Deptford Goth

If we mentioned Peckham, your brain would be justified in immediately turning to the Peckham Terminator or indeed the lovable Trotter brothers as a first port of call. But Daniel Woolhouse, monikering himself Deptford Goth, looks set to change all that with the release of his near-perfect debut album, Life After Defo, this month.

Proving that South London is the new source of musical force to contend with, Woolhouse has crafted a big, big record hiding behind the guise of a delicate and timid indie release. Life After Defo hits you with melodious quirk, introverted vocals and ear-caressing beats, which ably demonstrate how to harvest the potential uncrystalised by The XX‘s Coexist last year. Tracks such as ‘Lions‘, singles ‘Life After Defo’ and ‘Union‘ and album’s next release, ‘Feel Real’, show Woolhouse’s knack for writing songs that grab you at once and hold firm. ‘Feel Real’ itself is – to our ears – one of the highlights of this year and we can’t wait to see the video for it, which – as Woolhouse tells us below – is coming shortly. Here’s a quick breeze-shooting session we had with the chap.

We’re intrigued about the name Deptford Goth. Why not Peckham Goth?

It was just something I had written down, I liked the words together. I thought it would be a good name for a character in a story. When I put a track up on Myspace to share with my friends, it was the name I used.

So you weren’t tempted to just use your own name, then?

Well, when I put that track up on the Internet, I had no reason to think that ultimately I would release an EP and now the album, so it wasn’t really a conscious decision back then not to use my own name. It just sort of happened, so I kept it.

How did you first start making music?

When I was younger, I had a four track and a guitar and my sister had this little Casio keyboard.

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Do you have a specific songwriting routine?

It tends to vary from song to song, I don’t have any kind of routine, really, at least not at the initial stages of writing. I write down everything I think of and sometimes go back to those phrases or lyrics. Sometimes a song will grow from a melody or chord sequence. It’s later on in the process where I have more of a routine, when I’m producing, I tend to go through a repetitive process of addition and subtraction.

You’ve named your debut album after its opening track. What is the song about?

It’s about the transition from certainty to the unknown and the space between despair and hope.

How did you initially go about getting people in the music industry to listen to your music?

I didn’t really do anything. Like I said, I put a track – Real Love Fantasy – up on Myspace, so I could share the link with my friends, and then it got blogged about. Before then I was unaware of the whole ‘blogosphere’.

And how did the deal with Merok then happen?

After ‘Real Love Fantasy’ had been written about a bit online, various people began to get in touch and I sent them a few more tracks that I was working on, I had a few meetings and ended up doing the Youth II EP with Merok, who subsequently offered to release an album.

What, to date, has been the most useful feedback you’ve had about your music?

Make the vocals louder!

When was the first time you played a live show as Deptford Goth?

It was at Electrowerkz last summer, supporting Gwilym Gold.

Is gigging something which you enjoy doing?

I have mixed emotions about it. Part of me loves it and part of me is just really worried that I’ll disappoint people.

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Your music has been compared to James Blake and The xx. Are those kinds of comparisons useful or damaging when you’re trying to emerge as a relatively (initially) unknown artist?

If it gives people a route into the music, then I guess it can be useful. But I don’t think I really sound a great deal like either.

Where does the inspiration behind your creative process usually come from?

Introspection.

There are several very strong choruses on the record. Do you have a soft spot for a particular one?

I think ‘Union’ is the closest I’ve come to ‘a drop’. In comparison to most of the other tracks, that one’s a bit of a banger.

You directed the video for it yourself. When you’re recording songs do you simultaneously imagine how they may come across visually?

Maybe sometimes, yes, I’ll have imagery that I’ll associate with them. But often the video ideas divert from that somewhat and develop later on.

Will you be directing further visuals from the album?

Yes, I’ve made a video for ‘Feel Real’, which should be up soon.

Life After Defo is out now on Merok.