Austinist Interview: Alex Moore of Dappled Cities Fly

We heard a rumor you guys are planning a move to the States after the tour. Any truth to that?

There sure is. We’re actually leaving in like 3 weeks. We’re going to do that tour, and we’re doing a few dates with the Fratellis. Then, we’ll head over to New York City and try to settle down New York-style.

Was this year at SXSW your first time performing in Austin?

We went the year before as well. It’s always an experience.

What overall feeling did you guys walk away with from the festival?

Actually, it was a bit of confusion, to tell you the truth. We’re just not used to anything like that here. That amount of people and/or bands. I find it very full-on, but in a good way. It’s so awesome just to be surrounded by bands. It’s funny, you can walk down the street and see groups of four dudes standing around. You just know they’re in some sort of hot band. It’s very exciting.

Any anecdotes from your South By experience?

Not really. The other guys saw Kirsten Dunst. That was a bit of a highlight. And The Boiling Pot. I love that place. That’s what I remember of Austin.

What’s the current music climate like in Australia?

Well, we’re still kind of stuck in our Wolfmother stage. So, still lots of rock bands. I think Australia is always going to have that. So, for a band like us there isn’t a lot of stuff going on here. People are starting to hear Granddance and get into it, which is cool, but Australia’s always going to be a rock country.

Are there any Australian bands that you can think of who are really worthy of exposure right now?

Um. Not really that I can think of. That’s shocking isn’t it?

I’ve read a lot of Australian reviews singing your praises. Is the thought of leaving all of that for the scene over in the States a little scary?

Not really, to tell you the truth. It’s always been the band’s goal to move out of Australia. It’s more kind of exciting than daunting ... Oh! Architecture in Helsinki! They’re a sweet-ass Australian band! I knew one would come to me eventually. But, it’s just really exciting. Playing in America is totally different than what we expected. It’s a very welcoming music scene.

Have you guys gone on American tours before?

No. Not really. We’ve only done L.A., N.Y. and Austin. We went through Chicago last time as well. So we haven’t done a full-on tour. We’re also not used to doing the sort of tours that bands in America do where you play fourteen days straight. In Australia, there’s only really three cities where you are guaranteed extensively large crowds. So, it’s going to be bizarre. We’re going to be so tired and grumpy.

We’ve seen you guys described as pretty uplifting and energetic. Do you think you guys have a more positive outlook than many bands?

I don’t know. I’ve seen people say that about us. But, I think we just really enjoy ourselves, and that’s where it comes from. I guess that all depends on the sort of music you play. Our music is quite fun, and maybe we’ll get a little excited and dance about. I reckon it’s just the music and if you get into it.

Was A Smile initially only released in Australia?

Yeah. It definitely was. And, it was only a small run at that.

So, did you guys notice a lot more buzz since Granddance was released in the US?

Yeah, I think so. There’s definitely a buzz starting. People seem to be reacting really positively to the record, which is nice. A Smile was very sort of hard to get into. But, we just changed much with our arrangements and have a laugh on every song. It made it a bit more poppy, and I think that’s made people get into it a bit more.