Drenge ‘Underage in Austin’

Having any type of responsibility at SXSW can be extremely daunting, but when I was given a chance to interview Drenge, I couldn’t turn it down. At first, I was gutted that my interview slot with the UK rockers was exactly the same time that one of my favorite bands, Slaves, was playing its last SXSW show at Latitude 30. But after reading about Drenge I was excited to meet the two young brothers making so much noise in the industry.

Brothers Rory and Eoin Loveless have been playing with their project Drenge for the past four years, and this year, are touring non-stop, following the release of their debut self-titled album. I got a chance to talk to the boys at one of their many stops during the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, and got their beliefs in all that’s burrito.

The boys told us how their writing is inspired by books and films, and although they do think of songs on tour, they don’t really write until they are at home on breaks. “It’s good to write stuff on tour but it’s impossible,” Eoin (guitar/vocals) shares, “there’s no way to write that hit song during sound check”.

Eoin told us how they were excited to be at the festival and check out the other music. “I’m trying to creep on bands I like,” Eoin says. Who did they want to see most? “Jay-Z and Kanye West… but we are never getting into that”, he added.

Drenge seem to be on a non-stop tour, and they are hoping to start touring the US extensively later this year or next. “I’d really like to play in Nashville, and there is a cafe I’d really like to go to. It’s the Loveless Cafe and Motel” Eoin says. Sounds like the next album cover to me!

With all this touring, I wonder how two brothers, with no other band members, stand each other for that long in such extreme conditions. “It’s gotten pretty bad recently,” Eoin explains, “Rory’s quite an aggressive person, he gets upset over the smallest things.” Rory nods, as he mentally left the interview 5 minutes earlier. But he perks up to tell us what he is most excited for in the upcoming year, “Christmas! And my birthday!”- he will finally be 21 and able to drink in the US. He pauses for a long time, then he finally remembers his birthday, “It’s June 21st!”.

As for the local cuisine at SXSW, the boys were excited to get tacos in Austin. But they made it clear that it has to be soft shell. They both feel quite strongly about that. Rory chimes in, “Hard shells are a total myth,” Eoin joins in, “What’s that about? It cracks right down the middle…”. They were quick to tell us they had their worst burrito experience outside of the Satellite in LA. “I’ve had better burrito in Northern Ireland and that’s the least Mexican place…”, Rory states.

Before we parted ways, the boys told us we took one of the top 10 pictures of them ever, (the Polaroid below). We say our good byes and later find out from lady rockers Deap Vally that Drenge texted them a picture of us and asked if Deap Vally was interviewing them. Don’t worry, Julie Edwards said I can start signing her name if anyone confuses us. Oh, and after missing Slaves, we ran into them outside of Latitude 30 and wreaked havoc with them for 2 days. It’s the SXSW way.

www.drenge.co.uk

TheWaster.com | Austin
03.22.14