Doko: Borrowed Time and the quest to revive live music
In the current chaos of uncertainty surrounding Sydney’s live scene, four-piece band, Doko cut through the divide in their latest track ‘Borrowed Time’, fervently painting their support for live music. The anxiety that builds around the status of the live scene is juxtaposed with dominating, driving guitar. We chat to Budo about the state of live music and the band’s musical process.
The track has a really significant meaning in fighting for the live music scene. Can you talk about building the idea to use music to address issue within music?
We aren’t the first band from Sydney to write about the current state of the live music scene. I think it’s really encouraging to see a lot of musicians who are fed up with the state of things turning something negative into a creative positive. One of the great things about making music is that you can take bad energy from a personal or social context and use it to breathe life into a song. Most of the best music comes from a place of insecurity and discomfort.
Why was it the most powerful tool in your eyes?
Music only has power if people are inspired to act upon it. I don’t necessarily think our song is going to change anything but it’s our little way of adding to the political discourse. At the end of the day, people who want to keep the scene alive have to keep playing, keep creating, keep voting and keep going to shows.
How did the process of the song come about?
‘Borrowed Time’ came out of a bass line riff I had written a year or two ago. Over that period of time I chipped away at it until it was a full song with lyrics. Plucked up the courage and brought it into a rehearsal one day. We added it to our set pretty quickly after that.
Our singer Jared, in the last few weeks before recording, had a stroke of genius and decided to make the chorus the pre-chorus and added his own chorus in it’s place. We took to it straight away, made a few lyrical adjustments and recorded the track a week or two later.
Do you prefer to build the arrangement around the lyrics or vice versa?
I personally find it really difficult to arrange around lyrics. A lot of great writers do it, but for me it’s like trying to recite the alphabet backwards. It’s probably something I should practice at.
Do you think that the climate surrounding live music affects you more as a musician or an audience member?
I’d argue it affects musicians more. There’s always opportunity for people to go see live music in Sydney, especially more established acts in bigger venues. One of the issues is that some venues are having a hard time keeping their doors open. Naturally this makes them less likely to give opportunities to small time musicians who are trying to cut their teeth in the scene.
How do you think the live environment has strengthened your capabilities as a group?
I guess we owe everything to playing in the live scene. It’s given us a sense of identity and confidence which snowballs the more we play.
Where do you see the direction of live music heading, in a general sense and for you as a group?
It can go a few different ways. Musicians might end up moving interstate to healthier scenes. Currently a lot of the local live music is moving away from the city and into more suburban areas out west. Venues are also getting some of their restrictions lifted as well which is encouraging. I’m pretty confident Sydney is going to come back.
You have some live shows coming up, can you talk about what you have planned and what people can expect?
People can expect some new material and to see four lads doing what they love.
What is coming up next for you guys?
We’re looking to release and tour some new music before the year’s end and record some new material for a 2020 release. Just determined to keep on going.