Demon Days: Eyes On The Road
Demon Days had a break-out year on the local scene in 2018, and look set to go to the next level in the second half of 2019, with their new banger 'Hands-Free' about to drop. Mia Hyde caught up with lead singer Bella Nichols ahead of their show at The Aardvark on April 18. GET TICKETS HERE
Demon Days have had a huge past year, touring and releasing your EP 'Magic Eye'. After all that success and growth, what's next on the cards for you as a band? What do you want to achieve in the next year?
This year we are focusing on writing new material and getting a new set underway. Last year was such a big year for playing shows and I think this year we wanna focus on honing in on our skills and creating new music for all to hear. You can expect another EP for this year and an album potentially for the end of next year.
You definitely have a unique sound that has become branded to you and easily recognisable. How did this sound develop within the band? What are some of your influences?
We were all listening to similar bands when we first formed which made it so easy to form a cohesive sound. What made us sound different however was that we all had our own individual flairs, for instance, Mark (drummer) loved hip-hop and was skilled in playing swing, Marley (bass) loved funk music, Josh (keyboardist) came from a classical background but was influenced by jazz and neo-soul, and Bella (singer) was into indie pop and jazz. Together all those influences formed Demon Days. Some bands that we all share in common are; 30/70, Moonchild, Hiatus Kaioyte, mndsgn, BADBADNOTGOOD and The internet.
Tell us about 'Hands-Free' and the upcoming tour. What can we expect?
'Hands-Free' is a song unlike any other of the music we have put out. You can expect fun brass sections, whacky chorus all with a jazz-funk undertone. This will be our first tour where we are bringing a trumpet player which absolutely gives more energy to the show. You can expect lots of dancing, laughter, and sick solos!
How did the band form? How do you all know each other and what were you doing before Demon Days?
We all met in our first year of WAAPA fresh out of high school. Half of us were studying jazz and the other half songwriting. Marley and Josh went to school together and Mark and Bella met at a music prep course before WAAPA. We were all friends and liked the same music so it was only natural we started a band. Before the band, we were all just studying at High school and playing music in our bedroom.
What's your personal favourite Demon Days release and why?
Overall I think our favourite release so far has been the EP 'Magic Eye'. We got to fly to Melbourne to record it with the legendary producer Nick Herrera. It was a turning point for us as a band in the direction we wanted to go. The EP felt more mature and a better representation of the kind of music we wanted to make. We spent ages on the songs and watched them evolve into something really special.
