Page 19 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 105

BV105 pg 16-19 The Dust Coda Interview.qxp_BV105 pg 19 28/12/2021 01:22 Page 4

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lots of people who are true to the cause and truly solo… I remember some chick from some label very young. He was a family member who died
believe in it, and you need those people and telling me, ‘Oh my God, don't do guitar solos,’ when he was about 26 and it kinda got me using
they are great to be associated with and are in- and was telling me they were so naff and so un- some of that in that song, and I'm so proud of
spirational and just help keep the scene alive, cool and they would never be coming back and that song because I think it is one of our best
which is incredibly important. We played at Leo's I remember thinking ‘Oh maybe... No, that's collaborative efforts."
Red Lion in Kent this year before our headline ridiculous!’ And then, about a year later, I met Adam is proud of the song. "Well, yeah, it's
tour, which is turning into a great rock scene, Adam and all we did was talk about guitar solos. got a two-minute guitar solo at the end, that's
that club, we played with two great bands. We'd "So, find your crew of people who actually wicked! In all seriousness though, that one
never met Matt Long And The Revenant Ones dig what you dig. Adam and I, when we first stood out for various reasons and it was all
before and what a guitarist. We were all like, started writing together, we realised we had about doing it justice. The hallmark of any great
‘This guy is great.’ It was fantastic. Then it was pretty much the exact same record or CD col- song, to us anyway, we played it acoustic the
Daxx & Roxane, who we've known for years. lection from when we were kids. We could quote first time in preparation for something and it still
One of our first small club gigs was with them the same records. So, find your crew of people just sounded massive. The whole parts and the
years ago and they are still on the scene. I adore who actually want to sit on a bus and listen to chemistry just worked and that was a very re-
them. I know the other guys do too and they put AC/DC for 12 hours straight. Because that is warding thing, that you go all big and bang with
on a hell of a show. They are just fantastic. They where you get your strength… from each other. it and if you had the budget you could have all
are just grafters and they are just going to keep And so when people come at you with advice the lights and pyro, but equally the two of us just
on trucking and do what they do." like, ‘You should wear purple pants on stage be- strumming, it still takes you on that journey.
"They believe," adds John. "There is a band cause that will make you look cooler,’ you'll be Everyone came together and pulled it off. I also
I've been following for years now and they've be- able to tell them to fuck off. You have solidarity think it is one of Scott's best songs on the album,
come pretty big, called The War On Drugs. I if you have an affinity with the people you work drumming-wise. It is really, really good and it's
would describe them as Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, with." an absolute joy.
Dire Straits, produced by Brian Eno. They are "You don't write an album for songs like that
just a great band with a kind of Americana sound he songs 'Rolling', 'Bourbon Pouring', because everyone will tell you to piss off, but
and they have been around for 10-15 years. T'I've Been Waiting' and 'She's Gone', un- you throw in a cheeky one that's good enough,
They were formed around one guy and they just like 'Breakdown', wear their meanings very it's just wow!"
put out record after record for a long time and much on their sleeves and are openly among
then they started to get traction and got on a the most emotive work in the band's catalogue ream Alight' is yet another firm
label, but I've watched them the whole time and to date, touching on particularly difficult subjects 'Dfavourite on the album and one which
I just think they are so cool. such as loss and heartbreak. We ask if they can has the potential to be talked about in the same
"They just do what they do. The singer, tell us more about what inspired these songs breath as Aerosmith's 'Sweet Emotion' in the
Adam Granduciel, he must be in his 40s now. and if it was difficult to channel those personal test of time. Its lyrics scream the importance of
He dresses like a hippy, walking around in his subjects into their work. living life to the fullest and making the most of
blue jeans and long hair, and he just does not After apologising to his bandmate for, in his the here and now, and are something which they
give a fuck about trends, anything like that. In words, ‘hogging the interview’, John tells us, and the rest of the band live by. ‘You gotta give
every video, he's it your all,’ they
just strumming his sing.
guitar with his John explains,
faded T-shirt and I "I'm a pretty opti-
love that. He's not mistic person most
interested in play- of the time and
ing that game. He yeah, the song is
knows they are a meant to be a very
great rock ‘n’ roll positive song
band, a soft rock about going out
‘n’ roll band, and I there and doing
love watching what you want and
them because what you believe
they know who in and that kind of
they are and they stuff."
have not been di- And with 'Mojo
luted by anyone Skyline', a record
else's opinion - which has now ce-
and that is a mar- mented The Dust
vellous thing and a Coda as a UK-
very hard thing to charted rock band,
do in this industry.” it is safe to say that
Given that their dreams are
‘Breakdown’ is a alight through the
cautionary tale to band and the
those considering music they make
a path in the music and performances
business, we ask if they deliver. Adam
they have any ad- tells us. "If you
vice they wish they don't enjoy it then
could pass on to what is the point,
their younger selves if they had the opportunity, "No, it's not difficult because it kinda comes nat- because we're at a level where there is more
or if there is something they may like to offer to urally to me to express myself through lyrics, but hard work behind the scenes than spent doing
any new bands reading, which they hope may 'Rolling' is a particularly interesting one. That all the cool stuff, but it is all a part of the jour-
help and inspire. very much comes from a piece which Adam ney."
"Don't listen to many people's opinions, but wrote and as soon as I started playing it with him And what a journey it promises to be, and if
listen to the right people's opinions", are the and the rest of the band, I really got this feeling you haven't joined it yet, please get yourself a
words which John offers to Black Velvet. "And that there was something truly other-worldly ticket at the earliest opportunity, it will be more
develop your internal compass so you know who about it. It was coming from a very deep, dark than worth it!
is just fucking full of shit and who actually knows place. The whole arrangement and the way he Visit www.thedustcoda.com for more info
what they are talking about. had written it and the way it goes from this kind and pick up ‘Mojo Skyline’, out now on Earache
"I remember before I met Adam and I was of huge, climatic journey… it inspired me to write Records.
on the scene in London, playing loads of these lyrics that were kind of about death and
acoustic shows and shit like that and I made a the afterlife. Words By Michael Coventry
solo record and I had a song which had a guitar "Someone very close to me passed away
THE DUST CODA