DownsideUp are Josh Botting (keys), Erik Dekker (drums), Hamish Phillips (guitar), Lalu Hartmann (bass) and Nathan Calver (vocals). Critic Te Ārohi caught up with the band to talk about what's on for them ‘til the end of the year.
DownsideUp formed in 2021 and have entered their third year playing together. It was a first-year music paper that sparked the band: Hamish, Erik and Josh, met in class and were the first to come together, with their early jams quickly consolidating them into a band. Over the next year, two new additions joined the band: Lalu, who went to high school with Hamish and Nathan, with whom they shared mutual friends. Of the five members, four of them studied music at Otago Uni with Lalu being the outlier, having studied business.
Everyone in the band has different influences, from Vulfpeck to 1950s rock and roll. Bringing their individual tastes together as DownsideUp, you can expect a high-energy set that will make you want to groove, drawing from the genres of funk, pop and dance. Their most recently released track ‘Dance’ is inspired by the dance hits of the mid to late 2000s, with Hamish describing it as a bit of an homage to that era.
DownsideUp’s take an easygoing approach to music-making and use a jam process in working and refining their songs. This can either be from the very inception of a song while jamming, or from what an individual member might bring to rehearsal. “When it comes to writing music, we tend to take an approach that focuses more on the groove of the song, rather than lyrical content,” shares Eric. “For example, in the first song that we put out… it's called ‘Funk Jazz Supreme’. Some of the lyrics say, ‘Would you like some fries with that?’ It doesn't mean anything, it’s just fun.”
For now, the band is directing their time towards performing more live music. They are passionate about ensuring the vitality of Ōtepoti’s live music scene and this way they cannot only support it through contributing, but also get their name even more out there. With a limited number of music venues, it’s now more important than ever to be an active member of the music community, says Lalu. Simply coming to gigs is a huge help in helping local musicians. “Not just specifically our gigs but to any gigs that you see around Dunedin, even to bands that you haven’t heard of before. Maybe you’ll find a new one that you like.”
You have two more chances to catch DownsideUp for a boogie before the end of sem. They’re playing a cosy wee gig on Friday, September 29 at Inchbar. Then they’re playing the final pint night of the year on Wednesday, October 11 at U-Bar. Their two singles, ‘Dance’ and ‘Funk Jazz Supreme’ are up on streaming sites and you can keep up with them on socials @downsideupnz.