Interview | Introducing… The Drink

drink negWe were so blown away when we heard The Drink’s ‘At The Weekend‘ a few weeks back that we just had to make it our Song of the Day immediately – despite the fact we knew nothing whatsoever about the band. Having checked out their EP two we’re delighted to say it more than meets the promise of ‘At The Weekend’, so we decided to track them down and ask them to tell us a bit about themselves…

Hello, please introduce yourself and your music to the uninitiated.

Dearbhla: We’re made up of Dearbhla Minogue (guitar, vocals), Daniel Fordham (drums) and David Stewart (bass). I wouldn’t be very well able to introduce the music accurately except to say it’s a guitar band and we try to do songs that engage people on some level. We try to have interesting instrumentation going on but without letting on that it’s difficult and we spend ages getting it right. I recently remembered a lot of the motivation for this band was wanting to see what Joanna Newsom songs would sound like played by a guitar band, but that’s been long forgotten by now. I think that’s the source of the slightly strange rhythmic things because everything else I listen to is pretty straight. Also, I tend to get obsessed with a band for about a week, decide everything else but that band is complete drivel and try to write songs like them. For example, I’m listening to a Doors record right now and have a feeling that’ll be the next one.

David: A friend said we sound like Kate Bush in a teashop with Kim Deal playing post-rock sea shanties. But he’s a fiction writer and therefore tells lies for a living.

Dan: In a tea shop?!

Tell us a bit about your latest release?

Dearbhla: It’s our second self-released EP, our friend Ellis Gardiner recorded it where I live in Manor House last January. So the songs are pretty old. We had it mixed and mastered by Tobias Jones who’s in the band Buttonhead. It’s the poppiest of the three EPs we’re releasing this way.

David: These were some of the first songs I heard of Dearbhla’s. They made me want to play on songs again. I missed lyrics and poetry and voices and all that.

Dan: Because we recorded them so long ago I’d almost forgotten about them, so it’s been nice to be reminded of them (and to find that they’ve turned out well).

What was your best ever gig?

Dearbhla: One of the first ones was at a big house on Dalston Lane where there used to be gigs. So it was a big living room full of people but with a really good PA and so on.

David: Playing gigs at Indo in Whitechapel is always good. As Dearbhla says: “No one has ever not had a good time at Indo.”

Dan: Yes, those Indo ones are fun. It feels like a second home. With nicer beer.

What’s the worst thing about being a musician?

Dearbhla: I suppose not being able to concentrate on something else you need to do if you’ve got music on the brain. And the feeling that comes on sometimes where you feel like you’re wasting your time because you’ll never write ‘Heart of Glass’ or some brilliant song.

David: Not being able to describe sounds properly.

Dan: Insert joke about drummers here.

What inspires you?

Dearbhla: Hearing an amazing song. It makes you want to write a song that makes people feel like that song just made you feel. I like the Paul Simon quote about not caring how an audience feels about your music as long as they feel something.

David: The other two / A pint of porter.

Dan: Getting to play these songs with these people will do for starters.

If you won a billion pounds what would you do with it?

Dearbhla: Buy a big house and a load of guitars and amps and a coffee machine that grinds the coffee. And go to New York.

David: I would certainly get someone else to make all these CDs.

Dan: I think I should probably get one of those drum kits with drums that are above your head. It’ll probably rotate, too. [Note to band: one of us should probably say something noble about charity or some such, right?]

Which of your songs is your favourite and why?

Dearbhla: I like ‘At The Weekend‘ because I felt quite excited when I was writing it and it was one of the first ones I did after moving to London. I also like Haunted Place which will be on the third EP – my sister sings on it.

David: I love ‘Bantamweight’ from EP one but we have forgotten how to play it. Also ‘Playground‘ because it is just a bundle of joy.

Dan: ‘Month of May’, because it is an amazing pop song with all this great stuff going on beneath the surface. Like all of Dearbhla’s songs, actually, only more so.

What are you plans for the future?

Dearbhla: Going to record an album and press it to vinyl at all costs.

David: I am going to take my baby to a singing group at the local children’s centre.

Dan: I reckon the drum shop is going to have to order that overhead rotating kit in specially, so I might give them a ring now.

Finally, we’re always looking to expand our musical horizons. Do you have any recommendations of bands or artists we should be looking out for?

Dearbhla: I play in The Wharves and Shield Your Eyes which are both great if I may say so. I’ve heard loads of great bands in London: Halo Halo, Trash Kit and Shopping are great. I’ve been hearing the band Nitkowski practising in the past few weeks because they live on my street and they’re totally brilliant. Also I saw the Family Elan some time ago and they’re brilliant but I’m not sure they’re still going.

David: Don’t ask me, I have only just discovered The Roches.

Dan: I recently got a radio – it’s the first time we’ve had one in years and I’m quite enjoying hearing new stuff on that. So ask me again in six months. In the meantime, my wife got me the first Shirley Collins record for Christmas and I love it. So listen to that.