DSC Are
Rich – Bass
Dave – Guitar
Belinda – Violin
Colm – Drums
Having formed several years ago Deep Sound Channel are a rare breed of unique music in Nottingham. With experienced musicians at the helm DSC mix a live drum and bass sound with reggae, dub, rock and even folk influences to trippy and mind blowing effect! We caught up with the band in their local rehearsal room/pub, The Golden Fleece, to talk about what influences the band and why they are building a reputation as one of the most diverse and brilliant live acts in the midlands.
Steph – To start off can we get some history on Deep Sound Channel, I know you've had a few line up changes over the time you've been together, how have things changed?
Dave – We haven't had that many full on line up changes, we have had a few people who have drifted in and out though, we had a sax player called Deb, a clarinetist called Daniel and a percussionist, they've all sort of come in and then gone out and gone on to do other things but we always have had the core 3 of Colm, Rich and I and now we have Belinda. We met up with Belinda just over a year ago, so we are waiting for her to drift out now!
Belinda – I ain't going anywhere!
((Everyone Laughs))
Steph – Tell us about your influences and how would you guys personally describe your sound?
Colm – That is a really hard question! It is what we create I don't know how to describe it, it has drum and bass, jazz, funk, rocky…..
Belinda – Trippy, lively….
Dave – Rich is a big Reggae and Dub fan, as well as a lot of other stuff but I think that comes out in the bass lines quite a lot, I like loads of stuff Miles Davies, Gong, Soft Cell…..
Colm – I am influenced by a lot of stuff on Ninjas Tunes, a lot of drum and bass stuff but jazz and other stuff too.
Rich – It is quite a full, lively, diverse and deep sound!
Steph – How do your songs come into being? How does the writing process work?
Dave – Sometimes one of us will have a riff and we will all just step into that or otherwise we just jam and sometimes it just flows out.
Colm – They are the best songs really the ones made on the spot!
Belinda – We still keep working on them, a lot of songs are still works in progress, we keep adding to them.
Colm – Yeah, we just try everything, if anyone has an idea we will try it and see how it sounds. If it works or if it doesn't it is good to just throw out as many ideas as we can and see how everyone sees the song going.
Rich – If there is an idea there we will always try it, we rehearse in the cellar at The Golden Fleece, we spend hours down there, two floors down in the dark. We just lose our heads down there for hours on end!
Steph – Do you guys have any CDs and recordings out?
Colm – We have an E.P out, most the tracks are on our myspace but it isn't that new and it isn't really on sale, it has still got the sax on it and stuff.
Belinda – It hasn't got me on it.
Colm – We would love to record again but we are trying to get the money together to afford it! We are saving gig money now to get a van so we can tour around more and then get in the studio so we have plans.
Steph – Tell us about some of the gigs you've played, any weird or funny stories?
Colm – The funniest gig was probably the Liverpool Barfly wasn't it?
Dave – Oh god yeah…..
Colm – We were all sat upstairs in the band room like, we were just chilling out, reading the paper, having a drink, whatever and this woman comes in shouting ''ARE YOU READY TO ROCK!!!!!''…..so we are like …erm..yeah? We go downstairs and the room is fucking empty even the sound man had gone!
Dave – So we waited for like one person to show up and started…it was a very personal gig!
((Everyone laughs))
Rich – We played in a little redneck pub in St Austell….we got there and were getting ready and the manager of the pub came up and said 'Oi have you got a singer?' so we said 'No' and he said 'Well, we like singers in this pub'' I think they had lots of singers playing to backing tracks and covers and stuff. We got on stage and started playing to a room about half full and they didn't really seem to like it and then suddenly a few people showed up who were a bit younger and one guys rang up his mates and held his phone up so they could hear us and the place just started filling up! In the end it was full! Then after the gig, we left the gear at the pub, and everyone who had been at the gig jumped in our van and went to the beach so there was like 40 people on the beach round a big fire with us.
Steph – You said earlier you had plans for the future would you like to talk more about your vision of the Deep Sound Channel future?
Colm – Well we haven't got many gigs coming up but look at the myspace for dates, we are jamming with a few new people, some sax players and drummers too so we will see what happens there.
Rich – We have a bit of money so are looking to buy a van so we can start playing out around the UK more.
Dave – It is nice getting out of town, songs you think your playing to much or the Nottingham crowds have heard a lot get a new life when you play them to a new audience. We used to play quite a bit outside Nottingham but the old van died so we need to get a new one. We want to reach more people and expand the music and play more gigs and just enjoy it.
Steph – Finally if you have any thanks you'd like to give or any shout outs, big up anyone, then now is the time to do it on paper!?
Belinda – Grain, I'll say big up to them….they get better and better!
Dave- Yeah, Grain are ace! I fucking love Trickster…..
Belinda – Urban Space Lab are great..check these bands out!
Colm – The Golden Fleece, The Maze, The Loggerheads…all the great bands and venues in Nottingham and all the people who support the music scene here!
