It’s fair to say there are not too many bands from Austria that we are aware of in the UK and on hearing DIVES latest single ‘Say‘ it was time to find out more about, amongst other things, how the band came together and just how was it supporting Courtney Barnett.
Could you start by describing how you came together to form DIVES? And great band name by the way! Was it selected from a long list or did you instantly think of it?
We met at the (formally so called) Pink Noise Girls Rock Camp (today it’s called ‘Pink Noise Camp’), ended up being a band during this camp (without knowing each other before and partly without instrumental skills) and then, after the camp, the three of us decided to continue meeting at some friend’s rehearsal studio in Vienna to see where it leads when we continue making music together. Girls Rock Camps are empowering summer camps for young women, trans, inter and non-binary youth that include instrument instruction, band formation, collaborative song writing, and participation in various workshops such as Music Herstory, Mixing Sound, Zine-making, Screen-printing, Image & Identity, and more. Girls Rock Camps don’t require any musical experience and encourage you to stop apologizing, try out new stuff and take the stage, basically. We didn’t have a serious plan or intention to become professional musicians, we just wanted to have fun and get to know a new creative side of ourselves. We were quite surprised how everything turned out after some months.
A few days before our first gig, we had a deadline to announce our band name so that it could be printed on the poster of the event – so we met at our favourite Café and tried to come up with names and words that ‘fit’. DIVES sounded nice, we liked that it’s kinda short, sunny and easy to pronounce but at the same time it has this association with diving into deep unknown waters. Also, we had to decide quick ;) Fun fact: In the end, the promoters forgot to print our name on the poster – but at least we finally had a band name :)
You may be new to us here in the UK but you are not a “new” band. With debut EP DIVES released in 2017 and your debut album Teenage Years Are Over released in 2019, how difficult was it producing Wanna Take You There especially during the pandemic? And is it influenced by that time?
It is definitely influenced by the pandemic due to the fact that we had more time writing the songs and going to the studio than we would have had without it, because before pandemic we were constantly on the road playing concerts (we had to cancel around 40 shows when Covid hit). Also, we had to find new ways of making and producing music together when jamming in the rehearsal room wasn’t possible anymore while lockdown: before the pandemic 99% of our songs were written in the rehearsal room together while jamming. So, we had to find a way to do it at home and send us drafts. We got some audio interfaces and music programs, learned basic demo recording and took the song writing to our bedrooms. The album is therefore a product of different ways of working, both individually and collectively, both newly acquired skills and familiar shared processes.
Your single ‘Ego‘ was the first UK single. You have said that it is influenced by one-way conversations with narcissists, and its completely relatable. The lyrics include: “You’re on a one-way road and you’re driving too fast.”. Could you describe the general themes in your songs?
In general, our songs are about issues that are personally relevant to us. Topics and situations are processed through the music and thus usually encouraging for us. Not infrequently, there is also something humorous, a little irony. Stand up for yourself, but please don’t take yourself too seriously. Because all three of us identify with the lyrics, some songs also have different concrete meanings. When writing songs, we discuss which feelings we associate with certain melodies and lines and try to find a middle ground, but perhaps associate different situations. That’s the personal thing between the lines.
You’ve toured with Courtney Barnett. How was that experience? And I’m interested to know if she gave you advise on handling life on stage/in the music industry as females artists?
We are big fans, it was great to see her and the band perform live and hang out with them afterwards – after we´ve overcome our shyness and starstruckness of the first evening haha. She is one of the musicians, who influenced us most as a band and as individuals. She and the band were all really cool and nice, very down-to-earth people. That was definitely one of our best experiences as a band so far. We did not talk a lot about how it is to be a female musician but rather about being a musician, which was refreshing.
What is the live music scene like in Vienna in terms of artists? Are there many independent music venues and do you have bands from outside Austria playing?
Vienna has a broad underground music scene including labels, collectives, venues, networks. Underground music and culture plays a big role. Especially in the beginning of our band-history, it was crucial for us to be part of such a supportive network – befriended bands gave us spots in their rehearsal space and lent us instruments, feminist collectives booked us for our first show and there was a lot of encouragement to finally play live gigs and be on a stage, even without having many skills at the beginning. There are a lot of international acts touring through Austria as well and connections to neighbouring countries like Germany, Hungary as well as Eastern Europe and the Balkans are close.
Do you have any plans to play gigs in the UK?
We would love to come to play our first gigs in UK in 2023. We are already discussing some options but nothing is 100% confirmed yet.
If I looked in your fridge right now what would I find?
Viktoria: Some Vietnamese summer rolls from yesterday’s food order and cold Prosecco just in case.
Tamara: Vegetables about to end up in some curry
Dora: A mug with filtered coffee from the morning, meat substitute, mozzarella.
DIVES second album Wanna Take You There is set for release on 14 October via Siluh Records.
To pre-order please check out their bandcamp.
For more information on DIVES please see their facebook and twitter.
