DIVES- Austrian Surf Garage Pop

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DIVES- Three women and a dream

Interview conducted on July 09, 2020

By Dan Locke

Teenage angst has paid off well, DIVES are now ready to have it all. DIVES know their capabilities, their strengths, and the songs they want to write. On their first album, titled ‘Teenage Years Are Over’, they now become an essential integrant within Europe’s big indie-bands.

Band Members Dora de Goederen: drums
Viktoria Kirner: bass/vocals
Tamara Leichtfried: guitar/vocals

What is Austrian Surf Garage Pop? Is it as if Beach Boys meet Bratmobile?

Maybe, but definitely less ocean.

How did you discover music?

D: Radio, the first CDs, family & friends – and lots of live concerts!
V: Whilst randomly driving around with my mother and little sister on weekends in her car and listening to all albums of Eros Ramazotti and Whitney Houston.
T: Through my older brother and friends, we exchanged loads of mix tapes and CD-compilations.

How did you start to write music?

As Dives: Together in the rehearsal room. “Shrimp” was the first song we ever wrote together. As we did not know each other at the beginning (we met as strangers at the Pink Noise Girls Rock Camp) and as we didn´t really know how to play our instruments (together), we had to figure out a “technique” to communicate in the rehearsal room for songwriting. So we started to name our parts (f.ex. the Bridge was called “Max”, the refrain was called “Anna”), so that we all knew the parts we were speaking about. Often we have also identified signal words, which somebody screamed whilst playing, so everyone knew when to change to another part. “Shrimp” was one such word. We used it so many times in the beginning that the first song just had to be called “Shrimp”.

Tamara-How did you get your first guitar and do you still have it?

I play the first guitar my father bought from his first wage in his 20s. He passed away 13 years ago and I am very happy that I inherited the guitar, so he is somewhat present every time I play.

Viktoria – How did you get your first bass?

I borrowed it from a friend and – as I just remembered while writing these lines – never returned it. It took me 2 years to buy my own bass. It was a Fender Mexico Jazz Bass but since I have back problems, I have decided to do without expensive branded basses, they are all terribly heavy. My bass now was really cheap and only has 3 kg. I love it.

Dora- How did you start playing drums?

Little sister move: When my big sister started taking lessons, I wanted to take them too.

How did you meet at Girls Rock Camp?

Probably during one of the workshops where we tried out instruments. On the second day at the camp you form – mostly without knowing each other – a band with which you perform 3 songs at the end of the camp week. That we of all people formed a band was a very practical decision: We were the only participants from Vienna and wanted to have at least theoretically the possibility to try out together again in a rehearsal room in Vienna after the camp. This “community of purpose” of three very different personalities turned into DIVES.

What is Girl Rock Camp and what did they teach you?

Girls Rock Camps are empowering summer camps for young women, trans, inter and non-binary youth that include instrument instruction, band formation, collaborative songwriting, and participation in various workshops such as Music History, Mixing Sound, Zine-making, Screen-printing, Image & Identity, and more. Girls Rock Camps do not require any musical experience and encourage you to stop apologizing, try out new stuff and take the stage, What it probably thought us the most: You can achieve anything what you want – just dare to take it!

What was your first performance at like?

Our first gig as DIVES was at a small but well-known club in Vienna named “rhiz”. At this point, we only had 4 songs and probably would have never stepped onto a stage without the encouragement of the organizers of this event back then. They asked us like 4 times, before we said yes. In the end of course, it was the best feeling ever.

What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?

Our first original Song we wrote together as DIVES was Shrimp; it’s on our first self-titled EP.

How did you start the band?

We met at the Girls Rock Camp, ended up in the same Band during Camp and then the three of us decided to continue meeting at some friend’s rehearsal studio in Vienna to see where it leads. 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.

How the band did gets its name?

Before our first gig, we had a deadline to tell our band name so they could print it on the poster of the event – so we met at our favorite 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 has this association to diving into deep unknown waters.

How was it to headline the Viennese Popfest front of 12,000 people?

There, too, we were diving into unknown waters: our soundcheck was already interrupted because of a storm, we didn’t know until the end if we could perform. There was a doomsday mood, the stage was flooded, and everything was dark. Last minute the cloud cover cleared up again and we could play – without soundcheck and quite wet. The atmosphere in the air after this storm was breathtaking. From all sides’ people, who had found shelter somewhere streamed onto the place and wanted to see us play. That was quite magical.

How was it to tour with Courtney Barnett?

We wished it had been longer! We are big fans, it was great to see the band perform live and hang out with them afterwards – after we´ve overcome our shyness and starstruckness of the first evening ha-ha. She is one of the musicians, which influenced us most as a band. She and the band were all really cool and nice, down-to-earth people. That was definitely one of our best experiences as a band so far.

Some of the other bands you have opened up for included Franz Ferdinand and Bilderbuch. Did they teach you anything about the music business?

