Images: Alex Amoros
Duck Wax will be releasing their second single of 2024 on Saturday, May 11th! After the success of their latest single ‘Blue Tiles, White Tiles’, earlier this month, their next single ‘Haircuts’, works as a sister song, inspired by the trend of nonconformist-types cutting their own hair
1. For someone that is yet to discover Duck Wax how would you describe yourselves?’
Genre blending, playful music that wears itself on its sleeve. We just wanna make good music and have a fun time doing it. We’re really close mates so these things come across in our live shows. If you want to ‘discover’ Duck Wax, the best way to do it is at one of our gigs.
2.’What inspires you as an artist?’
We get inspired by each-other in a funny way. There’s a healthy competition in the band. For example, if one of us writes a funk song, it’s likely another one of us will be ‘inspired’ to write a better funk song. A lot of the songs we write include stupid jokes from the time spent together.
3. What is your process for preparing to perform live? Do you have any Diva demands?
I don’t think we have any crazy demands. We all have our own little rituals. For example Hector (guitarist) likes to wear particular socks for gigs. Gus (sax) does breath-work on the day of our shows. As a band we often coordinate outfits which we change into before playing. Weirdly we find it helps us shift our heads into ‘gig-mode’. Previous outfits include: French men, Cowboys, and Tight Golden Shorts.
4. Where do you feel you fit into the music landscape?
Honestly we ask ourselves this all the time. We never wanted to restrict the stuff we write to a particular genre, and although we have our own style we don’t know what landscape we live in as of yet. Some of our stuff is very funky, some of it’s post-punk, some of it’s a lot softer. Hiatus Kaiyote described themselves as wonder-core once. They defined it as any sound – as long as it’s written to make you feel good. We like that.
5. What are your favourite musical genres, and are there any you dislike?
We love nearly everything. Post punk bands like parquet courts; Funk bands like Parcels and Country artists like Tony Joe White and CCR. The London contemporary Jazz scene has been throwing out madness in recent years. Big fans of Sons of Kemet in particular. But honestly everything flies with us. Our drummer, Luke, is a massive fan of 00’s Pop.
As a unit I don’t think we really dislike anything. Maybe Gabba.
6. Where did the name come from?
It’s a bit of a long story. The short version is that we had a different name in mind and our friend misheard what we said, and it stuck. Duck Wax.
7. What would you say is your greatest strength as an Artist?
Not taking ourselves so seriously and enjoying the process together. Hopefully we can just keep that rolling.
8. What would you say is your greatest weakness as an Artist?
Not being signed to a major label. C’mon guys…ask us out before someone else does.
9. What can fans expect from your new Single ‘‘Haircuts ‘’ ’.
Our latest single is about a bloke who needs a haircut. It’s very relatable. It’s being released as B-Side to our other most recent release – Blue Tiles, White Tiles. As a pair, they’re definitely a new direction for the band. The tunes are much rowdier, raw at the edges with danceable riffs at their core. It’s been really fun playing them live, and we’re planning on releasing at least one more in this style, so stay tuned.
10. What music artist would you say have influenced your work?
Our last single Blue Tiles, White Tiles was heavily inspired by Tony Joe White, Viagra Boys, Parquet Courts and Was Not Was. But it really depends on the song we’re writing at the time. Peaches was really trying to mimic the vocals from artists like Pavement and Jonathan Richman. It tends to just be influenced by whoever we’re into at the time.
11. Who would you most like to collaborate with artistically?
It would be cool to hear the band with a female vocalist. Someone like CMAT would be amazing. Her lyricism is brilliant and the tonality and range in her voice is so versatile. Always thought it’d be cool to get a fuller horn section as well so maybe someone like Theon Cross.
12. What was your worst performance?
We played a very small festival in the Peak District. We played on the last day, very drunk. We forgot some of our instruments and had to borrow a nasty guitar. Then halfway through the set we got cut off by the council because of a noise complaint.
13. What was the most difficult obstacle you have ever faced and how did you overcome it?
Our bassist, Archie, had a major hand injury that stopped us from playing for months. Idiot put his hand through our window. After getting surgery he has no feeling in his middle finger and has had to switch to playing with a pick. We’ve made it work. Idiot.
14. What is your creative process when making music. Do you work with others or is there just you?
It’s very democratic. Usually one of us has written most of a song and then as a band we flesh it out. We like to describe it as a colouring book in which one of us has drawn the lines and the rest of the band colour it in. We can be brutally honest when it comes to criticising each others ideas and as a result have developed quite thick skin. Still hurts sometimes though.
15. Where do you see your musical career in 10 years?
It would be great to be a cult band like King Gizzard, it seems like they have a nice time of it. There’s a certain level of grandiose fame that is probably undesirable. We talk about it sometimes and agree it wouldn’t be very good to suddenly become huge. Don’t want anyone to start swanning around like Mick Jagger
