Music > Interviews
Damp Matches
24/04/24
Something that deserves to be celebrated about our fine city is our incredible local music scene, which continues to provide more opportunities for local musicians by the day! Whether it’s a follow and share on social media or a chance to play live in one of our many incredible grassroot venues, the support from our local music community is endless!
Last month, Damp Matches brought their wild Indie Trash-Hop Alt-Rock music to Voodoo Daddy’s showroom, as they headlined ‘New Noise’- but their brilliant performances (full of raucous energy!) don’t stop there! This Friday, the band, will be taking to the stage of the Puppet Theatre as part of ‘ReWork: Paul Simon’!
When did your journey as a band begin?
We formed initially way back in October 2018 when Hel, Dom and Steve did a couple of drunken open mic nights with just one acoustic guitar, one electric guitar and and one vocal. Around the turn of the year we found Will and our first Drummer Mo, with Lee taking her place around a year later!
How would you describe your music?
Our music is loud, genre-mixing and serrated around the edges. Come see us if you wanna know more!
Where do you look for inspiration for your music?
All 5 of us listen to different kinds of music, and we try to incorporate bits and pieces from it all at least a little. From hip-hop to metalcore, indie to elevator music, nothing is safe!
What inspired you to get involved with ‘ReWork’?
We love the concept of reworked! Doing a cover is often seen as easy, when in reality to really make a song yours you have to find a new understanding of the song, how it was written and what it was about.
How do you plan on reworking the music of Paul Simon?
Paul Simon is an incredible example of an artist who has masses of talent, and reworking his tracks has been immensely challenging. This however has made it much more rewarding than simply covering the song note for note.
What impact do you believe Paul Simon has had on the music industry?
Paul Simon is a rare artist that managed to straddle generations with his work, whether it was with Art Garfunkel or in his solo work. Although we are working on purely his solo works, his influence as a song writer simply can’t be over stated.
What power do you believe music holds?
I think more than anything we just believe in the power of music to provide people from all walks of life with a safe space to let loose and have fun in. Everyone is welcome at our shows, and there’s nothing more rewarding than a fan telling you how much they value the time they spend at our gigs! The world’s in a rough spot right now so finding escape every now and then is important!
What importance do you believe it is to support the local music scene of Norwich and Norfolk?
Huuugely important! There is so much local musical talent in Norfolk and nurturing and supporting that talent helps maintain a scene in which you don’t need to break the bank to see some great live music! Cozzie Livs be real right now!
What advice would you give to any aspiring musicians?
The best advice we can give to young musicians is to write and play what YOU want to write and play. Never write what you think others want to hear, bc then it won’t be authentic and people won’t connect with it. Other than that, be open-minded and never be afraid to be inspired!
What plans have you got for 2024?
More gigs outside of Norwich and hopefully a decent festival run! Also we won’t give any concrete announcements just yet but we’re working on a big ol’ recording project this year and it’s already well underway! WaTcH tHiS sPaCe and all that!
And, if you want to keep up to date with the work (and incredible music!) of Damp Matches, then you can head to their Instagram (@dampmatches)!