Interview: Dakhla Brass

For most people 2016 may be remembered for its slew of celebrity demise or bewildering democratic outcomes but for Bristol-based instrumental combo Dakhla Brass it will remain memorable as the year they first tasted the big league.

Think transatlantic flights, limousines, press conferences and then one of the UK’s biggest and most prestigious venues … Had alto saxophonist Sophie Stockham seen it coming?

“No – literally not at all! The year before we’d been working really hard on the (CD) Gorilla, Gorilla, Gorilla set but we never imagined it would get us to Canada!”

The album, the band’s third, was indeed impressive and, crucially, it caught the influential ear of one Jamie Cullum who instantly endorsed their complex brass and drum sound on his Radio 2 show. They were naturally pleased with the airplay and Jamie’s enthusiastic quotes and even more pleased when a follow-up phone call from BBC Introducing asked if they were playing at the 2016 Cheltenham Jazz Festival.

“We thought they were going to get us onto the Cheltenham bill but it turned out that the Montreal Jazz Festival was the same weekend and that was what they had in mind. I mean, it’s one of the biggest jazz festivals in the world – so many great people have played there – and then there’s us!”

It turned out that Jamie Cullum had selected them for a showcase of rising UK talent at the Canadian event, introducing them himself as a ‘jazz, punk, brass Balkan Bach band’.

“He was really enthusiastic about Dakhla – throughout our set he was dancing just offstage. We were really pleased how it went and how we were received. Our music doesn’t really fit into any particular type of festival but Montreal is so open-minded. We loved the place! If it didn’t snow so much we’d all want to move there.”

That was back in March, and they were still reeling from the experience when there was another enigmatic phone call asking about a date in August. This time Sophie did some checking: “I Googled the date and Jamie’s name and discovered it was the Albert Hall, the Proms … it was so surreal!”

The BBC had given Jamie an entire Prom concert and he was planning an evening mixing big-scale interpretations of his own music with showcase appearances of his favourite acts and, sure enough, Dakhla Brass were on the bill for what would turn out to be a sell-out night at the 5,000 seater venue.

Sophie admits to having been a bit overawed: “I’ve never been in such a big place, with a full orchestra and a massive choir. It seemed a bit crazy to have our music in that setting. But it’s really good music – I can say that because I don’t write it – and Jamie’s allowed us to get a bigger audience.”

In fact it’s baritone sax player Charlotte Ostafew and drummer Matt Brown who bring new tunes to Dakhla, with the whole band working up the final arrangements in rehearsal, and with that new, bigger audience in mind they’ve already worked on a whole new set.

“After the year we’ve had it seemed important to have something new so we’ve got seven or eight tunes ready now. We’re releasing them as singles, at least at first, starting with Quicksand at the Wardrobe gig then Silver & Gold in January at Kings Place in London. It’s a bit scary playing new stuff, we’ve rehearsed it a lot but it’s very ‘composed’ and it’s always the structures that catch us out. If only one of us forgets their part then it all falls apart. Happily that hardly ever happens.”

Dakhla Brass are playing at The Wardrobe Theatre on Tuesday December 20. For tickets and more information, visit www.thewardrobetheatre.com/livetheatre/dakhla-brass/