metal talk
  THE DIVES PREPARE TO UNMASK THEMSELVES IN FRONT OF KISS ARMY
23rd May 2017

mark taylor
Words: Mark Taylor



kiss

Hailing from New York City, The Dives will be making an impression this week when they support Kiss on their UK Arena tour.

The Dives have just released a new four track EP which you can listen too right here on MetalTalk at the bottom of this page and you can also catch the band at their own headline show at The Water Rats in London on Monday 29th May.



Before they jetted over to the UK, MetalTalk's Mark Taylor had a few words with members Evan Stanley and Sergio Ortega.

It's fair to say that The Dives are a relative unknown entity here in the UK. What can British fans expect from you?

Evan: "British fans can expect a straight up, honest rock show; cranked guitars and catchy hooks. There are no tricks, no backing tracks, just four guys who love what they're doing. We don't chase trends. We just make the music we love and that we wish we heard more of."

You describe yourselves as 'Power Pop'. What bands have inspired you the most?

Evan: "I think the 'Power Pop' description sells us short and is a bit misleading because none of the major bands who inspired me fit into that category. I don't think it totally captures what The Dives are about.

"We're a rock'n'roll band. My foundation is made up of bands whose musicianship and catalogs of songs are unrivalled and have stood the test of time. I listen to a pretty wide range of stuff, which I think adds dimension to our sound, but when it really comes down to it, it's The Who, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.

Sergio: "I think we all listen to a lot of different music, but Zeppelin, The Police and The Rolling Stones are the bands that really turned things around for me. I would watch a lot of live concert footage of those guys and I was always in awe of their command and energy on stage. They really set the bar for me.

You currently have a four track EP out called 'Everybody's Talkin'. When can we expect a full album.

Evan: "We're really proud of the EP and we have a ton of new material we can't wait to share, but we want to make sure there are fans who really want a full album before we get to work on it. For now we're focusing on playing live as much as we can, while working on our follow up EP."

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I've read somewhere that Fleetwood Mac legend Mick Fleetwood spotted you performing. Can you tell us more about that and what it led to?

Evan: "That was one of the most unexpected and absolutely incredible nights of my life. I was 17 and had just recorded this video soloing over some blues to submit with my college application. I figured I might as well upload it to YouTube as well, but quickly forgot about it once I did.

"A couple of weeks later, my mom comes upstairs and says, 'Someone's on the phone for you. I think you're going to want to pick up.'

"When I picked up the phone I heard, 'Hey, Evan. This is Mick Fleetwood'. Needless to say, my jaw dropped.

"He told me that he hadn't heard someone my age play that way since Danny Kirwan. He really got into it about my vibrato and phrasing and was just so genuine about the whole thing. I hadn't quite come out of my shell at that point, so it meant the world to get that sort of validation. It's a really wonderful feeling to get praise like that from a hero."

You'll soon be performing an intimate gig at the Water Rats in London inbetween supporting Kiss on their Arena dates. What gigs are more nerve wrecking for you, the club dates or the arenas?

Sergio: "Every gig is just as important as the other, regardless of the size of the venue. It's really important to us that everyone in that room is given the best possible show, whether it's in front of ten or 10,000 people."

Evan: "Well, we've never been on an Arena stage, so I can't really say how that feels yet. At this point, we're all ridiculously excited and can't wait to get out there and give it everything we've got."

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It's no secret Evan, that you're the son of Paul Stanley which means it's easy to accuse The Dives of nepotism when it comes to supporting Kiss. Does that put even more pressure on you in proving yourselves to an audience?

Evan: "I think we're really under a magnifying glass, which is unusual for a band at such an early stage in their career. The connection certainly helps open some doors, but once a door is opened, its all too easy for it to slam in your face. Riding on coattails will never lead to a lasting career or self fulfillment.

"I have to prove myself like everyone else, because, at the end of the day, the public decides what endures. I'm just trying to make the absolute best music I can and hopefully that connects with people."

What records in your father's record collection did you listen to when he wasn't at home?

Evan: "I was exposed to so much great stuff growing up which I'm so grateful for. If I wasn't listening to my four essentials, it would probably be The Kinks, The Move or The Byrds. I went through a heavy Laurel Canyon phase during high school, which I think helped a lot with my songwriting."

Sergio: "We're lucky that we all had parents that had a lot of great music around while we were growing up. So we all came up on similar stuff. It's no coincidence that we ended up in a band together."

What's your ambitions for the future?

Evan: "Like most bands, we want it all, The O2, Madison Square Garden, multi-platinum records. But, for now, we're totally happy paying rent with our music."

2017 is lining up to be a very exciting year for The Dives, with the release of their debut EP, 'Everybody's Talkin', out now and you can listen to it right now, right here on MetalTalk.



The band will be touring throughout the year, and kick this off with their debut UK headline show as well as supporting Kiss across the UK in May 2017.

Saturday 27th May: SSE Hydro, Glasgow
Sunday 28th May: Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham
Monday 29th May: The Water Rats, London
Tuesday 30th May: Manchester Arena, Manchester
Wednesday 31st May: o2 Arena, London

Tickets are available right here.

The Dives will be onstage at 8.30pm at their Water Rats headline show on 29th. All other dates are as support to Kiss.

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