Dez Dare - Album Feature
Not consuming more than you need, Balance in the deluge, and stealing You Am I's Rider back in the day
Noah joins Darren, AKA Dez Dare for a Q &A around the new record and history growing up in Geelong & Melbourne.
Firstly, congrats on the new album CHERYL! Your Love Shines Down Like A Supernova's Death which recently came out on God Unknown Records (June 6). How does it feel to have it out in the world?
Great and sad. Always fun to get something out and hear what people think but it is kinda sad that the process has finished. Then there is the excitement of touring so that is what I am focusing on next.
You are once again venturing into an interesting blend of creative rock and psych-noise on this your 5th album. Can you tell us about how you have developed this sound?
Very simply, do what I want. I like weird artists and I would get bored doing one thing. So I just sit down in my studio and start writing songs I would like to play and hear. Then hope others like it too.
You seem quite interested in the idea that we are missing what’s important in the world behind the distractions of the shiny things like unnecessary toys, and a heavy reliance on social media. Can you talk more about this concept and what it looks like for you?
It is easy in the modern era to distract yourself. Phones, 24 hours news cycles, doom scrolling, absolute onslaught of information that is hard to decipher what is real and what isn't.
I am not trying to disconnect, I love technology, simply trying to find balance in the deluge. I lead a pretty existential existence. Keep things simple, focus only on what's important. Don't consume more than you need. No worship... just exist.
You are joined on the album by Laura Loriga on backing vocals (BV’s) and Jonny Halifax on BV’s and lap steel, expanding on the sound of previous records. Can you tell us about your connection to them and if they are involved in your live show?
The live show is just me, loads of pedals, a guitar, an iPad and usually projections. Both Laura and Jonny are on God Unknown records, which I am on and help run, and we had the 10th birthday for the label in London when I was recording. Thought it would be great to get them involved and they thankfully said yes!
You have a pretty rich musical history being in bands: Thee Vinyl Creatures, The Sound Platform, Warped and have shared stages with the likes of 5678s, Cosmic Psychos, Fugazi, The Dirty Three and the Hard-ons, before shifting your focus to running record labels. Can you tell us a bit about your journey and any cool rock and roll stories you might recall?
I was lucky enough to grow up in Geelong at a time when there were loads going on and we had tons of support from the scene. Like a lot of people in music, playing in bands led to sound engineering, show promotions and touring... before you know it you're running a label putting a bunch of great music out. That's what got me to the point of running Low Transit Industries with Simon Baird (Thee Vinyl Creatures, The Sound Platform). We were in a number of bands together and we started working with other bands after doing it ourselves. When I moved to the UK in 2010 I moved into the arts sector looking after marketing and communications for charities. Now back at it, both label and music.
We caused a lot of nonsense when we were younger. Pre-phones, you could do anything. From car surfing home from the Barwon Club, to stealing every doormat in a school, to burning a plastic Humphrey B Bear chair on stage, to drinking all of You Am I's rider when they were supporting Redd Kross at Deakin Uni.
We were young and free and stupid. Good times.
You grew up in Geelong and Melbourne, where you became involved in the local punk and rock scene in 1990s and are now based in Brighton, UK. Tell us about your connection to Melbourne now?
Most of my old friends still live in Melbourne and I go back every time I am in the country. I played at Gem Bar with Grytt (featuring members of Bored! and Warped) last year... still my fave city.
Finally, who are your favourite Melbourne bands at the moment or who would you like to see interviewed for Tempo?
Where to start. I play a lot of Aussie music on my radio show here in Brighton at Slack City. So much to choose from. Sarah Mary Chadwick, I released Batrider via Low Transit. Her new stuff is beautiful, heartbreaking and hilarious. Billiam is some good old school odd rock while nearly every project that Sarah Hardiman does is tops. Delivery are farkin' top stuff. Affordable Repayments = RIFFS! The list is getting too long so here are a bunch of top types... Grytt, Cong Josie, Kim Salmon, Legends of Motorsport, The Dacios and Michael Beach