Dorp are one of the fastest rising acts in the UK rock scene today. They have been able to captivate crowds across the North and South with their infectious sound. The band’s vocalist Piet takes time out to chat with SPHERE about their journey toward the top.
S] The songs from ‘Humans Being’ could be seen as a collection of works reflecting on the human condition specifically, and with songs like ‘Rollercoaster’ and ‘Pigs do Fly’ is it possible to assume that you are trying to celebrate aspects of life and experiences that we take for granted?
P] The songs are about humans being everything and anything. Humans being scared, being happy, being fat, humans being consumers. It is a look from the outside in at us as a species.
Looking at ‘Pigs do Fly’ We have come to a point where everything we read or see in the media we take for real. For example, if it’s in the papers or on the telly, it must be real?
On ‘Rollercoaster’ this is about a perfect relationship that turns nasty in the space of a few minutes. Where do stupid arguments come from? Another song worth mentioning would be ‘Extreme’ which is about consumerism gone bad. It was bound to happen at some point and it has. Strangely enough though, this song was written two years ago.
S] It is documented that you found the original transition from South Africa to London difficult, instead of looking at the negative side of this, how has the move inspired the band and do you see any similarities at all between where you were and where you are now?
P] The difficult part was not adjusting to life in the UK, or the move to the big city. The hard bit was going from a place where we had a profile to a place where we were just another band in one of the toughest music scenes in the world. I have never seen the negative side in this. I have always seen this as the right move, a difficult one, but the right one. London brought along new inspiration for the band to the point where it changed our style completely. Cape Town is a sunny city with beaches and BBQ’s, London is a fast moving beast with a dirty underbelly. This was a welcome change. Our music now reflects that. It’s darker, grittier and it has a demanding pace, just like the big city.
S] Your music can appeal to everyone from fans of Nine Inch Nails to The Editors. What made you decide to change your direction following your move, blending together elements of rock and electronica? Are you still excited by these genre’s?
P] It was never a conscious decision to merge these styles. I think it is vital to allow whatever excites you at the time to naturally filter into the music. If something stops exiting you, then stop using it. The whole question about “where do you get your inspiration from” for us, is also a strange one. It could be from another band or bands, it could be from a whole genre, it could be from consumerism to pop culture or anything in between. Inspiration and result are often very far removed.
S] Having played a few Northern dates already, can you tell us what some of your favourite moments were? When will you be back?
P] We love doing gigs up North and the best thing about it is the crowd. I often get the feeling that people in London go to gigs to judge or dissect the music. Up North people do it for the right reasons, to have a good time. We should be back up North from October to November this year.
S] You took a major risk moving, not only that but it wasn’t easy for you in the beginning. For those who maybe looking to escape the ‘confines’ of their town but are scared, you could be major inspiration – What were the most difficult points and do you feel that with your current success, it is worth it?
P] As a band, we talked about the the move to the UK for about a year and a half. The toughest part is to stop talking about it and doing. Yes, it was hard going from playing festivals and hearing yourself on radio to busking in the streets of Covent Garden, but it was worth every second of it. What is more important, being at the top, or the journey that takes you there?
Dorp’s debut album ‘Humans Being’ is out now.
Visit the band’s Website for more information.
*We would like to Thank Dorp and Rachel at Hero PR for their support.
