Dutch Uncles

By Charlotte Stones

After a unique and effortlessly lively set at this year’s Constellations Festival, we caught up with lead singer of Manchester band Dutch Uncles, Duncan Wallis to talk dancing, surprising fan bases and a possible strange influence for their next album.

So how did you find it earlier?

Oh it was great! Kind’ve when we’ve done this many gigs, it’s sort of a great relief to still have a full room when we walked on, it was woah! You always wonder, it’s easy to get too cynical if you’re not careful and I think we’re struggling ourselves to find ways to pep up our set because we’ve got a whole lot of new stuff, but we can’t play it yet. We can’t play it because of the production; it’s all these strings, so we can’t really play it when we don’t have the strings! So we’ve got one new song, but yeah, it was a great relief and a great joy.

How has tour been so far?

Well we kindve had to treat it like a holiday, mainly for our own insanity, cos when you’re in Manchester you can always go home after a gig, it’s a great place to live, you’re never too far away. So when you spend 3 weeks with each other non-stop it’s so different.

You haven’t discovered anyone in the band that you kindve wish wasn’t there after that?

Not anyone other than those who I thought that before… I’m kidding. It’s all about tolerating them. If Fleetwood Mac can do it, then so can Dutch Uncles.

Has there been a particular European show that you liked?

To play Italy was great, I’d never been before so I didn’t know what to think, all I thought was I love this country. I’m glad we went because I don’t think I could’ve ever gone on holiday there. It was a great gig though, Milan was great. It got hard after watching Wild Beasts play; it got hard to watch their show, to know that we were opening their show. It got worse and worse, because it’s a really good show and I’m a big fan of what they’ve done. I remember seeing them a few years ago and it was amazing, so I’ve always had those goggles on, thinking we’ve always got better.

Do you find that you get just as much European support as UK support?

Probably a bit less at the moment! For the first time in our career, we’ve got really dedicated crowd in the UK, in some of the weirdest places too.

Where’s the weirdest place?!

We know for a fact… theres been information done on it, like where are these people from that like us on Facebook, and you get told these things, we never find them out ourselves obviously! But Slough… There’s a whole lot of love for us in Slough! We’ve never played there though; we’ve played near it, but never Slough!

Maybe you should consider adding an extra tour date!

Haha maybe! Maybe next year, watch out people of Slough! We’re really looking forward to how we shape up live next year! It could involve session play, you never know. With the Cadenza album, we knew we could make it work as a 10-piece but we didn’t have the money or the fan base to do that. Maybe next year!

Is there a particular tour date you’re looking forward to most?

Deaf Institute. We’ve always wanted to sell out, not sure if it’s happened yet, but fingers crossed, but I’m really looking forward to that. Kind of closing the book.

What can you tell us about the next album?

We’re still thinking about it. When we play live, you can see us criticising everything because we’re thinking about the next album, thinking what we need to change about ourselves, not in a cynical way, you talk about change and everyone immediately thinks you’re going to go all Radio 1, we’re trying to be less annoying. There’s still too many weird bits going on, we’d need to iron them out.

Have you seen many bands today?

No! We played and then we’ve kind of just been around, after the footy we’ll definitely watch some bands! Really want to see Yuck and Wild Beasts obviously.

Many people would say that the second thing they think of when they think of Dutch Uncles, behind the music, would be your dance moves, do you practice them or is it completely unrehearsed?

Thank you! Well I think about them while I do them, like today, I thought ‘I wonder if I can lift myself off the floor without bending my knees’, and that’s how I tried to dance today.

I like the thinking behind that!

Well there’s so many things going around your head, you just have to do it! It takes your mind off the crowd. It’s a great feeling to be able to clear your head on stage, it makes you more relaxed, you know stay away from the boring stuff. It’s all about the flow, all about the hip movements, I’m not just dancing, I’m mirroring the music.

Last time we spoke to you about why you were called Dutch uncles, you mentioned a book that you haven’t read…

Yeah I still haven’t read it. Well I’ve read a bit, I read a few scenes and its waaaaay too ‘Coronation Street’ for me! I know I’m from Manchester but I can’t handle it. There’s all these voices in your head like (in true coronation street style) ‘Have you been in the cupboard yet?’ it’s just far too much!!

What’s it even about?

I think it’s about a guy who doesn’t stand up to his wife and then he finds… oh no! It’s about an old couple who don’t like each other and new couple. Oh I don’t know. Maybe I should read it, I tell you what I’ll read it, and that can be our fourth album! I hadn’t thought about that! I’m proud of my idea!

So you should be, thanks again!

Yeah, thanks, next time we should be able to discuss our ‘Coronation Street-like’ fourth album!