Dark-Folkers Wyldeck in Conversation

hen off-beat rhythms in Wyldeck’s music progress into double time for ever-exciting choruses, the audience is united in a desire to dance. The difference between audience members will be, instead, that some will favour these flashes of energy whilst others will prefer the more serene moments, perfectly showcasing Cece Wyldeck’s pure treble voice. The music mixes these lullaby moments with tinges of dark rock perfectly. The powerful guitar strokes in the upbeat numbers resonate and are definitely addictive. Despite having only formed in March 2012, the band play as if they had been together for years, understanding exactly how to blend perfectly with each other throughout the variation in songs. They clearly enjoy the experience and so does the audience. Wyldeck’s songs are rich in memorable riffs and flowing melodies, successfully reminiscent of lost folk songs.

I spoke to Wyldeck before their set at the Underbelly in Hoxton a few weeks ago. They’d eaten too much at dinner and were trying not to curl up and nap. Cece, dressed all in white, had employed three napkins to avoid food stains and all had had to tie up their hair. Here’s what they had to say:

Felix: So how did Wyldeck come about?

Wyldeck: We’re all from south-west London and we’ve known each other for ages. The boys met when they were 4 or something, then Cece met them aged 10 (when girls were allowed to join girls scouts). The boys had a Led Zeppelin tribute type band and had T-shirts and everything. Later on Cece and Dave were in a punk pop band that played alongside 2:54 (formerly the Vulgarians) and headlined before The xx. After a couple of years of this we had a couple of years off during which Cece wrote and debated a solo career. But after some late night drunken texts, the Wyldeck group was agreed on. It clicked in the first rehearsal.

F: What’s your favourite and least favourite aspect of being musician?

W: Our favourite aspect is definitely playing your instrument and doing gigs. It’s always great when people tell you how much they’ve enjoyed themselves after we’ve put the effort in. Sometimes the free drinks are good but sometimes not. We’re not rock and roll enough to get trashed before our set! Our least favourite aspect is the social media side of stuff – we just want to make music without the hassle!

F: How do you guys write a new song?

W: Usually one of us puts something down then the others fine-tune it. Sometimes it’s Cece, sometimes Dom and sometimes Jacob. Jacob’s just written a song called “Beyoncé’s baby”. You can try and shout for it as an encore later if you like! We all know when a song isn’t working. The best ones are written really quickly and those are the ones we play live, there’s no arguing. There are lots we never play. Sometimes songs that we started to write ages ago resurface and are finally finished just because it’s a better time for them. The other day we finished one Cece wrote 7 years ago.

F: What would be your advice for musicians just starting out?

W: Do it for fun, especially at the start. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Sometimes dreamers are the ones that have enough determination to get somewhere but it’s best to be personable too and not have too massive an ego.

F: What were your first music purchases?

W: Aqua, Shanks and Bigfoot, Fatboy Slim. (Cece) Then during our punk pop phase I liked the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and stuff. Now I’m more into Fleetwood Mac. My first concert was the Backstreet Boys.

F: And what are you listening to now?

W: Daughter, Prince, HAIM, Cat Power, Polica, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West.

F: Who would you most like tomeet?

W: (Cece) I’ve met idols before and it’s been disappointing. Maybe it’s best to keep them just as idols. (Boys) But we would like to party with people that know a good time. Kanye West or Prince maybe. But you would have to prepare yourself.

F: Who’s your favourite on the London gigging scene at the moment?

W: Phillious Williams. There are a lot of nights going on at the moment involving very similar indie bands but they’re doing something a bit different. Mark has a great voice but speaks completely differently!

F: What do you think of the London gigging scene in general?

W: People that do come along are impressed and the fans we do get are really dedicated and come to gigs again and again. We’ve learnt that we have to gig less often and write new material to make the repeated trips worthwhile for those people. Every couple of months we have a new song. Tonight we’re playing 9 songs, our longest set yet, with two new songs.

F: And, finally, what are your next plans?

W: We’re playing some festivals this summer – Wilderness festival, Damn Dead Circus (set up by Phillious Williams) and Hamswell. But we’ll do an EP first as that’s a halfway step to an album in terms of how many killer songs you give away at once.