We played these huge support shows for Bilderbuch and Franz Ferdinand without having much knowledge of the music business let alone such big productions. At that time, we had only been around as a band for one and a half years and we could only play our instruments for about the same amount of time. Suddenly you stand on a stage in front of 10.000 people, behind which about 100 people are involved in the production. In addition, we three DIVES just arrived with our sound engineer and our booker with mostly rented equipment. That must have been a funny picture. However, of course it was a very important experience for us.

How did you almost missed being signed to a record label?

As already said, we had not seriously expected to make music professionally. We recorded our first EP to finally have – after already playing over 20 gigs – some material to upload to bandcamp. So one evening after the rehearsal, we sat in a bar and together we prepared the upload to bandcamp. For the registration, we needed an email address. Then we suddenly remembered that we had set up a band mail address months ago, the inbox of that address had been ignored in the meantime. Among other things, the mail from Siluh Records had been waiting there for a month with the question whether we wanted to sign with the label … so yeah… we immediately stopped the bandcamp-upload 😉

Tell me about your video 100 Times?

Our new single 100 Times is about getting crazy home alone, not being sure any more what is real and what not. Hearing voices, seeing things, unsure what to do. The song was written during lockdown but is not specifically about this situation or the pandemic – one can have this feeling any time. It was our first time not writing a song together in the rehearsal room but Tamara recording a demo at home and sending us via WhatsApp. Then we decided to make a DIVES-Song out of it and started working on it – from home. We rehearsed together a few times and went into the studio pretty soon; it was a very fast process. It’s the third Video we made with director Kevin Pham (originally from LA). We had the idea of using one single room and projections to visualize the isolation and the imagination running riot as mentioned in the lyrics. We got also inspired by tiktok filters, that Kevin recreated using several beamers and a second camera. He shot the whole video on tape which adds a nice 80s touch.

What is your favorite track on the album?

D: That is a difficult one!
V: Stay right here and Nightdrive
T: I also like Stay right here the most

How do you stay healthy while touring?

We love Vietnamese food!
Moreover, we try not to share our water bottles to avoid contagion if someone is sick 😉

What are you’re feeling about streaming music?

There’s probably no way around it any more but it’s cool that people still appreciate live shops and objects like Merch, cds and vinyl. Of course, this makes music easier and available in a greater variety, which is also positive throughout – (financially) not always for the bands themselves, of course, but through streaming services, you can discover countless bands you would never have otherwise encountered. Our song “Tomorrow” has almost half a million streams, people from all over the world, who probably wouldn’t know us otherwise, have it in their playlists, that’s great!

Digital vs. vinyl?

Both!

What are your feelings about the social uprising going on in the United States?

We totally support BLM Movement! Although as White People of privilege we feel rather in the position of listening and reflecting, we don’t want to take up space that POCs should get to be heard. Also in Austria, there is a movement that needs to be listened to and institutional racism that needs to be fought.

What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?

Our new single 100 Times was born!
In addition, Dora did some yoga and studying, Viktoria worked her ass off in her home office and Tamara covered Dolly Parton.

Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?

Dora: Yoga. But stopped again after the lockdown. Also played a board game again after a really really long time.
Tamara: Dancing. Moreover, that I won’t ever be good at baking haha.
Viktoria: I started making weird samples on a drum computer from 1995. In addition, started Pilates…

Lots of people are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. What are you planning to do?

We will try to use the concert-free time to write new songs. Online concerts are not our priority right now, but we participated in a few and might do it more often if necessary.

Do you think it will be possible to make a living doing concerts this way?

No, not for us. At least it will take some time to adjust. We are a live (live) band and that´s how we mainly earn money.

This week Live Nation announced their first ever U.S. drive-in concert series — LIVE FROM THE DRIVE-IN — This will bring fans a live music tailgating experience unlike any other, kicking off July 10-12 in Indianapolis, IN, Nashville, TN, and St. Louis, MO. Brad Paisley will headline performances in all three cities, marking the start of a much anticipated return to in person live events. Darius Rucker and Jon Pardi will also headline the series. Is this something you would be willing to do?

It sounds interesting and normally we’re always up to trying out new things. Although it must be weird not really being able to see the audience.

With Social Distance being the norm. Do you feel that it maybe the end of music fest for the next couple of years?

We really hope it doesn’t.

What about Holographic concerts in our living room?

Wow, sounds like Star Trek! Can we also have holographic audience in our rehearsal room please?

If you were, offer the chance to tour the United State with it having the highest cases of Covid-19. Would you do it?

It depends on when – right now, it doesn’t seem possible to tour anywhere. The question is also: Would there be an audience. And would we endanger somebody? Right now it is most important that everyone is safe, unfortunately that means also that cultural events and artists suffering from this situation.

How do you see yourself in the next five years?