The Stripdown

DJ Ocean Spray 0:00
Hello, you're listening to WKNC 88.1 HD one Raleigh, and this is an episode of the stripdown with DJ Ocean Spray. Today I have the Raleigh band Stan and Denghy in the station to ask them a few questions. So can we start off with you guys introducing yourselves with your name and your role in the band?

Isa 0:20
Yes, um, my name is Isa I am the drummer and vocalist for Stan and Denghy.

Luca 0:28
I am Luca and I'm the guitarist and vocalist for Stan and Denghy

Zion 0:33
Hello I'm Zion the saxophonist of Stan and Denghy.

Alex 0:38
I'm Alex and I play percussion

Farouk 0:42
Farouk and I play bass we're standing. And

Luca 0:44
we're missing bear who plays keys.

DJ Ocean Spray 0:47
Okay. And so how did the band form?

Luca 0:52
That's a good question. Because Isa and me are from Venezuela. And we basically grew up together playing music together. That was, so if you think about it, the creation of Stan and Denghy was probably over 10 years ago, when we first jammed, but we settled with a band and we started the band here after moving about two years ago, maybe a little over two years ago, right? Yeah,

Isa 1:16
so we started, we all met each other by playing with a, an artist collective called 47 Eyes on me, and also while playing another band called Saturnalia, which some of us are still part of. And yeah, we just got this cool people together, and now we are playing in a band.

DJ Ocean Spray 1:38
And so how long ago did I guess? The band officially form? Yeah. Okay. And so you kind of mentioned this. So your Instagram mentions Venezuela. So how did both? I guess both of you? Because it's okay. Because you go to school here. Yes. And then did you like move here after him or?

Speaker 1 2:01
So i actually moved here with my family almost seven years ago. And then Luca moved here to study and I have, we have some family here. So he just decided to move as well. And right when he moved is that we started playing again together. And we actually got like, we were working and got our instruments. And then we met all these people, and were able to get it together and make the decision for him.

DJ Ocean Spray 2:25
And so how long have all of you been like playing music?

Farouk 2:29
Yeah, I've been playing bass for a little over two and a half years now. And that's just something I kind of picked up on my own just experimentally. And I'm still doing it now. And thanks to Luca, oh, yeah, I'm gonna keep doing it. And he's obviously in the whole band.

Alex 2:45
I'm Alex. I've been playing music my whole life. I started recording and releasing stuff when I was a sophomore at state at NC State.

Speaker 3 2:58
I'm Zion. I've been playing saxophone since I stole my brother's sax. Fifth grade, shout out my brother Jordan. He graduated from state. But yeah, I started on clarinet and sixth grade, and then still the saxophone seventh grade and been playing ever since. And right now I'm 22. So whatever that math is, that's still going.

Speaker 2 3:19
I started with guitar when I was nine, but then Isa and me started at the same music academy. When we were very younger than that. Yeah, very little, probably

Speaker 1 3:33
like eight to Yeah, but I think I got into like, actually my instrument like playing drums. And like, probably when I was like 12, or 13. And then I stopped for a little bit, but like coming here, and especially when Luca moved back, because that I picked it up again.

DJ Ocean Spray 3:49
And so do you guys do music full time? Or are you also students or have jobs,

Farouk 3:55
I actually work full time just like a regular like Office, desk job. And then So music is kind of like my main focus in terms of like what I do in my free time.

Alex 4:05
I'm supposed to be a scientist, but right now I'm washing dishes, but we're gonna get back to that eventually.

Speaker 3 4:14
Want to say I respect what he just said. Me, I'm trying to transition into a lifestyle that I want to be able to do music full time and also to have my career that I'm graduating and respectively. And right now I'm planning on going back to graduate school at UNC Chapel Hill, get my Master's in chemistry. And basically that leads into something and I'll work on my music career. Now outside of that.

Speaker 2 4:41
I'm a industrial design student and state and I want to do design as a living that's how I want to make money in this world but also with music. So my life has just split in half right now. It's only that only those two thing. That's

Alex 4:57
the case for almost everybody in the band is They're trying to balance like some sort of field, as well as music.

