Fireworks Magazine Online 68 - Interview with Dirty Thrills

Added by Electronic Brain | 14 March 2015

DIRTY THRILLS

Interview by Sophie Brownlee

Soulful, groovy and raw; but how would Dirty Thrills describe themselves? The up and coming rock band talk to Sophie Brownlee about image, being a Modern Rock band and what plans they have to make it big in 2015.

If you had to describe your sound in a short way, say three words for example, to a potential new listener, how would you express it?

Sexy, edgy and most importantly DIRTY!

With regards to your music and sound, who do you personally see as your target audience?

Our target audience is quite varied. Most would consider us to be more appealing to blokes but we actually have a lot more female fans, which we aren't complaining about! We appeal to anyone with fresh ears who loves Rock 'n' Roll.

Some of your influences are listed as Rival Sons, Queens Of The Stone Age... but you also quoted Robert Plant-style vocals. How much do you see yourselves as influenced by bands such as Led Zeppelin and how much by these newer bands?

A style has to obviously come from somewhere. But as most bands will say, we are striving for our own sound, the whole Rival Sons, Robert Plant thing is just a bonus...and a good one at that. The ways our rhythm section plays together is definitely reminiscent of those classic bands and have a big impact on the riffs and grooves we write together.

How important do you think image is for a Rock band and how would you describe yours as opposed to explaining simply about your sound?

Although image shouldn't really be too much of a factor, you can't succeed in this industry without it. For example, it's rare that you can have a photo shoot without your style and clothing being up for discussion. Having said this, we do like dressing to impress as you have got to give fans something to look at!

Can you tell our readers a bit about the band's song-writing process and explain how this was put into practise for your debut?

We have a few different ways of writing songs; generally it's an idea here, a riff there, a melody line elsewhere. Then depending on what's going on, we either write them in rehearsal, or piece them together via videos on our phones. We often go down to Louis James' home back in Wiltshire, where he has a rehearsal space. We end up jamming all night, drinking, having a laugh, and occasionally get some shit hot songs out of it.

What one song from your debut would you say best showcases your sound and style?

'No Resolve' has a real dirty and moody feel to it with a large use of dynamics showcasing each of us and our personalities. I think it is well and truly rooted in Blues Rock but with a real enticing, current edge to it.

What was your highlight moment from recording your debut album and what, if anything, would you do differently with hindsight?

There's a lot of down time when you're not needed for recording, and those moments are usually when something fun and entertaining happens. These were the highlights for us. Seeing it take shape also brought a tremendous sense of accomplishment too. As for doing anything different with hindsight, I think a little more time to experiment with more of a live sound and feel would have been great to capture our live experience a little more. Although that's notoriously one of the most difficult things to capture when recording a Rock 'n' Roll band.

DT live is the real deal, if you love Rock 'n' Roll...surely you love live music...if you love live music we think you'll love seeing us live. We give it our all when we play live each and every time, without fail. There is heaps of energy but still a hundred per cent integrity with the songs and music being at the core of our performance. Each member of DT is an accomplished musician with a huge belief and passion in our band and music, this is evident with the enthusiasm, drive and boundless spirit captured in our on stage performance.

What has been your favourite gig/live performance to date and why?

Our sold out album launch party was a pretty great gig to play, down at the Barfly in Camden. It was a packed crowd with new fans and old, an awesome celebration and a killer party afterwards. It made us feel appreciated for the time we spent working on and recording the album.

Away from the music business, how do DT spend their typical day at the moment? What interests and hobbies do each band member have and what are your favourite ways to spend your time outside of music?

Like most Rock 'n' Roll bands we enjoy the occasional drink or two ha-ha, Aaron Plows is most famous for his love affair with Real Ale. We all like to go out in London, whether it be the pub or house party. Jack Fawdry dodges landlords mostly and lives on a variety of sofas, floors, beds and questionable spaces, and often finds refuge in pubs that give free beer. Also, James and Steve Corrigan are the un-sporty, non-football fans of the band.

How do you plan to grow as a band in a musical climate that is generally more conducive to Pop music than Alternative and Rock genres?

We have always believed in what we do. Our brand of Rock Blues is vibrant new and exciting. The truth is people do love Rock 'n' Roll, every summer you can find dozens of festivals, small and large across Britain and beyond with so many Rock and Alternative bands playing. Live music proves Rock 'n' Roll is still alive and kicking and we do it pretty darn well, which is why we want to share it with everyone. We believe most Pop music doesn't get close to achieving the highs, excitement and buzz of a great live DT gig.

What sort of challenges do you face in doing this?

Well of course huge Pop acts are supported by huge labels that have the funds to back and promote their acts despite the fact that they may not be many people's cup of tea. We'd love to create a real buzz and excitement for Rock 'n' Roll again. We'd love to get it back into the mainstream instead of the Pop genre; changing people's minds, turning them on to DT and away from mainstream TV shows is our main struggle. We believe that if we keep working hard our persistence will pay off.

What do you see Dirty Thrills doing in 2015 and beyond?

We intend to tour as much as possible around the U.K. and Europe, with a large sprinkling of festivals this summer - watch this space. We really wanna share our music and the "live Dirty Thrills experience", so a support slot with one of the bands we love would be a great addition to the exciting year we have ahead too. We may have a few treats in the way of new music and songs for our fans but don't want to say too much just yet. So in the studio we shall go soon....

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