Jared Higgs, Budo Miller, Tim Stewart and Alex Coad are DOKO, a Sydney band smashing out their self-professed genre mashing of “PSYCHEDELICBLUESFUNKROCK”. In an age when acts are becoming harder and harder to define, it’s nice to see a few lads wearing their own little blend on their sleeves.
With their debut EP Dezmonia feeling very close indeed, we caught up with guitarist Budo Miller for the latest.
Drench your favourite psychedelic rock tune in a pocketful of sunshine and you’ll get DOKO, Sydney’s latest genre-mashing exports.
HAPPY: Hey, how are you going? What are you up to at the moment?
BUDO: Hey mate, going good. Just doing a bit of prep for the EP launch and the tour, all that jazz.
HAPPY: Now that the EP is finalised, are you happy with the result?
BUDO: Absolutely stoked about it. It’s really taken on a life of its own. We cut a lot of it live in the studio to get it as close as possible to our live sound. We were a bit nervous about doing it that way but it’s given the record this really great organic vibe.
HAPPY: Are you still nervous about its reception?
BUDO: Yeah a little because its our first release and we’ve been playing these songs for a while now. Some of the people who come to our gigs know these songs quite well but I don’t think they will be disappointed. We’ve kept the production faithful to our live aesthetic without all the lovely auto-tune, Abelton beats and Pitbull features. If they were hoping for an appearance from Mr. Worldwide they can email us and we’ll give a refund and a solemn apology.
HAPPY: What was it like spending some time in the studio with Chris Rollans? Where did you record?
BUDO: That man has got the patience of a Shaolin monk. The five of us spent roughly 12 hours each day locked in the studio doing take after take. Live takes are great but if someone messes up you all have to go back and do it all again until you get that perfect moment. I reckon it’s something that most people would compare to Chinese water torture. But Chris was so chilled about it, I think he really vibed what we were trying to create and was willing to do what it took to get the sound we wanted. He really brought these tracks to life, gave them a lot of character. The Chris Rollans touch.
The studio was this really cool space in the CBD called Studio Ripple. It felt like someone’s home with bookshelves and random bits of musical equipment scattered about the place. It was a really inspiring creative space, but when you had five dudes crammed into a small control room listening to each take for 12 hours, I was ready to do some spontaneous interior renovations with a sledgehammer. Could have done with another window.
HAPPY: As four students who broke away from rigid music study, do you give more weight to one side of the classically trained/self-taught debate? Why?
BUDO: The theory stuff definitely helps, but I think most us in the band agree that being self-taught first is the way to go. You really develop your own unique approach to how you sing or play your instrument, which I think makes you sound more like an individual. The theory work can always come later.
HAPPY: Really digging the artwork on the EP and the tour posters. Who did you work with?
BUDO: Cheers! The EP cover art was done by yours truly. I was really inspired by the work of Jason Galea. He did a lot of the art for King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard but I really dug the collage stuff he did for Saskwatch a few years back. I actually hit him up to see if he would be keen, but I think he was M.I.A. in the madness that is King Gizzard. The tour poster was done by Zachariah El-Akhras, our drummer Alex approached him gave him our EP cover for a bit of inspiration.
HAPPY: Are there any songs on the record you’re especially keen to take onstage?
BUDO: I reckon Avalanche, the last song on the EP. We do it a bit differently live so I think people might dig that. I know what they’re going to say though; “Man don’t get me wrong, the recorded version is cool and all, but the live version is so fucking sick.” Live music usually sounds better when you’re six beers in.
HAPPY: What’s one piece of advice for punters coming along to the gig?
BUDO: If you’re coming to see us, come early because we have two really great acts opening for us. MVRKS are these lads ripping it up down in Sydney’s southern beaches. We saw them at this DIY festival down in Braidwood last year. I remember them walking on stage around midnight. They donned the full white jeans and button shirt combo, each smoking the fattest Uncle Toby’s Roll Ups I’ve ever seen while they absolutely cranked the smoke machine. Not even a reggae band. Also their music is dope, feel like I should mention that.
Izzy is this great neo-soul singer flying under the radar a bit. Our drummer Alex has been playing gigs with her as a duo while she plays some mean electric piano. She’s got some serious Erykah Badu, Lauren Hill vibes, so definitely check her out if that’s your thing.
DOKO are taking their debut EP Dezmonia on the road this month and next, including an official launch at Oxford Art Factory, Sydney. Grab the dates below, and head to their Facebook page for any extra details.
