Following SA alternative rock band Dustland Express’ much anticipated debut album release, Potchefstroom Herald’s Wouter Pienaar decided to discover more from this band and the concepts behind The Question, Sir, Is Why? Lead vocalist, Scott Murcott gave his views on the band’s past, present and future as well as what makes Dustland Express tick.

1. It has been quite a journey filled with band replacements and various musical directions for Dustland Express over the years. What inspired the new album’s sound and what would you say are your favourite tracks?

It’s definitely been a ride! For the album, we wanted to inject some aggression into our sound while retaining Dustland’s focus on melody and harmony from previous releases. Nemesis, Apocalypse, and The Question, Sir, Is Why? are definite highlights for me. They’re good examples of what we’re going for.

2. What were the biggest creative challenges when making “The Question Sir, Is Why?”

Every song needed to be distinctive, and to be able to stand on its own while forming part of the whole. There’s a thread that runs through the album, and each song needed to carry it. The Question, Sir, Is Why? begins confidently and then moves into a sombre, introspective place by the end.

3. What would you say differentiate you the most from other bands? Is it important to have a unique sound?

It’s really important to have a unique sound. Otherwise, how do you cut through the noise? I like to think the combination of grand, over-the-top melodies, softer interludes, and film-inspired orchestrations differentiate Dustland a bit.

4. I pick up a lot of orchestral and atmospheric sounds on this album. For instance “Voyage of Men” has a real epic feel that would work perfectly with a music video or even a movie soundtrack? What inspired this song?

Kamil and I are pretty obsessed with film scores! I’m not sure what inspired Voyage of Men, but the lyrics kind of speak to legacy and how it affects the next generation. Humanity seems doomed to repeat history and the lyrics look at that cyclical nature from an outsider’s perspective.

5. The entire album “The Question Sir, Is Why?” seems to have a specific focus on more darker themes and “in your face” imagery with “rats” “bodies” “decay” and so forth in the lyrics? Any reasoning behind this?

Haha, that’s what reaching your thirties does to you! I’m getting older and one of the things I’m having to confront is mortality. One of the album’s themes is opulence and power-mongering in the face of moral decay. So that dark thread runs beneath the album, kind of tempering the high energy of the songs.

6. The songs are really catchy energetic and multi layered. Are there specific things you guys focused on in the writing process, or did things just happen organically and you went with the flow from that?

We want the listener to discover new things with every play-through. Whether it’s a hidden piano line or secret little orchestral theme, the idea was to create this rich soundscape without overloading it. Dustland wanted to make the experience as enjoyable and surprising as possible for the listener.

7. The title track also has a lot of electronic influences in the intro that keeps the interest going and differentiates the songs from each other. Was that one of the main goals to create cohesive albums with songs that did not sound the same?

As a kid, I was always more amped on a band, book, or movie that kept you guessing. Like, there were always surprises around the corner, stuff that exhilarated and moved you. The idea was to make each song a character in some greater, epic story. You can probably tell I’m a Lord of the Rings fan!

8. How important are the messages found in your songs? Should people be inspired to act or get opinionated when listening to your songs?

We watch the world go by on a timeline, on a screen. We’re inundated with information but we’re no closer to fulfilment. I guess, for me personally, the songs were a way of finding a voice in all the noise. The world’s a shitty, shitty place for many people, and if there’s one thing Dustland want people to take from the album, it’s to question who you are in the world and what you’re contributing to it.

9. What are your favourite lyrics from the album?

They’re from the bridge of Apocalypse:

Have we forgotten who we are. Oh…it’s been a long time coming. The warring of our barren hearts, the musings of our hollow souls. These are things we’d rather not know…these are things we hide deep down below. Don’t you know that we’re so cruel. Oh…we live our lives in search of jewels. Silently we go about routine until the day we die. These are things we’d rather not know…these are things we hide deep down below

10. How has the reaction been thus far to the album?

Pretty positive! It’s only been out for a week, so we’ll see if that holds further down the line. The band and I are really proud of The Question, Sir, Is Why?, and happy to finally have it out there for people to listen to.

11. What can fans expect at a live gig? Do you feel that you can create or even top the atmosphere on your albums live?

We’ve got six members, so expect a lot of movement and energy. The orchestration and harmonies are all there, so what you hear on the album will most probably be what you hear live!

12. Goals in the future for Dustland Express?

We’ll do a mini-tour of SA to promote the album, most probably early next year. Following that we’ll start writing new material.

Cheers for the interview, hope you enjoyed the album!

Dustland Express’ debut album The Question Sir, is Why is available on Apple Music, Deezer, Spotify and all major streaming services.

Here is the bandcamp link where listener can buy and listen to the tracks: https://dustlandexpress.bandcamp.com/