JOHNNY TOOK – DMAS INTERVIEW TRAMLINES FESTIVAL

Casting our minds back a few weeks to this year’s Tramlines Festival, we had the chance to catch up with Johnny Took, guitarist for arguably the UK’s favourite Australian 3 piece, the DMAs.

We met with Johnny in the box at Sheffield Wednesday football stadium, overlooking the pitch, where the Tramlines Festival was in full swing right next to the stadium grounds.

In our conversation, Johnny shared insights into his musical influences, which included the iconic Britpop scene in the UK and how this helped to shape the DMA’s sound. We also delved into the band’s latest masterpiece, “How Many Dreams”, and the creative process behind it.

But it wasn’t all about music. We also got a glimpse into Johnny’s life between shows and what he gets up to when the tour wraps up. It turns out, he’s quite the FIFA enthusiast, adding a touch of gaming excitement to his downtime.

NE: So, what have you been up to recently? What’s new?

Johnny: We’ve just released the new album ‘How many dreams’ which has been amazing, the response has been incredible when we have incorporated the songs into the live set at festivals and at our own shows. It’s really tied the set together for us.

It was a hard album to make. There was a lot of back and forthing, and a lot of Covid stuff going on, so we had to really work for it to get the sound we wanted out of it. But we got there eventually, and we couldn’t be more proud.

NE: You have just teamed up with ‘admiral’ to make your own DMAS football shirt. Are you a football fan yourself?

Johnny: Yeah, I’m a Chelsea fan and Tommy is a big Everton fan.

NE: What do you do when you’re at home after a busy tour?

Johnny: Recently, I’ve just been going home after a tour and I’ve got the month off, I just kind of sit on the couch with my wife and I take it easy and play a lot of FIFA actually.

NE: When you are feeling low on tour, what do you do to have a break between shows?

Johnny: I go to the gym. You know it sounds so funny, it’s like “what can I do to feel good”. And the answer’s already there, maybe don’t drink as much and do some exercise. It’s the most obvious thing ever, but it’s so hard to do it and I did none of that in my 20’s. I just kind of partied and played music.

Q: Do you all go to the gym together?

Johnny: Me and Mason do, and Tommy has just started so yeah!

Q: Did you drink at every gig you played?

Johnny: Not every time, I went a year without drinking and played ally pally sober! Which is not advisable.

NE: Where are you most excited to play on your upcoming UK tour?

Johnny: Grimsby! I’m meeting with my mate Lloyd Griffith the comedian. So I’m looking forward to seeing him.

NE: As you are all from Australia, did you think when you started the band that your music would take you to the other side of the world?

Johnny: Nah man, to be honest I was really young and quite naive, when I started writing music. I didn’t realise how big the Brit Pop scene was, as I was just a kid from Sydney.

My mates from high school got me into it, from the likes of Bloc Party and then I got into The Stone Roses, Oasis, the Verve, Primal Scream, then later Jesus and the Mary Chain.

NE: Blur or Oasis?

Johnny: Oasis, but I love Blur’s ‘Think Tank’ album, and I’m a huge Gorillaz fan.

NE: What’s the difference in your writing style from ‘Hills End’ to ‘How Many Dreams’?

Johnny: ‘Hills End’ was all written on guitars. Whereas on the new album ‘How Many Dreams’ the first track was mainly instrumental and the only melody I had was the chorus. It was a dance instrumental track and I sent that over to Tommy and he added all the other stuff.

If you can be completely stimulated by writing songs on guitar all the time, then that’s great, but I found it all too repetitive. The frequencies were too familiar to me. I sit there and make a loop of a beat with a rhythmic synth, and I start from a different place. It just gets my ears and my brain kind of working. To be honest I reckon some of the best songs that we have are the ones that started on either a piano or guitar, but I don’t force myself to write that sort of way anymore, I have many tricks up my sleeve to stay interested in music and to keep learning.

NE: It’s great how you keep learning and progressing as a musician.

Johnny: I think in any job that you do; you want to keep growing, you don’t want to get bored or bitter.

I remember when I saw ‘Underworld’ play at Lowlands festival in the Netherlands, that’s when dance music first really connected with me. I didn’t really get it before; it didn’t do anything for me. I started off in folk bands, even our song Silver was originally written as a country song. Step Up The Morphine was kinda like a country song as well, but when Tommy and Mason added their spins and parts on it, it changed into a DMA’s song. Particularly Tommy’s vocals… he couldn’t sound country if he tried.

NE: What’s your dream gig or festival?

Johnny: I would like to do Glastonbury again. We played it years ago but as a secret act on a Thursday, with Rat boy and the Smyths, the Smiths tribute band. But I haven’t been back since, so I would love to do that one day.

Stay tuned for more from DMA’s, a band that continues to evolve and inspire in more ways than one.

DMAs will return to the UK this December for their headline tour. Head to https://dmasdmas.com/#dates for tickets!

‘How Many Dreams’ is out now on all streaming platforms!