Dig For Victory came out fighting from the ashes of Mama Roux with a new sound of their own, and the band continues to forge ahead with an increasingly psychedelic breed of rock. ‘Feel The Fire’ is the key track that bridges the gap between the past and future sounds of this blistering SE London 5 piece.
01 How did the band get together?
Myself and Andrew have been in different incarnations of this band since we were teenagers. Various members have come and gone and the name has changed a few time, but the ethos remains, We write and play what we like because it’s what we love to do. That’s regardless of any external trends or scenes.
02 Where did your name come from?
Well just between you and I, Andrew is a closet World War fanatic and a couple of us are 60’s freaks. So it just fits.
03 Who are your major influences and inspirations and who do you despise?
Our rhythm section love early REM and similar Power Pop bands. A couple of us regularly worship at the alter of Mick and Keef. And to balance out our retro leanings Tim is Radiohead all the way – blasting us in to the future. None of us are particularly in to Urban/R&B sounds or any of Simon Cowells pop-pap creations.
04 What drives you to make music together?
We’re friends and enjoy each others company, so getting together to rock out is an absolute joy. We all get off on the creative side too, everyone gets involved and it rarely feels like hard work.
05 What can someone who has never seen you live before expect from your live show?
Its a high octane Rock n’ Roll Show. And I can’t stress enough it IS a SHOW. I prance round the stage like a portly Mick Jagger and love nothing more than winning over a new audience. I’m pleased to say if they’re not all converts after the first song, they are by the time we’re finished.
06 Who writes your songs? What types of themes and subjects do you deal with?
Each member of the band will bring their own songs to the table, if not completed at least the bare bones. The rest put they’re spin on it and hey presto! I look after the lyrics and melodies. Most songs tend to be about girls, broken hearts or losing my hair. Y’know, all the deep stuff.
07 How has your music evolved since you first began playing together?
We used to be quite poppy. Think early Supergrass had they been around in 1971. But Since Mac (Bass) joined, our music has become more groove based. Both guitarists are using a wider range of effects, giving us a more expansive sound. There’s more depth now. Its an exciting time, sonically speaking.
08 What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Were you been able to overcome this? If so, how?
Honestly? Finding the motivation to make things happen. Our destiny is in our hands, but no one member drives this band. Plus we’re all of an age where we care little about ‘making it’ and just love playing for the sake of playing. Apart from hiring someone to poke us with a cattle prod – I’m not sure of the solution.
09 Do you play covers? If you could pick any song, which would you like to cover most and why?
Historically we’ve always played a cover in the set including: ‘Sweet Emotion’ by Aerosmith and The Animals ‘We Gotta Get Out Of This Place’ Andrew is keen to put our stamp on 80s classics, ‘Walk Like an Egyptian’ or ‘Kids Of America’. Hence why we’re not doing covers right now.
10 Where do you envisage the band being in five years time?
We’ll still be writing and playing, whether that’s in a local pub or selling out Arenas across the globe remains to be seen.
11 Who would you most like to record with?
I can’t talk for the other members, but I would love to sing a duet with Kevin Rowland. Most of my hero’s have sadly passed, but he is one man I really admire. I true artist and a great performer.
12 What should we be expecting from the band in the near future?
Our first single is about to appear on the new Acid Jazz compilation, ‘Hipsters: Volume 2’, released early April. Then we’re back in the studio in April to record our follow up single. You can catch us headlining on Sat 12 March @ Cavendish Arms, Stockwell. It’s always a good night there, so make sure you check us out.
