Interview: Herman Dune

Let's just say that I didn't even try. It wasn't like their agent refused to return my calls. What do you make of a label these days? What does "Antifolk" mean, really? Do you lose face if you say, for example, that lots of folk bore you to tears, while other folk are just fine? Must folk sing in an elevated falsetto that breaks as intentionally as a Coors Lite pony bottle in the bed of an F-150? Do folk have to be from New York to be anti, or can they be from Brattleboro? I went ahead and jumped to conclusions, because that seems to be what all the noise is about. I cleared some room in my head, and invited the members of Herman Dune to take part in an impromptu Yes/No interview. They're from Sweden, via Paris and New York, and they're playing on Sunday, April 3rd at Klub Harfa, so it's all for the greater good. They write and play nice songs that will make you giggle a bit and maybe take off your shirt to play chess.

Q. Antifolk is mostly sprung from some guy named Lach, who hangs out at a place called the Sidewalk café in the East Village and hates “traditional” and conservative poses adopted by current folk artists, right?

A. Yes, sort-

Q. That’ll do, thanks. Yes or No.

A. Yes.

Q. Was Beck part of this "antifolk" thing?

A. Yes.

Q. Is he any longer, or has his membership been revoked?

A. No.

Q. No, he isn't a member?

A. Yes.

Q. Whatever. You dig Dean Wareham, don’t you? You dig on his alt-noodler guitar style and the conversational tone he took up in latter-day Luna records, right?

A. Yeah, I guess.

Q. I know, Galaxie 500 is a "better" reference point, but they’re too emotional, too sloppy. Your sound is much more precise.

A. Yes.

Q. If someone said your music sounds a bit like Devendra Banhart jamming with Kings of Convenience, would you say they were just taking the piss at your expense?

A. Yes.

Q. Are you just saying, "Yes" all the time?

A. No.

Q. Are you at all turned off by excellent musicians being forced to pigeonhole their efforts in order to achieve some nominal memetic (sic intended) value? Is it possible that your music could simply be called "rock music without a lot of unnecessary hair?"

A. Yes. And no.

Q. Will you discuss politics, or beer?

A. Errr…

Q. My bad.

A. Don’t say, "My bad."

Q. Sorry, I know.

Q. Do you have any idea where Klub Harfa is?

A. No.

Errata: http://www.hermandune.com/

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