Don Broco - Automatic (2015). Entrevista a Rob Damiani

La gira de Don Broco llega a Barcelona y Madrid el 7 y 8 de Octubre.

Tras la publicación de ‘Automatic’ en 2015, el segundo disco y el más ambicioso de Don Broco hasta la fecha, los de Bedford se embarcan en una extensa gira que les llevará a tocar en diversas ciudades europeas.

Con ‘Automatic’ amplían sus raíces rock establecidas para crear un nuevo sonido más propio y gigantesco. Es un crisol musical que se basa en el pop, el funk, el dance y los 80s New Romaticism, junto con el upbeat rock drama que les caracteriza.

Lanzado a través de Epic Records y producido por el ganador del Premio Grammy Jason Perry, desde la introducción funk de ‘Superlove' y el aplomo de ‘Keep On Pushing', con la colaboración contundente de DJ Fresh en el tema ‘Fire’, ‘Automatic’ logra unir una sensación indudable de diversión con un nuevo sonido más maduro.

DON BROCO

Automatic (2015)

"Cuando empezamos a componer ‘Automatic’, lo sentimos como un nuevo comienzo", ha comentado su  líder Rob Damiani, que añade “Nunca antes habíamos compuesto los cuatro juntos y estamos encantados de haber descubierto cómo podemos trabajar en equipo. "

‘Automatic’ ha devuelto a Don Broco a la composición de canciones de una banda muy decidida y casi nueva, como ocurrió con el bajista Tom Doyle - que se unió a la banda en 2012-, fue una incorporación que fortaleció a la banda rápidamente, y fue la primera pista de que las cosas iban en la dirección correcta con el lanzamiento en el año 2013 del EP ‘You Wanna Know’, que les dio varias alegrías, entre ellas entrar en el Top 40 singles chart. "Después de unas cuantas noches de estar hasta las 5 o las 6 de la mañana, nos dimos cuenta de que no se puede forzar. " continua Rob," Encontramos las mejores ideas cuando no las estábamos buscando".

Dos años después que Don Broco se estrenaran con su debut, la banda encontró una nueva chispa que les encendió y, después de batear cientos de ideas con el lema de "todo vale", Don Broco encontró su sonido definitivo.

"No queríamos limitarnos a nada; si es una buena idea, es una buena idea." Dice Rob: "Queríamos exponer lo que creíamos que Don Broco es. Sólo nos dimos cuenta de que después de escribir tantas canciones, mirando a nosotros mismos, elaborando lo que realmente nos gusta de nuestra música, lo que sentimos que nos diferencia como banda y lo que sentimos que son nuestros puntos fuertes “.

Don Broco fueron guiados por el productor Jason Perry en la dirección del sonido que han encontrado en ‘Automatic’ después de que diseccionase las primeros demos de la banda.

"Una de las cosas principales que nos empuja como banda es dejar de intentar hacerlo tan perfecto. La perfección no es lo que hace un gran disco, es todo acerca de la sensación y la conexión. Eso es diez veces más valioso.," comenta Simon Delaney, guitarrista, que también hace referencia a ‘What You Do To Me’. "Hay algo en esas guitarras, que están literalmente grabadas en la habitación de Tom, y terminaron sonando exactamente como deben sonar."

Antes de la grandeza de ‘Automatic’, Don Broco se introdujeron en la escena musical con una estética humilde pero trabajada incluyendo una extensa gira y una serie de primeros EPs. Publicaron el álbum debut ‘Priorities’ en 2012 y pronto se coronó  como una de las más importantes nuevas bandas de rock de Gran Bretaña.

A medida que se popularizaban, también lo hicieron sus giras. Primero realizaron dos giras consecutivas con entradas agotadas en 2013 incluyendo shows en el Underworld y Koko de Londres, un año en el que culminaron  con un triunfante sold out en el show que dieron en Roundhouse de Londres. "Hemos sentido cómo crecía el número de seguidores a través de nuestros EPs y giras," recuerda Rob. "Hubo una gran cantidad de gente que se sentía parte de nuestro viaje. El espectáculo Roundhouse fue un momento muy especial para nosotros, porque todas esas personas se habían reunido para vernos ".

El pasado año también fueron cabezas de cartel de la gira de la respetada revista Kerrang! con el que también hicieron sold out, esta vez en el Forum de Londres.

