspect for us
S] What motivates the band outside of music, think film, and people/places?
Tim] Craig is obsessed with design and the thickness of paper(also the film high rise), Dave enjoys driving long distance to inspect the chocolate selections in foreign petrol stations and I enjoy watching old 80s anime and British comedy. We all enjoy trips to the seaside and wearing shirts in the summer.
Craig] I’m into Bráulio Amado, Barney Bubbles, Yorgos Lanthimos, Seth Abramson’s Twitter feed, thinking about the B-52s when I’m not listening to them, crying at Queer Eye, moodboarding, trying to refresh the Guardian app at every tube stop, tapping on computers, making bright colour combinations, being around sunshine, truth and justice.
S] What challenges do you face as a band on a day-to-day basis?
Tim] As we are self represented through our own label, vibe Anti vibe – we pride ourselves on self releasing, keeping it true and DIY. This means all admin all emails all financial all planning all recording all releasing all rehearsing all singing all dancing is down to us… that’s a wonderful challenge.
Craig] This is a very literal answer but keeping our Google Calendar updated, no joke! And hoping venues/promoters/booking agents, etc. that we email actually reply, or even just open our emails and click that Soundcloud link. There’s a lot of shamanism involved in being DIY. Shamanism and stress-related illnesses.
S] What direct experiences inspired ’96’?
Tim] Dropping out of school, or wanting to in this case. Being sick of the humdrum stereotypes of ‘in’ gang culture in 90s playgrounds. And of course people’s obsession with how cool The Lost Boys was…
S] What have been some defining moments for the band?
Tim] Making friends with likeminded bands such as Hussy, Factory seconds, Eddie the Wheel etc… Being played on the radio by some big wigs and making our own album which looks so good (good job Craig) that you may just want to take it out for dinner …
Craig] I guess the biggest was going from being a bedroom project to playing live. And then eventually moving into Kluster Rooms, where we rehearse, record, make videos, dub tapes, mail out our releases etc. and where Vibe/Anti-Vibe lives. We’ve been there for a while now, which is a bit of a feat in London, and I think not worrying about where we have to go and keeping all our stuff in one place has made our lives easier and allowed us to make more music.
