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Daryll-Ann's Trailer Track

Daryll-Ann recently finished Trailer Track: a series of gigs to support the release of their latest release Trailer Tales. An album on which the touch of Jelle Paulusma was very prominent. He was responsible for almost every song on the album except for Equally Sympathy, which was written by virtuoso guitar player Anne Soldaat. It resulted in an album with a tranquil sound and beautiful melodies. Appreciation and curiosity brought us to see the band live and to have a chat with frontman Jelle Paulusma.

Tekst: Norbert Pek

Publicatiedatum: 05 mei 2002

The live show represented the tranquil sound of Trailer Tales. The band onstage showed the audience the beauty of music. No jumping, no running onstage. They wanted us to experience the sound of music, and tried to evoke emotions in the audience. Their success in doing so is a result of the collaboration between the brothers Paulusma and Anne Soldaat, who still astonishes everyone with his unique guitar-play. New on stage: Dick Brouwers (who replaced Jeroen Vos) and Johan's Diederik Nomden on piano. Still onstage: Jeroen Kleijn on drums.

After opening with Marching, the band immediately played Serenades For The Lonely, the loudest song from Trailer Tales where the brothers Paulusma took care of the sound the trumpets made on the album. Very amusing — just like the happy Surely Justice. Most of the songs played were from the last two albums, and the first song from their masterpiece Daryll-Ann Weeps is Dustyfied. Half of the band members walked off the stage leaving only three of them to play a very intimate version of that song. Diederik Nomden (piano) turns out to fit into the group very well, and the three went on with Money Or Love. The audience was very quiet while Daryll-Ann played Swords And Words, when the full band walked onstage again during that song and started to play along. They carried on with the rest of the show, wherein A Piece Of Work turned out to be the most psychedelic thing the band has ever done before. The high-quality gig finished with oldie The Doctor & I, and the experienced band members left the stage. Another crowd to be conquered the next day.

But first, time to catch up with Jelle Paulusma:

Do you always stay motivated, because you keep on playing in the same places and see the same people?
"Isn't that a good sign, when you see the same people all the time? That means that you've got a solid group of fans for you who want to come back every time. That's something I like to see."

But is there still any hope to cross the Dutch borders? You also released Happy Traum in the USA.
"That's nice for us but it isn't the main thing. The fact that Happy Traum has been released in the U.S.A. doesn't mean that we have plans to play there. I don't know. You have to see about that at the very moment; you can decide to go there and look if you have the time and motivation. We used to aim on crossing the borders. We were all giving 100 percent for the music, but now we have the opinion that there are also other things in life. A lot of people of the band are already working. So if you want to do something like that means we also need a substantial contribution. It's quite a gamble to attempt something like that. But it's not our intention anymore to take over the world."

The way that Trailer Tales was brought about is different from the process on the other albums. On what aspects do you think Trailer Tales is different from the other ones?
"That's a hard question to answer because I'm so on-top-of-it. It's mainly the side of the personnel that had consequences for the final product. The songs are more worked out. It is less grafted upon a hard chord scheme, or the intensity. The melody is more prominent this time. The songs are in fact easier, even though you won't hear that so quickly."

Is the silent sound also due to the loneliness of working in the trailer?
"That has nothing to do with it. I had planned in advance that it even had to be more introvert. Less rock and more listening music."

But then, how do you make a song like Serenades For The Lonely?
"It's all in the package. You try to give the songs you write a mellow approach, and song by song you look if that's possible. Serenades For The Lonely has grown this way. Finally you look if it fits in the total package. In this case we didn't have to leave the song off the album. It wasn't that much of a style change but just a slightly different sound. It fit quite well."

How did the other band members react when you came with this material?
"They differed from 'it sounds more '60s' [to] 'it sounds really adult.' All very positive reactions."

How do you deliver something like that?
"They all get a 4-track recording. After that we discuss it and start to play them. These aren't everlasting sessions. On Trailer Tales I told them what my idea was and they had to keep themselves on that. I've got the big picture, and I know what the final result has to sound like."

This isn't an approach you could have predicted some years ago, is it?
"Not really; we recorded Daryll-Ann Weeps as a whole band. Well, the band accepts that there is less participation. There are two people who create, Anne and me, and the rest execute. It's all for the sake of the whole. The creator has downright ideas, they have to be worked out."

How do you deal with the fact that Jeroen Vos didn't take part on the album and the tour?
"That's a shame of course, but it was his choice. We discussed it very well, and of course it is also a revocable decision."

This has become a Jelle record; an Anne record is almost impossible, isn't it?
"Why not? We've always made the songs together. It resulted in an own sound by Daryll-Ann. We are the gatekeepers and within that there is still space for freedom."

But still, you write a lot and you see the result of that on the record. Could you do without that?
"Well, in the past Anne wrote more and recently I'm the one doing that. It isn't any sort of competition for us. We work together for a common target."

How does the cooperation with your brother Coen work out? On the Dutch programme Loladamusica, the audience got a certain impression...
"You mean the arguing? Oh yes, that's still the case. We are twin brothers and we just do that. Whether there is a camera in the neighbourhood or not. I don't care if people have the impression that me and my brother do nothing but argue with each other. Hey, I really like my brother! It was a good programme by the way, especially the live recordings."

How do you work towards a concert?
"There is always a bottle of whiskey. That bottle is empty at the sound-check. Than we start with beer. You see, we see it like a nice day out. There is a lot of self-confidence, because we've been doing this for a long time. On the stage we listen to each other very good and try to reconnoitre the borders within a song."

But you don't do any interviews on the day of the gig and the day after. Why is that? "I don't want any distraction. We aren't a big fan of people watching over our shoulders. We just like to hang out together and we want to have our peace — it's just a distraction. The main part is that we play well and then everything will be fine. The main purpose: a satisfied audience."

What is it that you're doing for Daryll-Ann daily, and what are you doing besides that?
"At the moment I'm busy playing and doing some interviews. And I also drive as a courier to make some extra money. And I'm also working with some other bands. It's nice to show a young band the way, to teach them some stuff. I think it's also nice to do that more often, but I won't advertise for it. They have to call me about it if they're interested."

What are the plans for the future?
"It's never sure. I also don't know what we're going to do after this tour. We have been affirmed for Pinkpop — that's very nice. We'll see what happens after that. I'd like to extend the acoustic part we do at gigs right now. You learn a lot by doing that. It can have its reflection on the next record. But maybe there won't be a next record. It's always wait-and-see."

No single this time?
"No, that wasn't the plan this time. It's an album you have to see as a whole. We've sent a song to the media, it had to be the trigger for them. Pines And Grenadine is a good example of the atmosphere of the album."

Is there also some other contemporary music that matters to you?
"Not much. I'm listening to the Kinks as we speak. No, it's not something I try to follow. I just wait till someone tells me that I have to listen to something. I do have attention for the things our own label is doing."

What is the main thing you've had after all those years with Daryll-Ann?
"Life experience. That if you have the idea you want to do something, you can do it. To live in a position where you have the freedom. It's not an office job. I've always considered it a privileged position, especially when the audience seems to like it and keeps on liking it."

http://www.kindamuzik.net/achtergrond/daryll-ann/daryll-ann-s-trailer-track/1518/
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