Diet Cig are in good spirits. Their first visit to the UK saw the slop-pop duo sell out every one of their three London shows and they’re already planning their return.
“I was so nervous before the first show,” starts guitarist/vocalist Alex Luciano. “When we were soundchecking, I realised this could go one of two ways; people are going to love it or be like ‘what is this?’” The crowd choose option A.
“We are just so humble and surprised by how many people are here and who know the words. You live in another country and you know the words to our songs, it’s so surreal. It’s crazy”
“We were staying optimistic and positive about it but I could definitely feel the nerves before we got on the plane, I had butterflies,” continues drummer Noah Bowman. “Is this going to pan out? Is this going to make sense when we’re over there?” After that first show though, everything was ok. Turns out touring the UK is no different than playing at home.
[sc name=”pull” text=”It’s crazy thinking how we’ve reached all these goals that seemed so unattainable.”]
“You’re tired all the time, you stink a lot, you start to savor any food you can eat because it’s not always there. It’s fun but it’s a hustle no matter where you are.”
The band had always dreamed of touring the UK but they “thought it would happen five years later,” not within the first twelve months of them being a band. “It’s crazy thinking how we’ve reached all these goals that seemed so unattainable in just a year so now, what are our goals?”
Well for one, a debut album.
“It’s coming along,” promises Noah, hoping to have it out this year. “We’ve been writing it but we’ve been touring at the same time. It’s so hard to write on the road but we have a couple of windows of time when we get back to the states to get in the practice room and write.”
Diet Cig just want to bang it out. “We wrote these three songs right when we got back from out other tour and I feel like they’re the best songs we’ve ever written. We’re finally learning how to write with one another and we’re really settling into this groove of communication. There’s just more to these songs. They keep the simplicity but I think they’re going to be our best songs ever.”
[sc name=”pull” text=”I think they’re going to be our best songs ever.”]
Not only have Diet Cig worked out how to read one another, they’ve now got an arena to try stuff out in. Whereas ‘Over Easy’ was written and recorded before the band played a live show, the band now have time to figure things out. “It’s nice writing them and then playing them live because if we screw up a little bit, sometimes that’s way cooler.” It’s a fluid motion that’s seen their older material shift as the band get closer. “We don’t play the ‘Over Easy’ songs the same way we recorded them because, after playing them so many times, you figure out more fun ways to play them. It’s good practice to figure out the best way to play your songs.”
“At first we felt this weird pressure to write a certain way and to deliver something that was new but true to what we were doing before. I know I was thinking about it a lot with the lyrics, ‘Oh my god, people are expecting something’ and it was getting in my head so much that I couldn’t even write.” As soon as Alex got into the studio and started playing though, it all made sense. She realised, “Ok, this is what I love to do and the pressure dissipated. This is what we know how to do, but we couldn’t think about it,” says Alex as Noah reasons, “It just seems to work, I don’t know why.”
As the band look ahead, they’re aware their relationship with each other has changed. “We’re even closer,” says Alex. “I think we understand each other better than anyone else can. We can give each other a look and it’s like I’m reading your mind. It’s cool. I get to hang out with my best friend every day on tour. We’re so lucky.”
“I’ve figured you out, I think,” continues Noah, looking at his bandmate with a grin. “I know how we’re not going to kill each other.”
Diet Cig return to the UK (and Paris) this May. The band will play
MAY
15 The Bussey Building, London
20 Green Door Store, Brighton
21 The Hope & Ruin, Brighton
21 Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar, Brighton
23 La Meganique Ondulatoire, Paris
24 Dalston Victoria, Lonson
25 Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
27 Dot to Dot Festival, Manchester
28 Do to Dot Festival, Bristol
29 Dot to Dot Festival, Nottingham
30 Range Life, Leeds