Douglas Dare

Dark, sombre times call for dark, sombre music.


Douglas Dare is a London-based singer/songwriter, whose most recent release, Aforger, is a beautifully moving response to two personal events; coming out to his father and breaking up with a long-term boyfriend. Some of the songs on it tackle these difficult processes with a frank and almost uncomfortable intimacy. Others are more abstract and cinematic, but are no less melancholic for it. Musically, there are touches of James Blake’s intricate musicianship, as well as the modern, glitchy production of one of his favourite bands, Radiohead; all buoyed by his elegantly soft voice.

Joe Holyoake spoke with him about Aforger, famous neighbours and romance…


Hello Douglas, how are you?
I’m good, thank you. I’m at home about to watch The Craft on Netflix with a glass of wine.

Oh, treat yourself. Have you been busy today?

No, just had a day of leisure. I’m just slowly getting ready before heading out to The Glory later.

Ok, in previous interviews, you’ve said Aforger is an album inspired by personal events; have either your Father or your ex heard it, and did that cross your mind when you were writing it?

I guess I should split that up really. When I was writing the record, I remember thinking that I wanted my ex boyfriend to hear it, and to know that he had heard it, as it was my way of presenting how I felt.

Was it cathartic?

Absolutely, I think any writing process is cathartic, even if it’s not about yourself. I didn’t set out for it to be therapeutic, but I think inadvertently, it was the only way I was dealing with it. Beforehand, I actually said I didn’t want to write a break-up record, as I was sick of it all and I wanted to write about something else, but every time I sat down at the piano, it would just vent through in some way or another. I had the idea that I wanted to invite him to my gig at The Roundhouse, I wanted to know he was there, to reignite all of the anger and the upset.

In an almost spiteful way?

No, not in a spiteful way…well actually, there was a little bit of “come and watch me at The Roundhouse, playing all these songs about you fucking me over” [laughs]. But, also knowing he was in the audience, it brought it all back for me, as it had been some time. And it worked actually.

And what about your father?

When I was writing the song about my father (‘Oh Father’), I wasn’t considering anything else other than just getting this song down on paper, I wasn’t even sure if I was going to record it. But in the end, I recorded it, put it on the album and even did a video for it too. Everyone I played it to, they connected with it the most, because it’s honest, there’s no ambiguity in that song. Previously I had been very poetic, but I thought it was important to just say it how it was. I played it to him the day before it came out, because I thought he probably should hear it before everyone else got a chance to. And he really took it well, which was good.

Did you feel quite vulnerable after releasing it, as you do lay yourself quite bare?

I felt vulnerable at the time, but there was quite a distance between finishing the record and it coming out, so by the time it was finally released, I had worked through everything. I had reconciled with my Father, I had even reconciled with my ex, it had been such a long period of time. So I was able to put the record out without any feeling of embarrassment or vulnerability. Though, saying that, there are times when I think of some of the songs and people listening to it, and I think, fucking hell, I’m not sure I want people to hear that!
So your father inspired some of the lyrics. Your mother was a piano teacher, Do you think she has also inspired you musically?

When we were growing up, she never forced any of us to play, but I would go to the piano and she would try and teach me. But, early on, you could tell it wasn’t going to work, and I’ve spoken to other people with parents who are teachers, and it’s never really good to mix the two, so she sent me off to another piano teacher. She played a lot of classical music at home, so I was lucky enough to hear that at home, but she also played a lot of pop. She would listen endlessly to Michael Jackson. Even though no-one would compare my music to Michael Jackson, I can see similarities in the structure and the percussive elements in particular that have filtered through.

Who else has inspired you musically?

Well, I’ve been hugely inspired by PJ Harvey, who lived next door to me when I was growing up. We lived on one farm and she lived on another just up the road. When I was growing up, I knew her as ‘Polly up the road’, but when I got older, I started to hear her music and became a huge fan. Around the time I went to university, she released a purely piano-based album called ‘White Chalk’ and that made the piano cool for me. Previously, I had only been listening to classical music or jazz, and I never really felt I could do anything cool or contemporary with it. But hearing that, it was amazing. Also, not only was I inspired by her musically, but here was someone who lived up the road, she went to my school, and here she was winning Mercury prizes, playing Glastonbury, travelling the world. I was thinking, well I come from this tiny town by the sea too, that could be me!

Have you spoken to her as a musician rather than as a neighbour?

It’s funny that, when I used to come home from university, I would do what I normally did and say ‘Hi Polly!’ But then, as each summer went by and I became a bigger and bigger fan, I then had to cross to the other side, I got nervous! She became unapproachable for me, as I idolised her. People often ask me if she’s heard my record and I know that her family have all heard it, but I don’t know if she has, and I would never put my music in her hands, as you can imagine.

What are your plans for 2017?

Well, we’ve had to postpone some dates as my drummer broke his collarbone by cycling on the ice. But hopefully we’re going to go on tour in Easter. After that, I hope to write and record some more songs. I’m already eager to follow the last record up.

And as it’s our Valentine’s issue, what is the most romantic thing you have ever done?

Once with an ex-boyfriend, I had my own website and I completely changed it so just said ‘I Love You’ with their name and sent him the link, although I changed it pretty quickly back! Also, I remember inviting my boyfriend at the time up to the rooftop of my flat, overlooking the Gherkin and The City. I brought up a tiny 80’s Casio keyboard and sang a Cocteau Twins song, as it was one of his favourite songs. Yeah, I would say I’m quite a romantic person!

• Aforger is out now.

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