Datsuns cruise down to the coast

The Datsuns are looking forward to getting back into their New Zealand comfort zone

We're pretty much like the Monkees," laughs Phil Datsun about the flat he shares with the three other Datsuns in London. The Kiwi band have been holed up in the city for a while, taking time off from touring the world to write new songs - and record them as they go - for their third album.

"We've done a year-and-a-half solid in London," says Phil. "I like it for now. It's not the type of place I'd like to spend a lot more time though. It's not the kind of place you can just cruise to the beach."

Which is why the Datsuns - Phil and Dolf de Datsun (bass/vocals), Christian Datsun (guitar) and Matt Datsun (drums) - are playing some beachside towns in New Zealand this summer, starting on New Year's Eve with a ripsnorter at the Mount.

"New Zealand's the only place I feel normal," says Phil. "I don't know if it's because it's our own country, but after the jet lag's worn off, it's like, 'This is how I'm supposed to feel all the time'. I don't mind living in England, but coming home is definitely a different feeling. It's more of a comfort zone, I guess."

Another reason they're playing the gigs is because they are itching to get back on the road.

"Yeah, I'm pretty much ready to move on," he laughs. "That's the thing, we were all at the point when we were on the road that all we wanted to do was get off.

"Now the excitement of looking forward to playing again has totally come back. The break has done us good. We wanted to get a sense of normality to our life because we were touring for a while."

After the flak they received from some British media about their second album, Outta Sight, Outta Mind, it's surprising they stuck it out overseas.

The tepid response was the opposite to the excitement surrounding the release of their self-titled debut in 2002.

The Datsuns started making a name for themselves in their hometown of Cambridge during the mid 90s while in a band called Trinket.

Later that decade, now called the Datsuns, they gigged solidly and released a handful of seven-inch singles, which included songs such as Super Gyration and Fink For the Man.

In 2001 the big time beckoned with tours to Australia, and the start of Datsuns' hype in Britain.

In 2002 they impressed at South By Southwest in Texas - a world-wide music conference - and in October that year they appeared on the cover of British music magazine NME.

They were officially the next big thing.

But it didn't take long for the bubble to burst in Britain. Outta Sight, Outta Mind was panned when it came out in 2004.

"It could've gone better in that kind of sense, but we don't take too much notice of that kind of thing," says Phil Datsun.

"When the first one came out we got crazy reviews and we thought it was funny.

"We had some fallings-out with people who were reviewing it, and there was all sorts of shit involved behind the scenes.

"People didn't even listen to the record, or hadn't even heard of the band and just wrote it off. But that's how that industry is over there."

But they stayed in London to start the next record, "keep in people's faces" and continue touring.

And it seems the Datsuns' mantra of being a rock'n'roll band "who play live and release records" is still solidly intact.

"We've been doing a lot of home recordings and just practising and demoing stuff in our practice room," says Phil.

"It's been good creative wise. We've been recording a lot of different stuff, as well as traditional Datsuns' stuff. Everything from country numbers to acoustic slide things to big psychedelic instrumentals to super heavy metal."

At their New Zealand concerts the band will sell a special tour edition, seven-inch single called Sky Is Falling. "It's just a real fast, one-minute-20 song we recorded and the B-side is a country song we recorded in our hallway.

"We do quite a bit of recording in our hallway," he deadpans.

It sounds like a hark back to their Cambridge days?

"When we started it was a hobby," he agrees, "but, I guess, we were forced to change because it's our job now, as much as we don't look at it like a job, but it's still something we have to do to get by.

"There's more things we need to consider, like some of us have a family. Matt's got a daughter. But basically, music is everything for us and we're still loving it more than ever."


Performance

* Who: The Datsuns, made up of Dolf de Datsun (bass/vocals), Phil Datsun (guitar), Christian Datsun (guitar), and Matt Datsun (drums).

* Where & when: Mt Maunganui, Blue Chip Stadium, December 31 (with the Rock N Roll Machine and Connan & the Mockasins); Russell, Duke of Marlborough Tavern, January 2 (with the D4 and the Rock N Roll Machine); Raglan Town Hall (all ages) (with the Rock N Roll Machine); Napier, Shed 2, January 4 (with the D4); Waihi Beach Hotel, January 5 (with the D4).

* Albums: The Datsuns (2002); Outta Sight, Outta Mind (2004)