Speaker 1 5:05
Yeah, I'm, I'm not I'm trying to do music full time. And I am kind of doing that, um, I, you know, it's hard, I still have the privilege of still like being supported by my parents a lot. So I'm kind of figuring that out. But definitely, music full time is my goal.

DJ Ocean Spray 5:27
And so you released your EP live at after dark last September. What was the experience like with that like recording and writing the songs,

Speaker 2 5:37
We decided to choose for songs that we thought would sound the best in a live environment. It was originally inspired by an album called Live Volume One by this band, Parcells from Australia, in which it's a whole album, I think, like an hour in 10 minutes, all recorded live, in which most of the songs flow into each other. So became super passionate about that idea. And notice that it was one of the easiest ways to put our music out there in a fast way in a more different way. And really showing more of the experience instead of playing shows and releasing just conventional discography. So we decided to throw that together. And it was an awesome experience, it was a lot learned, it was the first time that the mixing engineers and producers basically Max Gowen, and Travis Harrington worked with something like that. So it was a really cool experience. And I really, we're probably going to do something like that in the future, for sure.

DJ Ocean Spray 6:39
And so what's the writing process, like do all of you right, or just some of you,

Isa 6:45
it depends, um,

Luca 6:47
it's been changing lately,

Speaker 1 6:48
it's been changing. I feel like when we first started the band this, kind of, like, the vision was brought up, originally by me and Luca. It it was like we, we were bringing most of the songs and then each of the other band members really put like, completely their own, like little twist to it, and their instruments like full freedom of writing their own parts, but we do try to keep it because, uh, the vision of Stan and Denghy and the lyrics are all in Spanish and trying to try to keep our culture than me and Luca write a lot of the lyrics, but we are definitely moving into writing a lot of things like more like other band members, really bringing the original ideas and then just building into it. Like Farouk just wrote a song recently. Yeah. And for the newest member. He's doing that. So, cool.

DJ Ocean Spray 7:43
And so do you plan on writing and recording more music soon?

Speaker 1 7:51
Yes absolutely. We are actually we have. So we only have a few songs out yet. But we are working right now on releasing an album sometime this year. It's been taking a while because it's really hard as small musicians to really get like the funds to record a nice album, or at least how we envision it. Well, we have already a lot of songs in the lineup for for try to keep recording, we've recorded about three or four of them already. We are working on doing more.

Speaker 2 8:24
And we we recorded with for like a week ago, and it was your first time. Yeah, I was I was on we never really talked about how you felt recording in an actual studio. Yeah,

Speaker 4 8:35
I mean, it was different because I've done like recording type things on my own, where I'm just like, in my room, and GarageBand just listening to myself play bass again, after just listen to myself play it. But like in that setting. I don't know, it felt like, at first, it'll look a little nervous because I was hyper aware of like, what I was playing as I was playing it, you know, kind of similar to like, your first time like performing live. But like as I got the hang of it, I got to listen to myself and like, you know, obviously see what like Max and Travis were doing to what we recorded. Like seeing that process unfold was just amazing. Like, I loved it. And I like I really just can't wait to do it again. You know, I mean,

Speaker 2 9:12
it was a it was a privilege to record in that studio. And we're gonna keep doing it for the rest of this project, hopefully. And so,

DJ Ocean Spray 9:20
do you guys play covers other than in like, not just originals? Right?

Speaker 1 9:27
We used to we don't Okay,okay, we're trying to move away like I think it was really good because colors are fun. And you know, when you don't have a lot of music out is good to do covers. But now since we are trying to like Stan and Denghy it's not a cover band. We're it's our own project. So we're really trying to make justice to that project and really show our music to to everyone.

DJ Ocean Spray 9:49
And so how does the music you listen to compare to the music that you guys make in Stan and Denghy?

