Eight questions with The Dollymops

Oxford! We're happy to be working with The Dollymops on their upcoming hometown EP launch show at The Jericho Tavern on 7th June. The EP Fields Of Wheat is due for release on the 8th June, and they'll also be taking the show along to Banbury and Bicester. Grab your tickets for the Oxford date here, and check out our interview with the band below!

(c) Helen Messenger

1. First up, who are The Dollymops? How long have you been making music together?! 

The Dollymops are an Oxford four piece and we've been together since around the turn of the year. 

2. Where does the name for the band come from? 

The band name comes from a Victorian name for a prostitute, with 'dolly' being slang for a bloke's member at the time apparently. People often think we're a local cleaning firm though. We're neither male prostitutes nor cleaners, although they're both probably more lucrative career options than the band.

3. Who are the band’s biggest musical influences and all time favourite artists? 

I think our biggest musical influences are old punk records by the likes of The Clash, Pistols and Buzzcocks, classics like The Kinks and The Beatles, and a bit of noughties indie for good measure. 

4. Your new EP ‘Fields Of Wheat’ is due for release on the 8th June - what can you tell us about the writing and recording process? 

The songs were mostly written as a cheap alternative to going to the pub on weeknights. They're very much inspired by everyday life and personal experiences, without wanting to get too bogged down with suburban, kitchen sink dreariness. We recorded the EP at some old apple barn in the middle of nowhere which has been turned into a studio. I thought it would be pretty tedious but it was actually a lot of fun!

5. You’re launching the EP at The Jericho Tavern for us on 7th June with support from Fracture and Persephone. What can we expect from the show?

You can expect a crazy night. With a line up we curated and at our favourite Oxford venue, simply historic. We shall be playing tracks from our debut EP, new ones and maybe even a special cover. Friends and family will be coming from far and wide and hopefully they'll be enough space for everyone else to squeeze in we have met on our travels thus far. We're so proud of our EP and this will be a special show, what with it not going live and launching until midnight every ticket holder will receive a limited-edition cd version. Hand signed, and surely a collector’s item in years to come!

6. Describe your dream gig to us! Are there any venues that you’re desperate to play in Oxford or further afield? Any artists you’d love to collaborate with on a performance?

We'd love to do some of the festivals that we grew up going to as punters like Glastonbury and Isle of Wight, and I like the idea of doing gigs in obscure settings; bakeries, catteries and what not. 

7. What do you have lined up as a band for the rest of 2018? 

We've got quite a few gigs coming up over the next few months. We're also planning on recording another EP in august, and one more perhaps towards the end of the year if the songs haven't dried up by then. 

8. Last up - who are in your headphones at the moment? Any local Oxfordshire bands we should be listening to?

Self Help, Lucy Leave and Easter Island Statues were all incredible at Common People Oxford recently and we are very excited to be playing alongside them all on the Banbury leg of the EP tour, a line up we curated. Oxford's music scene is stronger than it has ever been with professional promoters, fresh labels and beautiful venues. It's an honour to cut our teeth in our home city. When we gig in London we really do miss the familiarity!