MUMBAI: Houdini Dax, the Cardiff-based Welsh band will be performing in India as a part of Horizons which is a partnership between BBC Cymru Wales and the Arts Council of Wales. Houdini Dax is the first from twelve artistes from Wales to have been selected for Horizons. The music of Houdini Dax, a band consisting of Jack Butler, David “Dave” Newington and Owen Richards, has “steeped in classic music influences,” says BBC. BBC Radio Wales presenter Adam Walton calls the band “more than a trip down Penny Lane, though. Their songs have dark edges, just enough shadow to ground them in the here and now.” The entire band took the time out to talk to Radioandmusic’s Aashay Dalvi about their upcoming album and their India tour.
Excerpts:
Since your first album, ‘You Belong to Dax Darling’, has the band or the music of the band changed over the years? If so, then how?
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Well, based on our previous works, our new music is more focused than before. We have placed better timing to them. The process of how we write the songs has not really changed much. Our approach is still the same. We still get together, come up with new ideas and write our songs. Just our writing has become more mature with new direction and analogy.
So, does that mean you are currently working on a more focused album?
We have it all recorded and our album ready to go. We are really happy with it. Over the years, we have become more focused towards where we want our music to go which is evident through our new album. Our writing style remains the same; however our vision towards our musical journey has become more mature. We have evolved as a group which can be seen in the music we produce as a band. So, when we go into the recording studio, we know exactly how we want the track to sound.
Would the new album feature the songs you have previously released?
We still have not decided on that. We are yet to talk to the record label; and we gather that they would want to have a say in the track-listing. But, ‘Good Old Fashioned Maniac’ will definitely make an appearance on it. I am not so sure about ‘Chess’, I think that would be on the B-Side album. In our opinion, ‘Chess’ would not make the final cut, but it definitely would be on the B-Side. There is possibility it could all change. Though, what we are most glad about is that we have an entire album just waiting to go.
Would the new album be under the record label of your previous album, See Monkey Do Monkey?
No, our deal with them ended a long time ago. Our first album was with See Monkey Do Monkey and we were with them for a good couple of years. We are trying to work with a different record management; and our focus has made us realise what we want in the last couple of years. We were just kids when we put out the first album, but for this album we have showcased our maturity and focus.
Have your musical influences changed from your first album to your upcoming album?
Well, we have always been a huge Beatles fan; and that is never changing. People tell us that they find similarities between our harmonies and arrangements and The Beatles’ music, though we do not hear it. We were not quite happy with the production of our first album, but the sound and production for our new album has definitely improved. The production of the new albums by bands like Arctic Monkeys and The Black Keys is outstanding. And, that is what we were aiming for.
Could you tell us who came up with the idea of coming to India and performing here?
We are part of programme in the UK called ‘Horizons’ where they choose 12 different bands and artistes. Throughout the year we travel and perform at various festivals. And, through that we are coming to India to play at a few shows there. We were really not expecting this as it was not a major plan. Now that we know about our travel plans to India, we are excited. It is going to be a very different experience for us and we simply cannot wait.
Have you heard Indian music before?
We have been well aware of the massive Bollywood influence that is seen here in the UK. Even the British films are influenced a lot by Bollywood such as films like ‘Bend it Like Beckham.’ And we hear stuff like that on the radio, and it is absolutely fantastic. But, while researching about these Indian music festivals, what we are surprised by is the variety of music that is made in India. Over here, we do not get to experience the different facets of the Indian music. We notice there has been a rise of “indie music” over the last few years as shown by the NH7 Weekender festivals. So, we are really excited to go there and experience the different culture and music in India.
Will you be premiering your new music during your India tour?
Yes, our current live set consists of most of the songs in our new album. We have songs that we hope to put in our third album, which also is quite exciting.
Would you like to say something to your Indian fans?
We cannot wait to see you, thank you for having us. We are going to have a ball there. It is going to be absolutely brilliant.
Houdini Dax will be performing in India on 2, 5 and 8 November at Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru respectively.
