We catch up with Hans’ Pucket singer/guitarist Oliver Devlin for 10 questions ahead of their Aotearoa tour in support of their recent album No Drama.
1 Describe Hans Pucket’s sound in a single sentence.
Imagine if The Cars and Vampire Weekend had a baby, who then overslept on theday of recording their album and had to steal lyrics from the dream journal of a drama student.
2 How does your latest album No Drama take Hans Pucket forward as artists?
It’s something of a continuation thematically as our last album Eczema, but the musical palette has been expanded. We wanted to make a great seventies studio album on a DIY budget, with horn section and string quartet featured across the album. We’ve really pushed the boat out with this one.
3 What does success look like to you?
It looks like being able to play a 13-date tour of Aotearoa! I’m really grateful to get to do this. Long-term success to me is that I make music my whole life like David Bowie, still putting out great albums right til the end.
4 What can fans and new fans expect from your live shows?
As this is a big tour it will be the best rehearsed we’ve ever been, which I’m sure is a relief to all. In March we played the SXSW festival in Austin Texas, so we’ve had to really up our game. It was also quite the expense flying to the US, so fans can expect some stellar merchandise available before, during and after the show!
5 What are the best and worst things about life on the road?
I love touring! It’s great to be focused on just one thing; doing a good gig. There’s lots of routines and patterns that you get into which are unique to this job. I love checking to see whether or not the venues we play have a disco ball or a dog that hangs around. The worst part is how easy it is to get really tired and worn out. We try to look after each other and ourselves, get some sleep when we can, eat well and show each other funny clips on our phones (for morale).
6 What’s your favourite song to play live and why?
My current favourite song to play live is Misery Loves Company. It’s a great dance song but it’s also pretty odd. You can see people in the audience being surprised and smiling like “wow who is this band??!” and then having a good boogie. We love to baffle a crowd.
7 What’s the best thing about the NZ music industry?
The talent here is unreal. The whole country might be a similar size to any one city in America, but the quality of art is so high. It’s also small enough that there’s no option other than being kind and supportive. If you act like a rockstar dickhead everyone will know.
8 And what’s one thing you’d change?
More crowd-surfing. Yes, it’s a dangerous holdover from a rock and roll past we weren’t a part of, but boy is it cool! Nothing brings a crowd of people together better than hoisting musicians above their heads and ferrying them around the room.
9 What other acts would headline your dream festival? (Dead or alive, real or fictional)
Talking Heads, Nina Simone, The Cars, ABBA, MGMT and Beyoncé. I’d also like to see Paul Simon play the hits with Vampire Weekend as his backing band. Would love to go on early so we can watch all the others, if that’s okay.
10 Where do you see Hans Pucket five years from now?
We’ve finally toured the US and the world is dancing to Hans Pucket’s music. We’ve made two more acclaimed albums and a concert film directed by Martin Scorsese. Paul Simon is on the phone - he wants Hans Pucket as his backing band!
Hans Pucket are set to tour their album No Drama in New Zealand this winter. The 13-date nationwide tour will commence with a special show at Nelson’s Boathouse on July 7 and finish in their hometown of Wellington on August 12.
