Annemarie Quill meets The Deeds, homegrown in the Bay, and making their mark in the New Zealand music scene. The Deeds are playing at Flavours in the Bay Festival on March 10.
"It took so long to write songs of my own. Singing cover songs left me hollow and alone."
These lyrics written by Damo Innes, lead vocalist of local Bay band, The Deeds, sums up their musical journey.
The band was born when four friends bucked the trend of playing cover songs to jamming together in local Mount venues. Ten years later they're playing at popular festivals like the inaugural Summerfest and upcoming Flavours in the Bay. They are also just about to release a debut album of original songs.
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The main ingredients of the deeds are as follows: 2 scoops of Damo Innes; 1 pinch of guitarist Marcel Stannard; 3 tablespoons of bassist Adam Sharplin; and 2.5 cups of drummer Nick Ririnui simmering on a consistent heat for years in the Mount Mellick pub.
"When we jammed it seemed a natural fit. We seemed to have chemistry," says Innes.
Before these Mount sessions, Innes had cut his teeth in Vancouver, Canada, playing for seven years in a band called Automatic Slim. He then moved to the Mount.
"When I started at jam night the scene was really cover based. So when I met the boys who came into Mellick we found some freedom in playing music without the pressure of performing Hotel California or April Sun. We just had fun improvising and letting the jam take whatever shape we were feeling at that moment."
That shape led to the formation of The Deeds. The four boys are the core, but Innes says there have been other musicians along the way.
The name was chosen because it seemed to fit this evolution well.
"The Deeds - it's 'an action that is performed intentionally or consciously' and 'a brave or noble act'. It sums up how we got together." The boys are currently putting the finishing touches to their first album. It's described as a mix of dub reggae, grunge and electronica. Hani Totorewa of Katchafire has collaborated on three of the reggae tracks.
"As a group we all have different influences so that definitely comes across on this album," says Innes.
Many of the influences are grown right here in the Bay where Innes says there is a thriving music scene.
"We all admire so many different acts. We are really stoked to see that in Tauranga there is finally an original scene happening with bands like Machete Justice, Godsown, Enercia, Hurricane Tilly, Herm Dub and Aaron Saxon all inspiring us to be a conscious part of this."
The songs are all originals that have evolved over time to become complete tracks.
They will be performing alongside several homegrown local acts at the Bay of Plenty Times Flavours in the Bay festival on March 10.
"We will be playing some songs off our new album plus a couple of new ones that we have been putting together, one of which is about Rena."
Innes has put his roots down in the Bay. He met his wife Annie while he was working at Brewers Bar and they have three children. As for the future, the band is focused on releasing the album and letting things evolve from there.
"We just want to create as much music as we can together. "
The fine print
What: Flavours in the Bay, Boutique Food and Wine Festival
When: Saturday 10 March, 12-6 pm
Where: Blake Park, Mount Maunganui
BYO: No. Refreshments available from over 19 food and wine stalls
How: Tickets $35 from Ticket Direct
Children: The whole family is invited to sample great local produce while enjoying free entertainment