Speaker 3 9:56
so the music that we all listen to is like very, very diverse, I say, like, of course, like we look at us, like as a band aid, we're probably the most diverse band like in the area, like because we got to Venezuelans. I'm African American, my brother next to me is Chinese American. And then we got an African from Kenya and then we got Farouk he's Egyptian, also African, also African. But I Yeah, and so we each come from different backgrounds, and we all got ties to hip hop, we all got ties, to funk, we all got ties to like record phone, and bachata, cumbia, all the stuff that we like to hear. And we mix like that. And we try to revolve it around the the Latin Latin theme, especially since like anything is a Venezuelan based band. And we all like love all types of music. We all try to convenient that one point I might be talking too much, but

Speaker 2 11:01
you know that we all we all listen to, we all share some artists like me and for a really, really connected over home shake the first time we met. And then me and Isa are really passionate about like drywall, IANA, which is another Venezuelan band. And Alex likes a lot of shoegaze, which have really, really gotten into things to him.

Alex 11:22
We all like a lot of jazz, all of us. Yeah, just always. Out

DJ Ocean Spray 11:28
of curiosity, do any of the like non Spanish speakers? Listen to Spanish music? A lot? Or like Did you listen to music before like Spanish music? Before playing in Stan and Denghy?

Speaker 3 11:42
A lot of my friends from back home are Hispanic and like Latino, and having that background just sort of like, made me go towards listening to that. Music in Spanish, and especially going out to the clubs on Latin Night is the best nights to go out. Just saying we're just

Speaker 2 12:05
talking about this. We have to go to party as soon just so we know. Yeah,

Alex 12:13
I've always been a really really big jazz fan. And once you listen to enough of it, and it's usually pretty soon after you get into it you eventually get into like Spanish jazz and like Samba Samba and stuff and Brazilian music and stuff like that. And so I've been a fan of that for a while now. So yeah,

Speaker 4 12:34
honestly, I didn't really listen to Spanish music until Luca and Isa introduced me. And that's when I realized the problem was I was listening to the wrong Spanish music and like, and like I really like when it comes to like like, as far as reggae goes, Spanish reggae is really just kind of like, I don't know, like I never ever thought that I'd like as much as I did, but that's why I'm here.

DJ Ocean Spray 12:55
And you guys had mentioned Saturnalias yes before but I was just curious, like, what is like what's the difference to you guys between the two bands obviously other than language, it's

Speaker 2 13:08
they're very different styles like almost completely different in every aspect Saturnalias, this is more of the shoegaze side and Stan and Denghy brings in like all the Latin more rhythmic roots, but at the same way they both influence each other. So you'll see that you'll definitely see some Stan and Denghy elements and Saturnalias and vice versa.

DJ Ocean Spray 13:37
We're gonna have a quick break to listen to Verano en Pijama by Stan and Denghy enjoy

Um Do you guys have a particular pre show routine? Or anything you guys like generally do before a show?

Speaker 1 18:55
We eat we eat a lot yeah, yes. We tried to we tried to like if we're gonna go out somewhere we try to like all go together and it really depends on what type of show we're doing but

Speaker 2 19:08
what was a shout out kebab And Kareem? Is

Speaker 1 19:12
that okay, loving curry, seriously? Yeah, that's probably the main thing and just trying to hang with each other as much as we can beforehand.

DJ Ocean Spray 19:22
Do you guys have any favorite venues or like specific shows that you have played? School

Alex 19:28
kids records has always been really good to us, at least in our experience playing with Saturnalias. I don't think Stan and Denghy has played there yet. But um, Pourhouse has been really great to Stan and Denghy lately, as well, so shout out to those guys. Yeah.

Speaker 2 19:44
Also Kings was a really cool venue. We really really enjoyed Kings

Speaker 1 19:48
kings. That was our last show, right? Yeah. And it was really, really good experience. Everyone was super cool. We've played we've played a lot like locally and really I feel like everyone we've been through here has been really good to us. Like, we were just enjoying the scene here. And every band that we played with.

DJ Ocean Spray 20:06
So where do you guys kind of switching back to the songwriting aspects? Where do you find, I guess, inspiration for your songs? Or like, kind of what's the process? Like there?

