THE
DUTCH KILLS
Interview by Aidan La Poche
The Dutch Kills is a Brooklyn-based rock band comprised of guitarist/vocalist Julia Kley, guitarist Alec Berry, bassist Maxine McCormick, and drummer Heather Jensen. They’re releasing their debut EP, “The Rot”, produced by Aleksi Godard and Gordon Raphael at The Hit Factory and Electric Lady Studios.
CHEAP LOVE is out now
Catch the band on March 14th at Baby’s All Right
Julia Von Dutch: I wrote the song on the way out of a relationship. There were so many gaps in our relationship and he tried to fill it with things. Buying me shit instead of apologizing or trying to buy my happiness. Love started to feel transactional and in the end, cheap.
I was in a place where I didn’t quite recognize myself, I had lost a lot of the tenderness and softness that I liked about myself. I felt like I was being enjoyed, like reading a book to a child who can’t do the same for you. The song itself is a story about realizing that you’ve lost yourself in the process of teaching someone how to love, feeling lonely, but then in the end returning back to the beautiful tenderness (gold). Return to gold is a peaceful ending to the song, looking forward to returning back to that beautiful tenderness that was lost. Returning to rich love and relationships to come.
BASTA: “Cheap Love” leans into a darker, grungier sound compared to more dance-driven tracks like “Ew” and “Counter”. What drew you to this style, and how did you approach blending it with your existing sound?
Julia Von Dutch: When writing the riff, I wanted to lean into the uneasiness of how I was feeling at the time. I was really drawn to the heavier, thicker guitar sounds to add some tension and release. We originally didn’t have a bridge for the song until we were jamming in practice and I just started belting “Cheap Love” and it was cathartic as hell. I love playing the open E whenever I can and it really fits with the song. I love exploring the full spectrum of our sound. I’m a very instinctual singer–I like being cheeky or angsty or gentle sometimes all in the same song. We love to dance and yell but I also love having a tender side.
Alec Berry: I think we all wanted to try something a little different with this new song and go in a bit of a heavier direction. Pushing the boundaries of what our sound can be is really exciting. Even on our EP, The Rot, there are some songs that are catchier and dance-driven, but others are more dark and moody. Getting to play with both sides of that spectrum is one of my favorite things about our catalog of songs. In the studio, we were definitely going for something a bit different too. Mainly, we added some more guitar layers than we have on previous recordings to really fill out the sound even more. That was a ton of fun and I’m excited to expand the range of our sound even more as time goes on.
BASTA: The cover art for “Cheap Love” totally captures that feeling of being both wrecked and exhilarated after a long night. What drew you to this image, and how does it reflect the song’s mood?
Julia Von Dutch: The cover art was inspired by feeling spoiled from the night. Feeling ‘wilted’ after a night of fun. When I wrote this song, I was trying to escape a lot. Going out trying to distract myself from how I was feeling and at the end of the night, feeling wilted. The pic is of my friend Molly. She’s an incredible photographer and a super sick person so I was immediately drawn to this image. I feel like it represents how it feels to be a girl. Vulnerable yet strong.
BASTA: There’s a real sense of place in your band name and Maxine’s connection to the Dutch Kills subway stop. How does NYC shape your music?
Alec Berry: NYC is such a great place, and I think there’s something really special about just walking around and taking everything in while listening to your favorite song. Whenever we’re working on new music, I’m always listening to our demos and mixes while going on walks and just thinking about how it all fits together. So the connection between our sound and NYC as a place is totally built into my brain at this point. The energy of the city fuels what we do.
Maxine McCormick: I totally agree with Alec. It’s like how in movies that take place in New York the city feels like its own character super integral to the story. It feels the same for the Dutch Kills,
sonically and as a band. The history of punk and rock music in this city alone has had a huge impact on us, like from VU and Patti Smith to Le Tigre and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. A lot of that influence is in our sound for sure.
Julia Von Dutch: Maxine pitched the name forever ago and I always liked how it sounded. The Dutch Kills is a place in NYC so I also loved repping the city in our name.
BASTA: If “Cheap Love” were part of a movie soundtrack, what kind of scene would it play over?
Julia Von Dutch: I think a girl cutting her bangs. I feel like it gives off an emergency haircut. Girl in the mirror freaking out and hoping some change can help.
Heather Jensen: Cheap Love would play over a scene that incorporated the main character making a very complicated decision and then acting on it with the confidence akin to a woman wearing a floor-length cheetah-print coat.
Maxine McCormick: Hahaha, yes absolutely. I also picture it as our heroine walking home from a party after making a series of morally questionable choices and she’s overwhelmed sort of transformed by some realization she had sometime during the night and is now ready to be better.
BASTA: What are The Dutch Kills’ favorite venues in the city to perform at?
Julia Von Dutch: TV Eye rules. I also definitely have a soft spot for The Broadway. And then I don’t think they’re throwing shows there anymore but The Tubs was the best basement venue in Brooklyn for a while. It looks exactly how it sounds.
Alec Berry: I have a soft spot for The Broadway since we sold it out for our EP release show last year. That memory is so special and the vibe was so sick, I’ll always be happy to play there again.
Heather Jensen: People’s living rooms for the memories and Nublu for the sound. Bonus mention- Maria Hernandez Park!
Maxine McCormick: Mercury Lounge was so fun, it was great to perform at a venue I had learned about when researching some of my favorite bands growing up. It was a place with a real sense of history, and it has been around for so long, which means there are generations of music lovers in the city with a personal connection to it. My old head boss has a crazy Date Gone Wrong story from Mercury Lounge (don’t tell her I called her an old head).
BASTA: What’s next for The Dutch Kills? What can we look out for?
Julia Von Dutch: Newer heavier stuff. We hope to release our second EP with some new songs we’ve been working on. We’re heading to Austin, TX to play some unofficial SXSW and we’re so stoked. We’ve been sitting on a bunch of unrecorded songs so we’re excited to finally share them.
Alec Berry: We’ve definitely got some new music coming, which is very exciting. I can’t wait to get back in the studio and rock out with these guys. It’s always so fun and such a privilege to get to do that. Also, we’re going to play some unofficial shows around SXSW in March! I’m totally stoked to play some more shows outside the city this year. Last spring we played in Montreal and it was the best time ever. We’re going to crush it this year, and I’m so excited to get the word out about what we’re up to!
Heather Jensen: Music videos!
Maxine McCormick: We are so excited to play in Austin, and we’re hoping in the future to do more festivals. One of the best parts of being in a band is all the amazing musicians you meet and play with, and festivals are such a wonderful opportunity to discover new artists and really get a sense of the community. And then maybe Atlantic City, I want a residency I think.