A Q&A with D:Ream

Dancefloor icons still doing it their way…

What’s the title of your latest release, and what does it mean to you?
It’s called Do It Anyway. It’s named after one of the tracks on the album. That’s the first time we’ve done that. We normally choose a lyric from the song or use a bespoke title. This time it just seemed right to use that track. The song is quite reflective, harking back to the days Pete and I met. Now we are getting on a bit, it seemed right. It’s kind of our ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien’ moment!

What was the hardest part about putting this release together, and why?
One of our main issues is distance. Pete is in Ireland and I was in the Midlands. We had to fit in recording with our personal lives and gigs, etc. When we are together, we have become quite adept at getting tracks done fairly quickly, however.

Who produced the release – what did they bring to it? If you produced it yourselves what do enjoy most about producing your own material?
We produced it ourselves. We always do. I’m not sure we’d work well with someone else doing it. We tend to part-produce as we go along and I don’t think we’d like the idea of someone butting in and trying to change things. I like the idea of an in-house mix engineer though. That would be lovely.

What do you want the listener to take away from listening to your music?
As obvious as it sounds, I would like them to just enjoy it for what it is. Whilst we do try to write fairly meaningful lyrics, I don’t expect too many to listen to them. Some people will and it would be nice if they thought we were half-decent at writing. That would be lovely.

How does a track normally come together? Can you tell us something about the process?
I think this process is the same for most bands. It varies. Sometimes Pete will have an idea of a lyric that resonates with me and we will work on that. Sometimes he has a lot of a track done and, again, I like it so we get on to it. There are some like that that feel done and end up completely different once we put our heads together. Sometimes we just start from scratch and see what happens. Some of them never see the light of day. Some stay in our ‘vault’, which we intend on finishing at some stage. It’s not quite as extensive as Prince’s though!

What band/artists have influenced you the most since you started this project, and why?
My influences tend to be the classic artists I love. Prince, Weller, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and countless soul/funk artists being the main ones. That may not come across in the music but they are the type of artist I would say “well, what would Prince do?” when I got stuck with a lyric or an arrangement or anything like that.

What countries would you like to tour? Are there any standout venues you’d like to play in?
I’d happily tour anywhere, as long as the country is welcoming to everyone from all backgrounds, religions and sexuality. That is quite important to me. I once went to see Prince in Bercy, Paris. I’d love to play there.

If you could pick one track for our readers to listen to in order to get a taste of your music, what would you pick, and why?
Listen to the new single, ‘Do It Anyway’. It basically sums us up.

What ambitions do you have for the band/your career?
It would be nice for us to get played regularly on national radio again and just to keep going as long as we’re making good music.

Finally, as you leave the stage, what are your parting words?
Thanks for not bottling us off!!

Find out more about D:Ream at facebook.com/d.ream.co.uk