Brooklyn-based Deluka talk to The Villanovan about debut album
November 30, 2010
Although Brooklyn-based Deluka just released its first full-length album, “You Are the Night,” only about a month ago, it found itself holed up in a New York City studio last week, rehearsing and creating new music.
For many bands, this kind of work ethic would seem unreasonable, but for Deluka, it’s just business as usual.
“We’re always working toward something,” says the band’s beautiful lead singer Ellie Innocenti. “We like to be creative constantly.”
They don’t view their time in the studio as tedious work, but rather a golden opportunity to play, explore and create.
Hailing from Birmingham in the United Kingdom, Deluka is an electro-pop/rock band that consists of four longtime friends: singer/guitarist Innocenti, guitarist Kris Kovacs, bassist Robbie G. and drummer Stevie J. Palmer. For this group of friends, music has always been first.
“We used to hang out at a club where Kris used to DJ, and a lot of bands would come in and out,” Innocenti says in her endearing, sophisticated accent. “We would just play in our little band, drink and be young.”
Now, since moving to the States because of its record deal, the band has come to embrace the culture of Brooklyn and all the creative outlets New York City has to offer and is perhaps on the verge of taking over the rest of America with its new album.
The band’s sound is a unique blend of danceable rock and electronica, while Innocenti’s vocal delivery creates this girl-punk, Joan Jett meets The Killers sort of vibe.
According to Innocenti, Deluka is influenced by a wide array of artists, many of whom her parents would play around the house when she was younger, including Blondie, Talking Heads and David Bowie.
On “You Are the Night,” Deluka has taken the best aspects of its influences and molded them into an 11-song package of bright dance rock.
The album is full of enough high-fretted glam guitar riffs, hearty vocals and catchy hooks to send your head and feet into a wild frenzy.
The lead single, “Cascade,” immediately ascends on top of a starry-eyed chorus, allowing Innocent’s vocals to soar effortlessly. Like many of the songs here, the sound on “Cascade” is big and mature for a band that really is just beginning to take off their training wheels.
“NEVADA” is one of the true, down-and-dirty rock songs on the album with its rough guitar jams and punk scowl.
What sets Deluka apart from a typical dance-rock routine is that you’ll never hear the same thing twice on “You Are the Night.”
It’s always important to be flexible as a band, and Deluka comeS up with some surprising gems, such as the Muse-like ballad “Name On My Lips” or the driving “Come Back to Me” that ruffle up the set a bit.
There’s also a song titled “Capitol City,” which Innocenti says is the most fun and exhausting song to play live.
“We keep that at the end of our set because we probably couldn’t play anything after it.”
The track, certainly the most ambitious on the album, is a tireless jam that takes a couple twists and turns before reaching its euphoric end.
“You Are the Night” is sure to turn more than a few heads, but for now, Deluka can only continue to push its album and play as many shows as they can.
“We love to play live,” Innocenti says. “That is the best thing really.”
They have a couple of shows coming up, including one in Washington D.C., before they head overseas to their home country to play a few club shows.
As for the future of Deluka, Innocenti says that the band plans to tour constantly throughout the next year, pushing for major radio play and hoping to expand their already large fan base.
Make no mistake: Deluka is the real deal. They’ve got a little bit of grittiness, a little bit of glam and a whole lot of power — all of which thrust many of their songs into anthemic territory.
It’s a wonder they’re not big yet, and only time will tell if America will come to discover Brooklyn’s best-kept secret.