The Dunwells

0:00So I saw you guys in Austin last year at Southby and then today in my research I learned that you guys have a deeper connection to Austin, Texas Then just you know those beginning shows at Southby so maybe we'll start there you want to talk about why Austin is sister So the numbers We we have management now and that we recorded our debut album which is blind traffic say actually We're in Elton studio in Austin Texas, so we've got a big we like Austin Texas, so it's a It's a place that will always be quite strong in our heart because what we go there a lot every year I'm just for me first perfect We go south by Southwest of a year now and my birthday lands literally right in the middle of Southby so We've tried not having any shows that day and then go see some good bands

0:51How many what was it good give me a recommendation from this year? Do you remember your birthday? I guess is probably the first question We had an awesome book I had an awesome. We had a barbecue in the afternoon Round our Tom and his house and then we went to go see Paramah and they were really really good. Yeah Oh, they're mad just I talked to I had them on the show a few months ago actually On the topic of Austin I hear my favorite track on the record follow the road I mean interesting rhythm interesting cool riffs every bet you know that backwards like tomorrow never knows kind of guitar solos going on I Heard came together kind of written by a pool in Austin Yeah, we had that risk we were driving up to Edinburgh We had a show in in Edinburgh in the UK and there's handsome have this wrist and kind of part of it got written on the road up to

1:43up to Scotland and then And it was left for a couple months because we were thinking about when we were carding and what lots of us are to go on the album and hands and goes oh what about that risk that we were playing around with in the van on the left Scotland and It got because we were in such a good atmosphere around the swimming pool. We all had We all had you know the sunshine in down it seemed to fit you know the risk to kind of the song was finished within a couple of hours of Other and starting it back up again in Austin It certainly is the most different sounding tune It like it almost sounds like there's a sitar in there at one point. Am I right in saying that? Yeah, I mean there's a lot of reverse guitar and they're very guitar driven. It's very it's one of Hanson's

2:30Ideas that have come to the cream of the crop really and you know We're really proud of the way it's come out you say you're saying Hanson's tune It sounds like from everything I've read today everyone in the band writes like it's not just a You're the singer so you write the lyrics sounds like everyone kind of has a part in the writing process Yeah, I mean every song with individuals and there are like recently as we've been on tour And this my brother and I we share a room so When we constantly have our acoustics I didn't in the hotel room So there's been a lot of writing going on on there and you know Hanson writes Johnny right, so it's kind of it And then we all pull everything together like what we're currently working on our second record and we're picking out songs

3:18Left and center from from different people and it's it's working You know the magic really start to happen when we go into the practice room and and work on the song that has been written as five of five individuals and it kind of Well put our own idea and interpretation on the song Hanson was saying in an interview that you like to write in three four do you find yourself still gravitating towards that timing? No, I think that was just over time, you know, especially when you know when you've got on a key to guitar He's trying to do as much as you can to try and you know fill the sound out as much Because I used to When you play by yourself when you play the guitar that felt right I found that was it was always a pedal

4:03That was kind of you know cuz I was plucking the thumb would come from the keep in the beat of the guitar So not so much now because because the band is short height and right What about in terms of harmonies does everyone always take the same part or do you like does everyone have their own like one person takes the base One person's always the high or is it kind of like the Beach Boys where everyone kind of Try different things just to keep it interesting for themselves Yeah, we definitely all try different things to keep interested like For example songs like dancers me I take the law Johnny takes a high Good man, I say it does don't well take the high I took me Johnny took low Or Lord there's no more take low. I take me Johnny takes high

4:52So it really very very very though. It depends on who singing Lee vocal as well as in a Me and they have a Pretty much on the album 50 50 split on who's singing Lee vocal and then Johnny sings the two songs that's on there as well but Yeah, we mix it up a bit and we finally for me personally the harmonies is probably the most interesting part Do you mean in terms of arranging or in terms of getting to sing every night? Just getting to see every night. Oh, and I just I don't see myself as a guitar player I've got kind of seen as a performer and a singer It's my favorite part being on toys just seeing every single night and seeing my heart you know

5:37Sometimes I if we're playing for two hours solid I lose my voice because I'm singing that hard every single night and then I'll go into it that sure Again the next night and I'll sing again to our show singing at heart as a bit the night before I look at a little bit when I feel like I've done a good a good shift in the in a show Two hours sets. I mean the record's not two hours So what are you how are you guys filling out the two hours set are there covers of the new tunes? How does that work? we we throw a cover of hide-and-seek in which we've played pretty much since the band started and and then we Constantly working on new material so we play it. I don't know if this is the song We're all gonna go on the second record, but the seven

6:25Seven songs maybe in a life step that aren't on the record that could be ready for this first I could be ready for the second album the third album or the fourth album. You know We don't know what what albums gonna come out next or whether What line is gonna go down but we'll play new songs come from now with I'm From the fun to be doing and are they evolving now that you get to you know You're testing out these new songs on the road and working them out night after night Are they evolving or they cuz it sounds like the arrangements were tweaked a lot on the first record from what they started as to what they End up on on the album. So it's the same thing kind of happening. Yeah Absolutely, I mean even the songs that we've played they were recorded on the first album they're still evolving dinner where Lenting in the mouth to make you know

