Wanna learn about a Dutch post-indie band? Read on.
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We’re from all over the Netherlands, which sounds pretty good until you realise far north to far south is only a four hour drive!
How did you meet?
Maarten (Guitar) has been in a band contracted by Twans’ (drums) label, but he had a strong urge to broaden his horizon… That resulted in a two week writing session and the base for BTD was a fact! Marlouk and I started singing along and it just seemed to fit…
How long have you been playing as a band?
We’ve been playing for a year now, in that eternal and everlasting attempt to find just the right sound and vibe… Like all good things, most of the time it comes naturally but sometimes it’s frustrating as fuck. However, second leg of the album is being recorded in March/April so we’re getting there!
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
Ok we all come from very different musical backgrounds, but every genre has common stuff that works… Before the drop is that moment in a song (most obvious in techno) where you hold your breath and know the big ka-boom is coming… Just before that moment you let it all go, that’s the best feeling…
What are your influences?
Again, we come from very different musical backgrounds… There’s just as much Faith no More in here as there is Angus & Julia or Mogwai…
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
The band is a post-indie piece played by musicians with a background in more heavy music. You can feel the tension to play the shit out of these songs, while they require us to play controlled. It rings through in the music. The double vocals in it give an extra depth, adding to that tension.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
Hey man, what not? Basically everything that happens in life has a song in it, it’s more how you say it then what you say. You can sometimes feel yourself slipping into smothering depression because a chair is lumpy and the other day you’ll read a book which lifts you up. Everything is connected and can have a deep and profound meaning. Or, just, not… The songs mean something different to us all, and even for me it changes by the day.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
We’re just starting up as a band, so I would say come and see us and get the chance to be charmed out of your panties by our charming awkwardness before we turn in to the well oiled post-indie-show-lords we all have inside of us (obviously)!
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Well there is just one show that in particular comes to mind which I’ve seen on YouTube but haven’t got any actual memories of… The camera is shaky and blurry most of the time and probably that’s for the best… I would love to go into detail but then again, totally not…
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
I play LRZ guitars.. He’s a Scandinavian custom guitar builder/engineer who builds guitars exactly how you want them, grade A+ materials and they feel like tits playing them. Aside from being an awesome guitar builder, he’s a chill dude, guitar player himself an a huge wood-nerd so he knows what he’s talking about… Check him out if you have a chance.
Twan plays Sonor SQ2 drums, Paiste cymbals and Balbex custom sticks.
Maarten plays custom build SKG guitars which are built especially for him and as of late also James Tyler Guitars because that suits this band better, through an Line6 Helix and a Vox AC30.
What are your plans for 2019?
We’ve all been playing in bands as long as we can remember, and for most of us, these bands worked out pretty well… We’ve collectively played all the A-list venues in the Netherlands and some abroad. Also we’ve played at some sweet festivals in the Netherlands (e.g. Pinkpop, Lowlands) and again, abroad. With this band we plan to do it as a group, as we feel we have something special in our hands here… Aside the obvious goal of world domination with this band, Twan aspires to be a professional curling player and Marlouk holds the world record for not eating gingerbread on wednesday.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
I was really impressed by Woven Hand, so would love to open for them once… Opening for us would definitely be Snow Patrol, they’re a reasonably small band, but have some killer hooks and just might make it big someday.
