INTERVIEW: 'Biggest Fan is about longing for the past' | Della B

Having never listened to - or heard of, for that matter - Della B before, I wasn't sure what to expect from this London trio when I was sent their upcoming single, Biggest Fan. I must say, though, upon first listen I was impressed. To allow me to form a full opinion on this band I did some research and listened to their previous two singles, Wet Hot and Red Dress, the latter having been released back in the summer. Biggest Fan is definitely different to the 2018 anthem but Red Dress gives me a similar vibe. Upbeat, happy, and you get the urge to dance; who doesn't love a good boogie?

Anyway, Biggest Fan. Smooth, funky, soulful with a twist of rock - an unlikely, but brilliant, combination. It's a cool track, you know? You could imagine sitting on a beach with this in your ears, or riding a wave - although who's going to ride a wave, in Britain, at wintertime? Riding metaphorical waves. It opens up your imagination to happy, laid back places. Vocalist Jamie Thorn has a loud, clear voice that's prominent over the chilled instrumentals, and the downbeat soul of said instrumentals adds a sombre effect to the track. Highly inspired by the 70s, it's also a reminiscent song - this being shown in the line "can we go back to what we had when no two songs sounded the same?" - and it's an ironic criticism on modern-day music, making it relatable to many as you often hear the complaint "it all sounds the same." Biggest Fan is definitely unique, I'll give it that.

Alongside saying some nice stuff about this track, I also took up the opportunity to have a chat with Della B's vocalist and get to grips with who they are!

Hey guys! First off is something I'm quite curious about - why the name Della B? Is it significant in any way?

Della B takes its name from Ray Charles' second wife, Della B. Robinson. We just thought it was a nice name and it fits in perfectly with the sun-drenched soul sound we were trying to achieve. There was something about the combination of the two "L's" together and the shapes of the "D" and the "B." They really did something for me.

How did Della B come about?

What's now known as Della B formed in 2015, but the basis of our band began with our folk-rock group Jamie Thorn and The Mystery Pacific. We all met when we were about 16 and 17, and shortly made a name for ourselves on London's music scene. A few members went their separate ways and after some time apart we'd grown tired of the genre and wanted to do something different: out came Della B.

You've got a unique voice, which I appreciate a lot. This track is a mix of genres: smooth soul and pop rock - is that your aim? How would you define yourselves?

You've hit the nail on the head! We're really into the laid back, west coast sound of the 70s, but like you said we're a mix of genres - with soul and rock definitely in that list.

Who were your biggest musical influences whilst writing this track?

Like I said, we love music of the 70s - stuff like Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, etc. for all those close harmonies - but I always felt this song had a bit of a 'Turn On Me' by The Shins quality vibe in terms of its production.

Songs tend to come from personal experience, or are written for some kind of 'cause' - is this the case foe Biggest Fan?

In a general sense, Biggest Fan is a song about longing for the past when something you love disappoints you. Specifically, though, it was written about the feeling you get when your favourite band releases an album you were excited for, but you soon realise they've decided to go experimental and it just sounds bad. So, yeah, I guess it does stem from personal experience, but it's not intending on being deep and profound, more ironic and funny.

Obviously everyone knows why I love this song, but why do you think people will enjoy your new single?

I always think our songs have a romantic quality to them. It's the perfect song to have your first dance to, take a drive to, have a bath to. It's great if you'd rather pretend you're driving through L.A. at sunset with the windows down than be at work.

If you can, sum up the single in one word?

Soulful.

What's next for the band - singles, EP's, gigs?

We've got plenty in the pipeline for 2020 with a UK tour and plenty more London dates to fill our diaries. We're also spending some time mapping out and refining over two hours' worth of Della B originals in our makeshift home studio before we record an EP of our strongest tracks.

Biggest Fan will be available on all major streaming services on 15/11.