7:11Majimatic pauses and stops and like some of that blinds are safe now goes into so beautiful really well Because it's good for me to be in it and we've got these journey notes that so we're working on our live show constantly And I think that that's where That's what we love the most is about and we love playing live and we love making our live show the best it can be and the songs that would with that aren't yet recorded and we're working on the newest song we're getting to see That how they work with an audience and where they working a set and and why they're working and what bits are working and People are coming up to us and they're giving our they're giving us input as well saying I love that news on Communicate. Oh, I love that news on and and it's good. It's good to hear we never had that with the first record

7:59You know because we wouldn't look at we were about we were about new managers and we went into a studio not really knowing We had a bunch of songs that we were playing to a local funders in Leeds, England But We kind of we haven't learned our songs. Yeah, I think what was it as of the doing world now or really a Really sure of what we sound like and sure of what works for us Hmm that's interesting when did speaking of you know being sure of things when did you and your brother? Because I heard you didn't play music together as kids so when did that happen and realize that this is a good idea I did six years between me and Dave and so he started when he was 16 years old and I

8:45Used to put balls or soccer And then and then when I got to 16 I realized I wasn't given a football and I've always had an interest in music and I'd always loved singing and As a kid I used to harmonize with Dave Not expecting anything which is used to be fun sitting in the living room and him writing a song He was focused on his solo career He'd be writing a song and I'd kind of wander in after a game of football and Harmonizing to not knowing that anything has come of it and then when I started playing at 16 he Sorry, he was still playing his solo stuff But and then 16 to 18 I kind of learned my trade of playing on pubs clubs several every up in my night possible

9:31And then when I was 18 I had a bunch of songs and David a bunch of songs And we both had two weeks off We weren't working and we just said why don't we just go rock out and demos with a cutting faulty demos Like just acoustic guitar a Jim Bay On whatever instruments that were lying around the room and would you know That's when to me the film was really started This song's like good night. I sit in Elizabeth and you wouldn't even recognize him now that Elizabeth was a seven-minute song that had a massive Instrumental breakdown and and good night. I say I have Talking verses that I'm in the song now, but we're made when we made their recorded these demos That's when it really started. So have you have you over time owned the craft as a songwriter and and well

10:21Obviously, it's gonna happen with time. I mean you're gonna own the craft as you keep going with it But you know more now you're talking about these songs being very drawn out back in the day Have you have you kind of cracked the code of like the three-minute pop song in a way? I don't think you can have a crack a code of how to write a perfect song and I don't think there is a Such a thing as a perfect. I just think I've got some is a good song like well. I'm writing songs now that have pop hooks and Rock hooks, but I'm also writing these emotional songs that it still move me to the person Do they don't I'd be some is a I Cross the fire here, but the gist I think a good song is a good song and it will always I think it will always be that way for the longest music is around

11:09Yeah, I guess I've been in the terms of I know I have trouble with this of self editing You know like you used to write these drawn out songs and now maybe you're able to say you know what? Maybe it's just needs verse chorus verse chorus bridge chorus done. That's enough for this kind of thing. Yes Absolutely. Yeah, you totally right that and Sometimes you go off sometimes in every everybody does I love the right process especially more now I find it some some artists find it hard to write on the road, but I find it really inspiring. I think I write more whilst I'm on call then I do Whilst I'm a her because when I'm I'm a really Appreciate the value of family and stuff like that more now that I'm sorry

11:55So when I'm on top I focus everything all my energy on the music and then when I'm at home I focus on my energy on enjoying time with I talked to a lot of bands about that recently How long have you guys been like a like a full-on touring band where you know 90% or I'd say the majority of your time is on The road is opposed to being at home the past year or two would be my guess, right? Yeah, well literally we recorded now in June 2011 and we have been on tour everything So have you enjoyed the lifestyles and everything you thought it was going to be of being away all the time? It's great, you know, I'm currently sat in Toronto, Canada about ready to pressure What we just like that we're sat down having food with five guys that are really on with

12:44Obviously everybody has tough times and sometimes you wake up on the wrong side of the bed but H5 to 10 at a time. It's great. It's great. It's probably the best job I've ever had and it's everything I imagine that to be That's a good way to close it. So we do some called five questions five quick questions one word answers. Okay Road or studio? Road Leninger McCartney McCartney when you hear a song what usually hits you first lyrics melody or rhythm melody for someone that's never heard the Dunwell's before what songs do they start with? Well, all true cool, you know, what's interesting before I get to the final of the five questions

13:34Oh Lord kind of like the first half of the two I mean it's obviously like it goes places in that song But the first half of the song reminds me very much of Damien Rice and then I started reading that oh kind of inspired you to write Absolutely, that was probably the biggest inspiration for me to start writing my own songs and I think Oh Lord was intended to be that way then it was intended to be that being right Gallica and Cannonball and and all understand it but having a balance behind you gives you more and gives you more more to develop around You know, yeah, well kind of sounds like you did that too with nine nine is more of a full band record too It's a great album as well. I mean the fizzes the coconut skin is a great song. Yeah

14:23But my favorite song on nine is got to be the Elephant track three which is blowest all apart to Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it is a good tune. Okay, sorry back to the back to the five Yeah last question of the five questions in one word the Dunwell In one word for them while yeah energy