07/10. BARCELONA – Sala Salamandra (Hospitalet de Llobregat)

08/10. MADRID – Sala Changó Live (¡Nueva ubicación!) C/ Covarrubias, 42 - 28010 Madrid

THE INTERVIEW

Don Broco’ songs sound like an elegant Rock and sophisticated Pop. A mix of styles that results on the personal sound of your music. But, what are really your musical influences?

Thank you! Haha :) As a group we have a really varied taste in music and as a result I think we take a little bit of influence from everywhere. A lot of the artists and albums that we discovered as children/that our parents introduced us to helped to shape that, from Michael Jackson and Bowie to Springsteen & the Stones. As teenagers bands such as Blink 182, Incubus & Deftones definitely helped to shape our early sound but we're big pop fans too and I think that really shines through.

Last year marked 8 years since you edited “Living The Dream” in 2008. What is the difference between the music of Don Broco today and your music 8 years ago?

We're constantly looking for new ways to express ourselves musically. We get bored easily haha! & never want to get tied down to one thing or stuck in a rut, so I would say it's evolved quite a bit.

As we've gained more experience as songwriters I think our ideas & their execution have become more focused. When you make your first record it's fair to say you haven't quite worked out who you are as an artist yet so you approach things with more wreck less abandon. That's part of the fun :) & teaches you a lot about your craft as you go forward.
  

What's your inspiration when making your songs?

 Lyrically - we like to draw on personal experience so whatever is going on in our lives or those close to us at the time.

Are you completed your expectations with “Automatic”? When a new album?

Not quite yet!

When we released “Automatic” we wanted it to propel us to the next level at home but also to afford us the opportunity to do more overseas :)

At home in the UK we headlined London's Brixton Academy whilst touring the record which is such an iconic venue and was a massive ambition of ours. Elsewhere though the Automatic journey is just getting started. It has given us the platform to embark on our first ever EU headline tour which is just around the corner and we're are super excited about & is also due for release in the US later this year & we hope to get out there in 2017.

What do we will see and enjoy in your live concerts?

Our shows are rowdy! Expect a loud show & prepare to get involved.

This is not your first time in Spain. What do you think about the Spanish crowd? What do expect from them?

Spanish crowds have been fantastic on our previous visits. We see a lot of similarities with fans back in the UK where there's energy and electricity in the room.

Our visit to Barcelona at Razzmatazz supporting Bring Me The Horizon back in April was one of our favourite European shows ever.

What are your plans for this current year 2016 and next 2017? We assume that you will touring around clubs and festivals. Can you advance anything to us? Any important event? When new songs?

Pretty much straight after our European tour we're back in the UK supporting Bring Me The Horizon on their arena run. All our shows with them before have been absolutely crazy so can't wait to team up with them again. Once that's done we're gonna start writing our next album so hoping to have new music out in the first part of next year.

Do you think the digital world will end with music as we know it today? What do you think is the future of music?

Yeah the way things are going music will pretty much become purely digital, with maybe a few vinyls still pressed for people who like collecting them. People don't want to pay for music anymore it's just the way things are. Instead they are much more willing to buy a t-shirt and go to a gig and lucky for musicians the Internet hasn't figured out a way of making them digital yet!

What is your best memory about music?

When it comes to Don Broco probably our collective favourite experience was playing Reading & Leeds festival for the first time in 2012. It was our first big festival and we had no idea if anyone was coming to see us so we were super nervous but luckily they did and it was amazing. The sun was setting during the show and it felt like a real moment.

How is a normal day in the life of a member of Don Brocoband?

It varies so much. On tour once we are loaded into the venue and set up we always try and explore the city we are in either side of soundcheck before the show in the evening. Getting the opportunity to travel and see new places is one of the great things about touring.

At home at the moment we are dedicating whatever time we can making a start on new material which is exciting.

What do you think about the current economic and socialsituation in Spain, Europe and in the World in general?

Politics is a subject best discussed at the dinner table... Sit us down for a nice paella after the show and we will get in to it with you!

DON BROCO

Automatic (2015)

MISCELLANY

Could you tell us about...

... A book?: 

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. It's a real mishmash of styles and stories that all somehow tie together. It taught me a lot about artistic creativity and originality and definitely influenced my writing style as a musician.

... A movie?: 

NOT Cloud Atlas - the movie is terrible! My favourite movie of recent times is Ex Machina. Best take in the robot/A.I genre out there.

... A song?: 

On a Bang by Biffy Clyro

... An album?: 

Lemonade by Beyoncé

... A group or soloist?: 

MassMatiks

... A hobby?: 

Running! Short run, long run, doesn't matter. Great for clearing your head and thinking about things that you don't usually get a chance to