Speaker 2 20:19
That's a good question. Because we, I don't know, like I said, it's been changing a lot recently. And we've been starting to tell more stories in a more conventional songwriting way. We're not, we're not good at writing songs, especially me. He says a bit better, but we're not good. But slowly, we're writing more interesting things like, what am I my favorite song? Lyric wise right now is called the alter ego, which is, which is a reggae song about a beach vender in Venezuela. So it's, I don't know. And that's, I got that idea of sins from going there. And seeing that, and just imagining the point of view that because it's like, a very socially messed up situation over there. Yeah, so

Speaker 1 21:08
I think it's, we try at least, I mean, of course, we, I mean, writing is like, it can be many different things. And it I feel like it happens in many different ways. But I feel like lately, when me and Luca try to write songs specially together, we try to give it a meaning that that really relates to like her childhood, or what we we saw growing up, and kind of give it a kind of like a fun twist, or just like, No, I have been super explicit about a specific topic, but like, kind of showcasing some things. But we really, I don't know, inspiration is weird. And it comes from very different ways.

Speaker 2 21:43
I don't think I at least have really identified where it's coming from. That's why that's that question was like, you know, one day.

DJ Ocean Spray 21:55
And so even when you guys are not performing, I usually see you guys, or at least one of you at wedge shows and stuff. Can I tell? Or can you tell me a bit about the how show and like band community that you guys are a part of.

Speaker 2 22:11
Um, it's been, it's been really interesting. Right now I live there. And we sort of manage we, we try to throw as many shows together as we can. Thankfully, there's another recent house venue that had a show last weekend called broken door, which is awesome, because, you know, it's a, I feel, it's always a more fun party to go to when there's people playing because it's just, I don't know, I feel like it elevates the experience a lot. But so far, it's been there the most fun shows to play, because there's no pressure, everyone's there to have fun. You know, there's no rules about like, venue rules and stuff like that. So it's everyone, everything taken lightly. Yeah,

Speaker 1 22:57
but and it's also like it like senses, artists kind of putting this stuff together, it has to be like a really safe space for people to like, you know, do what, like really show like their art, and just like in a better, more accessible way, especially for students that don't necessarily have to, can go to like, venues far away or have to pay a lot of money because it's just like, we're just here to have fun. So it's, it's good to just bring people together and make it very accessible and easy for people to enjoy local music and bringing so many different bands of different backgrounds and genres together into like one little stage made by students. So it's really cool.

DJ Ocean Spray 23:38
And so I know you guys are going on tour. Can you give the listeners information of the like, dates and locations for that?

Speaker 2 23:54
Yeah, we just got the tour flyer, but we're going to Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill. That's going to be this Thursday. Then Friday. We're playing at the wedge again. We're taking a little break. And we're rumbled on break it down

Unknown Speaker 24:12
break, little break. And then we're going to go on Tuesday to Boone playing at the nest really cool, also DIY venue. And then we're going to have two shows in New York, which we're very excited about. We're playing at shrine in New York in Harlem and Silvana Mediterranean place. It looks really cool. And lastly, we're going to play with some really cool bands in Washington DC at the mine, which is also a house venue. Yeah, okay.

DJ Ocean Spray 24:42
So when you were like, I guess figuring out where to go did you intentionally want to go to like, how show venues

Speaker 1 24:50
that we I feel like it wasn't the first option, actually, for some of them was the first option I feel like again, just because we have such a good release. Sure with how shows and it tends to be just easier to plan, but also always have good turnarounds. It's, it's good. But I definitely wanted to try to get some like real venues, which is why I'm excited about New York because we're able to get some actual, like good and like old venues in Harlem. And but yeah, it was also tough because we were very small still, and we don't have a lot of context and like connections. But hopefully after this tour, we'll make some more and be able to play more often outside of North Carolina.

DJ Ocean Spray 25:33
And so where can people find you like Instagram Spotify?

Farouk 25:40
I don't have the tag memorized. on Spotify, it's Stan and Denghy should I spell it out?

DJ Ocean Spray 25:48
Um, it's okay

Speaker 2 25:49
yeah, and for Instagram is Stan y Denghy with a y like how you would write it in Spanish.

DJ Ocean Spray 25:58
Thank you so much again to Stan and Denghy for coming into the station today and letting me interview you guys. You guys are so awesome. You're listening to WKNC 88.1 HD one Raleigh and this has been another episode of the stripdown with DJ Ocean Spray. I'm gonna send the listeners off today with one more Stan and Denghy song off of their live after dark EP. So please enjoy Mesita de Noche that didn't know

Transcribed by https://otter.ai