WHERE ARE YOU FROM?I am in a town called Bromsgrove just on the edge of Birmingham. Led Zeppelin are from really close by Bromsgrove. John Bonham’s' grave is down the road from my house and Robert Plant lived a little further out, in Stourbridge.
YOU’RE AT HURLEY EVERY DAY—WHAT DO YOU THERE?Essentially my job is musician and model and whatever else they need me for. I’m a humble person from a humble background and I've' always believed you don’t get anything for free; you don’t get anything without working for it. I guess I could chill at home with a guitar in my hand but if I have to sweep the floor around Hurley office I’m not afraid to pick up a broomstick.
YOU DRESS PRETTY SHARP—HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?I like to vary my style. I am not majorly self-conscious or trying to look my best all the time. There are definitely days when I look like a slob. I have always liked a really clean-cut smart Mod culture look, from skinny ties and Sta-Prest slim fit trousers and tight-fit shirts. I have liked Doctor Martens or the desert boots the mods used to wear. And Fred Perry. I like having a short cropped haircut, shaved head or suede head. I’ve always thought that’s a really sharp image that is tied in to great musical culture. Paul Weller brought the Mod thing back from the sixties when he did The Jam in the 70s, and since then that look has been rehashed and recycled with all kinds of bands through the years. It’s timeless.
HOW HAS SKATE CULTURE INSPIRED YOU? I grew up skating watching a lot of American skate videos. The biggest influence was called “Streets On Fire” by a skate film company called Santa Cruz, released in the 1980s. It changed my life because the entire soundtrack was from the punk label SST records, with bands like Black Flag and The Descendents and the Minutemen and Sonic Youth and that was the first alternative rock I ever heard. That definitely had a huge effect on my upbringing and that’s what got me interested in punk rock, I guess. The very first punk song I ever heard was on that video “Paranoid Chant” by the Minutemen and I was like “what is this music”? I had never heard anything like it.
SO WHAT YOU GOT PLANNED, MUSICALLY? I’m thinking all kinds of projects—I might do the Dave Warsop solo music, but I also write in so many different directions. I want to do classic power pop stuff like The Rembrandts but I would love to experiment with soul. I listen to a lot of Motown. I’m also influenced by Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello. And I have an idea for a metal project called The Evolution Of Man.
DO YOU REMEMBER PLAYING YOUR FIRST US SHOW?It was with Beat Union and we played our very first show in Massachusetts. We had to drive there from California, all the way to the East Coast. Literally it was like—“welcome to America—now drive for three days”. It was me and the drummer Luke sharing the driving, doing 10 hours each. We got in half an hour before sound check . Yeah it was a little bit stressful but it set the pace. We did Warped, and that was a crazy experience too. There’s no touring fest like that in the UK.
WHAT WAS SO CRAZY ABOUT DOING WARPED?There’s crazy humidity and temperatures. And you’re working all day in it—setting up merch stands, counting merch, selling merch, restringing guitars, carrying gear around, doing a signing, doing an acoustic show in a tent and trying to fit in a meal in somewhere. It’s all about paying your dues though. I definitely feel that, with the sacrifices I’ve made with music, and I’ve put it first in my life. I've really wanted to make this happen and feel I have worked to get where I am. To be working with Hurley right now is an amazing opportunity. No one can tell me I don’t deserve it. I’ve put in years and years of work.
WHAT'S THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FANS HERE AND IN THE UK? They’re more enthusiastic here. They’re into the idea of an English rock musician and they seem to love the accents we talk and sing in. So there's that feeling...when you’re playing in the UK, you’re no different to anyone else. Everyone in UK seems to be excited to be seeing the American bands. You stand out a little more being on tour in America. They are interested in seeing the imported talent. But touring is harder in America…you have the wide-open spaces and longer drives. You might make a similar amount of money at a show, but you’ve got much further to drive and more petrol, and you've got to eat more food.
WHAT'S THE COOLEST THING THAT’S HAPPENED THIS SUMMER?For me, meeting Hurley was a Godsend really, for my career as musician. To have people like Bob Hurley believe in me so much as a performer and songwriter is what got me here. They are passionate people who care about music. To have them have my back is absolute amazing.
Check Davey's video here, shot entirely at Hurley HQ.
