Dirty Skirts Interview

Rowan Pybus photographer at rocking the daisies

I caught up with the Dirty Skirts in Durban, performing at the Zulu Jazz Lounge on Smith Street on the 16th of May. Their appearance was due to the “Naked : Creative Collective” AIDS awareness exhibition at the Durban Art Gallery, put together by the amazingly talented David Gouldie. After the “Skirts” played their set, i hustled Mark de Menezes, drummer and resident nice guy, into a rather dingy back room, where i asked him these very questions.

There’s me, Mark. I play the drums, but i wasn’t there from the beginning. Dave (lead guitarist) & Jess (Jeremy – Vocals, Guitar) met at a braai early in 2005, where they decided they were both interested in starting a project, so they got together and started putting stuff together. They wanted something more, so in the process, found me in October, and after auditioning a few bassists, we all settled on Maurice.

So, after finding the right mix of talent, and ideas, where did you guys draw the inspiration from, considering you have a rather unique sound?

It comes from us all having quite varied styles of playing. I mean, i came from a funky, jazzy kind of vibe, where Jeremy brought his synthesised Drum ‘n Bass & electronica. Maurice brought something completely different to the table, with his blues/funk background. So, we just used all that to create something that no one had heard before. Of course, we use every day life, which is something everyone can relate to. It ended up working quite well for us. After releasing our EP, Barney Simon (then, still doing the “Mosh Pit” on 5FM) played our 1st single “Tsunami.” I remember him saying, ‘All you record execs sitting on the beach, waiting for a band to sign, this is the band you should be listening to.’ Four years later, here we are. Playing the Zulu Jazz Lounge for the second time in the space of a year.

What can you say about your first experiences on stage?

The first gig we did as a full band was at “The Mercury” in Cape Town, our home town. We opened for headliners, international band “Black India Wild Ducks.” Within a couple of days, we played the Cell C Sound Of The City festival, which was a jump, in the sense that we went from a crowd of 200 to 3000 people.

Seeing as you’re the only band member in the room right now, which would you say is your favourite song to play?

I’d have to say that “Daddy Stopped Breathing” has to be it. Its just so different to everything else we’ve recorded. It has a nice chilled vibe, which is more where i’m from, musically.

At this point, band manager Candice Heyns, and Maurice (Bassist) join us in the interview room, pouring shots of tequila into one another’s mouths. I do get offered, but, i’m on the job. So, i politely refuse.

Now that Candice is here, i’d like to ask a potentially controversial question. Do you guys, as a band, think that there would have been any difference being managed by a man, as opposed to Candice?

(Both Maurice & Mark jump in here. It seems to be a unanimous decision)

Yes, we think there would have been a significantly different outcome, in those circumstances. The difference would, more than likely, have taken a negative turn. For one, it’s important for a bunch of guys to have some female company, and secondly, we tend to be more sensitive to certain emotions regarding life in general. We appreciate the work and commitment that Candice brings to the band.

This is the second time you guys have played at the Zulu Jazz Lounge that i’m aware of. Where else have you played in Durban?

Mark - Actually, this is our third gig here. They seem to have taken a liking to us. I’m not really sure why. We find it’s harder to get gigs up in Durban, considering artists don’t seem to earn as much, and the clubs aren’t usually willing to pay more for live performances.

You guys have made it pretty big. Is it safe to assume you’re carried by your label, or do you do a lot of the work, in terms of marketing, and all that kind of thing?

After a rather lengthy discussion(or rather argument) amongst themselves, about the pros and cons of being signed to a label, they come to an agreement

Candice - It's great having the support of a record label, but a lot of the work still falls in the bands hands.

Tell us about your albums. We are hearing “Rolling Like Thunder” on the radio at the moment, which is being received quite well.

Maurice - We have two full length albums available. “On A Stellar Bender” which was our first, was released in 2007 sometime, and then there’s the new one “Daddy Don’t Disco” which isn’t all that new. It came out about this time last year. Yeah. “Rolling Like Thunder” was the first single chosen off the new album.

At this point, Jeremy walks in, and Mark takes his cue to leave. I can see they’re all pretty gigged out from the frantic set they played to some pretty hardcore Durban fans. Yet, it doesn’t seem to deter Jeremy from taking some time to have a few words with Candice and myself. Unfortunately, i didn’t get a chance to chat to Dave.

There’s two albums under your belt, but, when do we get some more from the Dirty Skirts? I know i’m eagerly awaiting the next one.

Jeremy – Well, everything’s still in the dream stage at the moment. We’re thinking about  2010. We want to try and compete with the World Cup. We’re creating. It’s always exciting. It’s all about breaking barriers and inventing. A LOT of experimentation.

I noticed earlier you spent a few minutes after the set just jamming and creating. Would you say that’s part of the barrier breaking process for the new album?

Jeremy -  I think a lot of people might see that as slightly unprofessional. We enjoy the hell out of it though. At Coke Fest last year, we went on for an extra 10 minutes, just doing our thing. No one really seemed to be complaining. It’s an expression of our personality. There have been times where one of us isn’t ready for it, and the rest of the band gets a good set of “Eye Daggers.” Needless to say, they get into it in the end.

One of the things i asked Jeremy and Candice about, was the Zuma administration, and what it meant to them, and how they felt about certain members of parliament. I’d rather not go into too much detail concerning the conversation, but what i can say is that these are some pretty passionate individuals.

Jeremy – I can’t say i have a totally full opinion on what’s going on or even on Zuma himself. What i do see, though, is that people tend to jump to conclusions, basing their opinions on the thoughts and influences of others. If they really have such a problem with the way things are going, there are ways of using their anger constructively, supporting the positive and empowered individuals on the board.

It was great fun spending time with these talented artists, after watching them perform for the second time. Keep your eyes and ears open. They might be coming to a town near you. And you be better be ready. These guys take rocking out VERY seriously.