The Dykeenies

During their session in The Engine Room with Dave Eringa in February 2007, The Dykeenies  kindly agreed to answer a few questions we had for them. Read on to find out more on Glasgow’s hottest band of 2007…

Name of band members (and instrument of choice):
Brian Henderson – vocals, and synth
Andrew Henderson – bass and backing vocals
Alan Henderson – lead guitar and backing vocals
Steven Ramsay – lead guitar and backing vocals
John Kerr – drums and backing vocals

Quick band history – when formed, previous bands you were in, etc, etc.:
The band formed about a year and a half ago. Brian, Alan and John had previously played in a band some years earlier so it seemed pretty obvious that this would be the starting ground for the Dykeenies. Andrew was brought in on bass solely because Brian and Alan are his brothers, and Steven was brought in for his guitar playing.

What project are you doing here at Miloco (e.g. recording, mixing or remixing/single tracks or album) and when’s it due to be released?
We are currently mixing tracks for our debut album as well as refining certain tracks. Our debut is due for release in July

How would you describe the material you’re working on?
A mixture of guitar and vocal based rock music with elements of electro.

You’ve supported the likes of Maximo Park, The Fratellis and The Mystery Jets, but which support slot was the most enjoyable and why?
Supporting The Fratellis on the NME tour was a great experience. It allowed us to broaden our fanbase massively as well as grow as players and a band. Plus we had the brilliant company of the Maccabees.

The NME have compared you favourably to The Killers and Panic! At The Disco. Would you say they have been key influences in your work?
The Killers and Panic! haven’t really been massively important to us, but we do admire them. Our influences on the main lie in 90’s Britpop as well as years of rock and pop.

Who’s producing (and why did you choose them/what’s good about them)?
We did half the album with Dimitri Tikovoi (Placebo) which helped us with the pre-production and the more electro aspects of our work. The second half we did with Dave Eringa (Manic Street Preachers/Idlewild) which gave us a more comprehensive view of the songs and allowed guitars to flourish. We were really comfortable with Dave and he is now mixing the record.

Which Miloco studio/s are you using (and why did you choose it/them)?
We are using The Neve Room and decided to come here to mix our album tracks because it was a room that Dave Eringa was comfortable with and he had used before.

Choose 3 desert island discs…
Queen – Greatest Hits
Def Leppard – Greatest Hits
Bloc Party – Silent Alarm

The Dykeenies were speaking to Miloco in February 2007