Dappled Cities
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Dappled Cities

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With their third album Zounds now three years behind them, indie rock outfit Dappled Cities have returned with a new single. Called Run With The Wind, the song was penned earlier in the year when the band was in England, where they decided to road test the tune away from any familial audiences. “We figured we’d play it there first while we weren’t in front of people who knew us well, and it was one of those moments where we played that set and put that song in the middle of it, thinking that it would be crap,” Derricourt explained. “People would come up to us, people that had never seen us before, and were saying ‘That song’s your best song,’ so it was a really interesting thing to have people that had never seen us before think that a new song was the best one we’ve done.”

Fans’ enthusiasm about Dappled Cities’ fourth album was ignited when they used their new single to close Death Cab For Cutie support sets earlier this year. Despite this anticipation though, Derricourt and his band mates are tight-lipped about the impending record, only suggesting the tentative release month of July, and with no hints at a name. “We’re kind of finishing it up and there’s just the last little things we’re putting together, so we kind of want to keep it all to ourselves,” Derricourt said. He does, of course, insist it will be worth the wait: “It’s going to be a bloody unbelievable record.”

When asked about how much new material the band were planning to share on their May East Coast tour, Derricourt explained that it was the first album the band felt comfortable playing every song live. “On the other albums there were maybe four or five we could play live, and the rest were just album tracks. But on this one, they all just sound awesome. I can’t wait to actually get to that point where we get to play the whole album.”

It’s no surprise that Derricourt is getting excited about it all; album number four has already taken them around the globe with recording time spent in Paris, Los Angeles and London (where the band were situated briefly), and includes a personnel list of Dan the Automator, hip hop producer and founding Gorillaz member; and Cenzo Townshend, who’s recently worked with both Tom Jones and The Horrors.

Over the last two years, Derricourt and his Dappled Cities right-hand man Dave Rennick have moved themselves around, both together and on their own, to write and record the songs of the new album. “We all been moving around a fair bit, just searching for that perfect place to record,” Derricourt explained, when asked about how travelling influenced the writing of the new album. “The first batch of songs we wrote, we were on tour for Zounds and were really stressed out for some reason. Run With The Wind came out of that, and a lot of the songs have this really succinct vibe to them. Then I came back to Sydney and moved by the beach, just chilling out. So we’ve got these other songs that are relaxed and happily blithe. It’s funny to come and record an album where you’ve got to combine a huge range of experiences had over a couple of years.”
While Derricourt adores his sea change, he admits travelling keeps them on their toes, and constant touring ensures they all remain inspired to write. “I think for our band in particular, the only way we can really write songs is if we’ve got touring ahead of us. So, we really write songs to be able to get back on the road. Part of why it took so long to get this new record out is because we didn’t have a tour booked. Maybe in the future we’ll just book our album tour and that will force us to get out a new album really fast.”

Over the next year or so, Derricourt explained that he’d be spending most of his time in New York, with Dave across the other side of the US in California. Though the band regularly spends time apart, Derricourt believes it could be what’s helped Dappled Cities stick together for over ten years. “We’re only a few hours flight away from anybody at any time. The same thing happened last record when Dave was living in Paris, and I was spending time in America. It seemed like it would be the end of the band, and in some ways it felt like there was a moment where that was going to happen. But like all relationships, a little time apart is healthy. We’re the old married couple of indie rock.”

BY ALEXANDRA DUGUID