Inspired #171 - Deep.Sleep
We catch up with Dan Frend of Deep.Sleep ahead of the band’s double-side single release, ‘You and I’ / ‘Her and I’.
Who are your top three musical inspirations?
I'm terrible at this question because I constantly change my mind. I think we work really well when it comes to creating based on what we've been consuming around the time of writing and maybe that's why our releases up to now have always felt a bit like they were genre-hopping between pop, rock and spoken word with this underlying 'indie' tone. I definitely feel like the music we've put out so far sounds like it was written in my bedroom as opposed to a fancy studio and I think I love the last couple of records The 1975 put out for the self-produced element to them all. I also grew up with a massive love for Michael Jackson sonically for the way he incorporates movement into his sound. He's just always been one of those artists where you can almost hear the dance from the videos and I think that came across really well in his live shows. Another artist who's inspired me from what felt like day one would have to be The Streets. Mike Skinner isn't just a musician, he's a poet and I think that's where my first passion for the association between rhythm and lyrics came from. I always remember from a really young age thinking of him as an 'artist' as opposed to just someone who's music meant something to me. 'A Grand Don't Come For Free' was one of the first records I can really remember listening to front to back and the way he incorporated a narrative flow throughout the entire record really stuck with me.
Is there a certain film that inspires you?
I LOVE Tony Scott/Quentin Tarintino's 'True Romance', to the point where my first and only (so far) tattoo is a quote from the film on my arm. I've always loved the idea of 'love' and the connection between two people and I think the relationship between Alabama and Clarence being this 'ride or die' sort of Bonnie and Clyde couple really stood out to me as being really important. A lot of my inspiration when writing music comes from the way I consume movies and TV and how that impacts my relationships with those around me. I love the soundtrack and the juxtaposition it provides in some of the films most important moments, being so calm but so chaotic at the same time in that final monologue. It's really hard to pin it down to one film but I think if I had to make a knee-jerk decision I'd have the same answer every time with perhaps an honourable mention to Nicholas Winding Rfen's 'Drive' just for that scene soundtracked by 'A Real Hero' by Electric Youth and College.
What city do you find the most inspiring?
I think I'd be letting everybody I know down if I didn't choose Newcastle. It's cliché but there's just something in the air when it comes to finding inspiration amongst the concrete jungle and all it's hidden haunts I've grown to find a feeling of 'home' inside of. When I first started writing I wanted to write about real things and real people so the notes on my phone were always rammed silly with little bits of conversation I'd overheard drunk blokes discussing. I still do it now to be fair, it just feels as though I've grown into my own shoes a little bit these days and find myself having more interesting conversations worth writing about. I suppose that all comes back to the people I know from the city and beyond. We're a canny lot up here.
Who is the most inspiring person to you?
This isn't gonna sound cool at all but I'd probably have to say my dad. He owned a record shop in the 90s and the thought alone of being able to work in such a noisy, passionate environment is justification enough. When he met my mam he was dabbling in DJ-ing and eventually got the opportunity to sell his shop and get up on the decks full time and I think that's always really embedded the idea that you CAN find a career in your passion and not everything revolves around a regular 9-5. He was my first introduction into music and we used to have loads of fun watching the music channels together while he designed his playlists and I don't think I'll ever forget how much joy that brought me. He bought me my first vinyl. He showed me how much of an entertainer Freddie Mercury was. I could go on forever. He's been my biggest fan since day one and I'll always love him for it.
What were your inspirations when writing the track?
I actually wrote this song a couple of years ago! My girlfriend at the time was moving away to University after a whirlwind romance-fuelled Summer. It's about the anxiety I felt then about stepping into my first long-distance relationship and the strains that come alongside it. It wasn't really until recently when we dug it back out the vault where I recognised how these naive, on the spot thoughts would resonate with me well into my early adulthood. There's this big mantra in the North about 'manning up' and 'acting tough' and it can be quite toxic so I really wanted to capture what that felt like to me in a sound, and make it as loud and bashful as I possibly could on my diet of indie-pop and self-doubt. The B-Side 'Her and I' is a much more reflective piece and I'm really proud of the juxtaposition of maturity in the two tracks.
How would you like to inspire people?
I've always said if I can inspire one person to tweet our lyrics or use them to caption an Instagram post like you used to write your favourites in your MSN bio then I'd really know I had a meaningful impact on somebody's life. It's the absolute height of the modernity of culture but if I can make a record that inspires somebody to make a reference to how they're feeling through some pop reference, whether it's to impress someone they fancy or even just to vent without having to muster the words themselves then I'll have done my job. I think people need to talk more and I want to encourage that, especially given the hand this year has dealt us all as a collective. Everything you put into print or make known doesn't HAVE to be positive. As long as it's real and you believe in it then go for it. Nobody's gonna laugh if you admit you're not really sleeping lately.
Interview by Karla Harris