The Duke Spirit have made a welcome return his year with a new album – dazzling fans, critics and new listeners alike with emotionally charged indie-rock and spellbinding live performances.
Ahead of their UK tour (dates below), the band have answered some quick-fire questions on what makes them tick and what we can expect from them for the rest of the year.
So, who are The Duke Spirit?
Liela Moss: chanteuse; ivory tickler; harp blower; tambourine twister.
Luke Ford: slinky strummer; organ basher.
Toby Butler: 4 & 6 string serenader; synth surfer.
Oliver Betts: skin beater; knob twister.
And where are you from?
London via ‘Nam, Coventry, Isle of Wight and sunny Suffolk.
How did you meet?
Working the night shift at Argos.
What did you bond over?
High Times, Highway 61, London Calling, Loaded, Radio City, Modern Sounds In Country & Western Music…we could go on.
For the uninitiated of our readers, how would you describe your music?
Like a black Ford Escort driving through a spring meadow at dawn.
What bands have influenced your music?
All the good ones…and a few shit ones.
What was your first band rehearsal like?
It was in a mouldy basement in a railway arch in North London. It was exciting, loud and the sound we made was surprisingly not very mouldy.
Where was your first gig?
The Brixton Windmill – with dogs on the roof and ageing Irish heart throbs at the bar.
You’ve recently released an album – how would you describe it?
Our record is called ‘KIN’. It’s a family record – thankfully more in the spirit of Sly & The Family than The Cosby Show! We tried to make it sound like the fourth album by The Duke Spirit and we think we managed that quite well.
How would you describe your approach to song writing?
Collaborative. The music happens first, everyone finds their parts and the words climb on top. It’s rarely a jam though.
You’ve been appearing at festivals throughout the summer and you’re heading out on tour in October. How would you describe your live shows?
Loud and spontaneous, sometimes gentle and soothing. Always played with a true spirit.
What are your plans for the rest of 2016?
Light some fuses, turn a few heads and hopefully make a penny or two along the way.
You can catch The Duke Spirit on tour across the UK in October:
10th Oct – Patterns – Brighton
12th Oct – The Rainbow – Birmingham
13th Oct – Brudenell Social Club – Leeds
14th Oct – King Tuts – Glasgow
15th Oct – Think Tank – Newcastle
17th Oct – Gorilla – Manchester
18th Oct – The Bodega – Nottingham
19th Oct – The Fleece – Bristol
20th Oct – The Scala – London
‘KIN’ is out now via Red Essential.
You can also read our interview with Liela Moss about the album and see photos from their Wilton’s Music Hall show in 2015.
