Getting to know December Streets

Pretoria based band December Streets aren’t exactly newbies to the local music scene, since early 2008, the band has been carving out their own brand indie pop rock.

In 2011, they gave us a taste of their music with their debut EP titled EP. Singles like My Name, Fire Through the Window and Dance with Somebody charted on national radio, including 5fm but as many bands do, they went through some line-up changes but were back with their debut studio album, This is in 2012 and have been working on their third and latest release since then.

We got to get to know the band, their sound and talk about their two part music video for their latest single, Stay By Me. Here’s what they had to say:

For those who don’t know, when was December Streets formed?

DS: The formation of December Streets has been in the pipeline since early 2008, but we officially because the band we are today sometime in 2009.

How did you come up with the name?

DS: One evening, while staring down at my alphabet soup, the word ‘a3hf adhvvna’ appeared, I misread it as “December Streets’ and thought it sounded nice. But in reality, its the time of the year in SA when you can take a long board and cruise down the road with holiday wind in your hair. Its that nostalgic feeling.

Who does what in the band?

DS: Well I (Tristan) Sing jump off any cliffs into water, Conreil plays the drums and dances like a 80’s pop king, Nico shreds the lead guitar and hacks banks, Gideon plays bass and can stitch wounds and lastly Waldo Plays synth and trumpet but also builds anything we need.

How did you guys meet and decide to form a band?

We met while studying at the University of Pretoria, one day battling against each other in different music groups, some how had a musical connection and formed our own band. From there it evolved into the band you hear and see today.

How would you describe your sound and aesthetic?

The best way to describe our sound and aesthetic is a fusion between 80s pop, town into a little contemporary indie experimenting with a solid backbone of rock. This would ultimately be called something like indie pop-rock.

When did the band begin work on the second album?

We have been working on it since we finished the first album, but only officially started to record it around June this year.

How is this album going to be different from previous music?

This album you will notice a more thought through, polished sound. We have had a few years to work on our sound, perfecting our new songs without too much pressure. It will be high energy and catchy as always, but an added layer of depth and narrative will guide the listener through the album.

What inspired the sound and content of your album?

We have all grown as individuals and musicians over the past few years, our sound and taste evolving with us. The new content is drawn from where we are in our lives, how we see the world.

You released part one and two of Stay By Me, describe the concept of these videos?

Although vastly different, both concepts in fact follow a similar narrative. In both videos Run Jump Fly Creations created a video for us that would capture the high energy and fun vibe of the song, but also with a deeper, darker side to it. The first video starts with the darker side where Tristan aimlessly wanders down the escalators, lost & lifeless, running into various obstacles along the way but not initially partaking at all. This relates to the lonely feeling after a break up. Towards the end he starts to get involved and partake in the scenes, ending on a happy high note.

The second video starts off the other way around, playing on the typical love at first sight scenario. The two dancers spot each other in the escalators, then continually dance towards each other to stay close to each other, mesmerized by each other. This captures the high energy felt in the beginning of a love story. As the video progresses, they get tired and realize they cannot stay together, as hard as they try because the escalators are continually pulling them apart. So it starts on a high, happy not, with a deeper ending. Playing on the fact sometimes as hard as we try to stay together, life can keep pulling us apart if we let it. Run Jump Fly perfectly captured the meaning of the song in both videos.

Will there be more videos? What can fans look forward to in terms of the next videos?

Definitely, we are a heavily visual band so video is a top priority of our. There will be a new music video early next year, in the meantime however we do release mini documentaries of the band regular on our youtube channel called December Streets TV. It gives a perspective into our lives.

When is the album coming out?

We don’t have an exact date yet, but are aiming for early 2015.

What are some of the most interesting places you’ve performed at?

One of the top ones was at up the creek music festival where we preformed on a stage built in a river and the whole crowd was on floating objects. We have also preformed on a houseboat party which was awesome.

Tell me about your first ever gig as a band?

Our first gig as a band was at the Old things & Times in Pretoria. We were so incredibly nervous but excited at the same time! I’m not sure it sounded too great as we only performed to about five drunk people, but they were dancing their faces off. That’s when we knew that this is what we wanted to do for the rest of our lives.

What have been the challenges in this industry in the past few years?

The industry in itself is an ongoing challenge. People are out to squeeze every dime out of you, and they will if you are not careful. The biggest challenge has been making the mind shift from high school/ varsity students to understanding how to run a business and build relationships.

What’s the craziest thing that’s happened to the band during performance?

Many crazy things have gone down at shows. One that stands out for me is when we played a show in Nelspruit and a naked guy ran onto stage and threw his beer all over Gideon, who in turn threw his bass guitar down and chased the man around the venue.

What can people look forward to in 2014/2015 with regards to December Streets?

2015 is the big year, I can’t give too much away, but some incredible things are on their way.

The single Stay by Me is available to buy on iTunes. Click here.