A Word with deep tan
Last month the alluring deep tan released their debut EP ‘creeping speedwells’ - a twisted and dark whirlwind through a mysterious post-punk landscape. Each track is packed with dusky bass lines, drums and guitar licks, topped off perfectly with biting lyrics tinged with vampirism. We were all looking forward to it and it did not disappoint in the slightest.
This three-piece make us extremely excited for the future of underground music - pulling references from German experimentalism to Patti Smith to Tom Waits to name an eclectic few, we’re hardly surprised that the band has crafted such a unique sound.
Luckily, we caught them for a brief chat to discuss their creative foundations, artistic ethos and the booming SE London ‘scene’.
Photo by Timothy Casten
LB: To start with, obviously, we have to ask - how is your 2021 tan coming along?
DT: We've spent most of 2021 indoors writing music, so our collective tan is a very nice shade of vampire.
Where are you all from & how did you meet?
We're from the backwaters of an East London swamp. We met at the communal garbage pile and bonded over astrology.
What have you been listening to over lockdown?
A lot of German experimental music from the 60s and 70s. Lizzy Mercier Descloux, the hard boiled babe herself, and postpunk in general, new and old.
Your music is extremely cinematic, especially Air. If Deep Tan were to be played in a film, which film would you want and why?
The most unhinged scenes in 12 Moneys (1995) would be great for 'camelot' or 'deepfake'.
For a massive francophile (me), what is the secret to faking ‘French’ ?
A croissant a day keeps the malaise away.
Growing up, who were your musical heroes?
Robert Smith, Mark E Smith, Patti Smith, Elliot Smith, The Smiths - ! Safe to say if there's a Smith in the name, we were probably into them. Also Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Nirvana, Radiohead.
If you were putting on a DEEP TAN FESTIVAL, who would you have on the Main stage?
We'd love the stage to be full of collaborations. Massive Attack or The Cure as main headliners with guest appearances from Sinéad O'Connor, Björk and Tracy Thorne. For the earlier slots, we'd love Peaches, ESG, Dry Cleaning, Do Nothing and Goat Girl to play.
You guys are heavily rooted in the South/East London music scene. For someone who knows nothing about it, how would you describe the London music scene at the moment?
At the moment there's a pretty exciting postpunk and experimental scene happening in South/East London. Obviously the pandemic has put quite a few things on hold but, in pre-pandemic times (and soon to resume once restrictions have lifted), The Windmill in Brixton has been one of the centres of all this. Most of the bands doing interesting things in London, like black midi, Black Country, New Road, Shame and PVA, came up through here. Part indie-haven, part much-loved watering-hole, The Windmill has it all, and then some. Long Live Roof Dog.
Visually, who are your inspirations? You have such a wonderful look.
We don't have a conscious style inspiration, but we have friends we love who lend us clothes sometimes.
How would you describe your debut EP in 3 words?
Creatures Creeping Continuously.
CLASH magazine said “The three-piece could loosely be tagged in the post- punk arena, but also draw on the nexus of cultures that surround LGBT culture.” Do you agree with this? Where does Deep Tan’s link to LGBTQ+ culture come from?
We all identify as queer, and a lot of our favourite artists are also queer. When we're not at a gig, we're usually having drinks at Dalston Superstore. That's the tea.
Picture this : The last of the lockdown restrictions have lifted and you’re on your way to your first BIG post-covid night out. Where are you heading and what are you doing?
We're thinking that a bar crawl starting on 21st June in East London and ending up in a random arondissement in Paris somewhere a week later would be a fitting way to let off a year's worth of steam.
You’re on the Last Bus home. What are you listening to?
Crack Cloud – Tunnel Vision.
Catch them at Paper Dress Vintage! Get your tickets here. 