HEY Magazine’s EXCLUSIVE Interview with DAVE HEMINGWAY!

Having grown-up with an eclectic music taste, there was always something special about listening to great bands and artists from our local area of Hull & East Riding, and there are a couple that stand out. Especially, the former members of The Housemartins and The Beautiful South. I was so pleased to be asked to chat with Dave Hemingway as he starts his ‘new chapter’ with his new band, Sunbirds, with new songs and a totally new sound.

Sunbirds is made up of Dave Hemingway, songwriter & guitarist Phil Barton, violinist & singer, Laura Wilcockson, and session drummer Marc Parnell. They are currently playing their live gigs and have released their album, ‘Cool To Be Kind’ in 2020. The sound from Sunbirds is different to the music we’ve heard from Dave previously.

Dave explains how their music has an ‘American roots feel to it’ and you can feel Phil Barton’s love and influence of American country music coming through in their tracks with the delicate use of pedal steel guitars, banjos, and mandolins in some of their tracks and harder, grungy guitar solos in others. Dave explains how the band are ‘very proud of what they’ve achieved’ and songs are written about some of their own experiences. ‘Cool To Be Kind’ is a ‘true album, written as an album as opposed to a collection of songs or singles that were chosen to be on it’.

I asked Dave when he first realised that he wanted to pursue music and he explained that he was 6-years old, and it was his brother’s birthday party. Dave was asked to be the DJ for the party, taking care of the music, he picked up a record by The Beatles, ‘She’s Leaving Home’ from ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ when he was struck with this feeling he’d never had before and knew he wanted to be in music. Dave and his school friend Hugh Whitaker, both shared an interest in drumming at school, and when the classed were asked who would like to learn, they put their hands up.

They both went on to play for bands after school, first the Newpolitans with Dave Rotheray on bass, and then the Velvetones. Whilst at university in London, Hemingway was the drummer and a founding member of The Shoppers.

Hugh Whitaker drumming for the Housemartins. In 1987, Dave was working as a purchase ledger clerk for Crystal Motor Group when he got a call from Rotheray telling him Whitaker had left The Housemartins. Dave quit his job in March 1987 and quickly found himself recording in the studio for The Housemartins second album, ‘The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death’.

The result of Dave’s experience throughout his career combined with his recognisable mellow and melodical vocal tones, their new album is pleasure to listen to. I asked Dave what his favourite track on the album is and he talked about how ‘Stars Still Shine’ resonates with a ‘personal vibe’ with him. The Sunbirds album is available to buy on CD or listen on popular music streaming platforms, you can find links to all of these from their website www.sunbirds.co.uk or http:// smarturl.it/p6n3s7

Post-covid, Sunbirds are in the rehearsal rooms, putting the work in to ‘get good and deliver strong songs’ and are ready to ‘get back out there’ on the road, playing their gigs and working on a ‘proper tour’. You can find more about their upcoming gig dates in HEY Magazine and on their website.

To finish our call, I asked Dave, if we looked at the last 3 tracks from his personal playlist, what was he listening to and he replied, ‘probably a collection of tracks by Squeeze’. Finally, I asked Dave what message he’d like to give for fans, past, future, and present, about the Sunbirds, and he replied that they are loving what they are doing and ‘write to play’. He said, ‘this is something new but give us a try’, it’s a ‘new chapter for them’ and they ‘love playing local’ having played iconic local venues such as The Adelphi, where they played their first gig on Saturday 31st July. Sunbirds can’t wait to see you at one of their gigs soon.

www.heymagazine.co.uk | November 2021