Dukes of Windsor - interview

Posted in MUSIC by Andrew on Aug 28, 05:00AM

You might remember Dukes Of Windsor from TV Rock's remix hit of The Others. Quickly forget that. Their second album Minus plants a new wave flag on the snow-capped peak where rock, funk, and dance intersect. Vocalist Jack Weaving talks to The Vine about indie cred, mingling with rock stars, Playgirl, and eternal dissatisfaction.

Do people primarily associate you with TV Rock's ludicrously successful version of The Others?

Not even. I don't think we were as associated with that as people imagine. I only really noticed in the last couple of weeks, that some people think we're a dance act. It was guilt by association. But we thought we've never tried something like this before so what do we have to lose. For what it was, I think they did an awesome job with the track. It certainly opened up different avenues for us but it did fuck all for our indie cred.

Well, with new singles 'It's A War' and 'No Disguise' you're back on youth radio again, so it can't have hurt that much.

I was frightened, I was losing sleep. (Laughs) It was a great thing for the band. It certainly funded a lot of things and it gave us an opportunity to prove ourselves, which I think we've done.

TV Rock might not have had an influence on what you do but you've certainly evolved. Minus is modernist pop.

Well, [Minus]is how Dukes Of Windsor should sound today. We're already writing the third album. You get more adept at your craft. I don't understand why people find it more difficult after the first, second, third, fourth album. You should be getting better, not intimidated by it.

Does having such a broad palette to work from mean someone in the band is going to be eternally dissatisfied?

Oh, we're all dissatisfied. I think when you said the album's so diverse, we all write. The songs that get through aren't judged by who wrote them, it's about the quality of the song. We came from such different backgrounds that we're becoming likeminded but we didn't start off that way. If you get 70% of the songs you want on the album, you're doing alright. You try to manipulate the situation as much as you can. (Laughs)

Your bassist Joe Franklin didn't really get a modeling contract, did he?

Yep. (Laughs) He's a funny man. Joe was our second bassist, he was studying with (guitarist) Oscar (Dawson), who is also a model. Actually Oscar's going to be in Playgirl, doing a nude spread. I kid you not. It's fucking funny. If you knew him, he's jittery and too polite and thoughtful. Oscar's also the face of those Anti-Violence Against Women ads.

What led you to choose the producers, Pelle Henriccson and Eskil Lovstrom, who did Refused's The Shape Of Punk To Come?

They were in our top five to work with. We found out we actually share the same attorney in LA. The reason we went with them is that The Shape Of Punk To Come had such a groove to it, it wasn't a traditional hardcore album. The one thing that sticks is the ease of the groove. In the studio I was constantly getting yelled at down the headphones, 'Give it more Marvin Gaye', or 'Al Green', which is something you'd never consider.

What do you think you left Sweden with that you didn't bring there?

Well, it wasn't just what [the producers] brought, but it was the whole environment. Other than the snow and the complete darkness in the day, we had a couple of guys from International Noise Conspiracy jamming downstairs, upstairs there was Cult Of Luna, a nine-piece post-metal band. As we left the compound in the old asylum every twenty metres there would be a light on and the most intense bands would be jamming. It would take an hour and a half to get home."

You snaffled Jesse Hughes from Eagles Of Death Metal for guest vocals, how was that?

That was cool. He was an honest-to-God rock star. You see people walking down the street trying to look like rock stars but that guy lives that dream, or the nightmare (laughs). He mentioned rehab more than once.

What was the motive for the reductive title of Minus?

I'm not going to say this too elegantly but I just think we cut out all the bullshit on the album. The Swedes were very efficient. They wore lab coats with their names embroidered on them. They had a term that they'd use, the Producer Stick. We bought them an axe with a plaque on it because they just chopped the songs down, got rid of the excess flab.

Andrew Tijs