Delta Saints head to Brighton for first ever UK tour

Nashville blues-rock band The Delta Saints take in Brighton as part of a seven-date tour of the UK this June (Wednesday, June 22, Komedia, 7.30pm), showcasing songs taken from their second album Bones.
The Delta Saints. Picture by Alysse GafkjenThe Delta Saints. Picture by Alysse Gafkjen
The Delta Saints. Picture by Alysse Gafkjen

The band has spent the past eight years playing the US and Europe, organically growing their audience fan by fan, city by city, country by country, they say.

They have toured Europe six times. Until now, they haven’t played England.

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“We’ve never set foot in the UK,” says Ben Ringel (vocals). “We’ve been wanting to come over the UK for about four years. We’ve been touring pretty hard in Europe since 2012, but the UK has been an elusive beast. We randomly met up with a UK agent through our friend Chrissie Hynde and have managed to make our way into the books.

“The UK is the birthplace of so many incredible bands that have shaped all of our musical identities.

“There’s been this reverse exodus where all of the young American bands dream of playing in the UK because the music that has come and is coming from there is so great. Similar to the ’50s and ’60s, where a lot of the great British artists were coming over to America to indulge in the blues.”

As for album number two, Ben said: “It’s all an evolution. I would love to have a big discography that could be listened to like reading a book. There has to be progression or evolution to keep the music fresh and exciting. Bones was a huge step for us in that evolution. We learned that we could take bigger risks than we thought we could, and do things differently on a record as compared to our previous ones. It was the most enjoyable recording experience on my life, and also the most terrifying/frustrating. I can’t imagine a record ever being easy. I feel like the struggle is an important factor because it refines the art. It certainly is nice when certain aspects are easy, but I definitely believe in the struggle. We are constantly learning how to be better creatives and how to create music better with each other. We’re deep in the heart of writing our next record, and it’s pretty amazing how much we still need to learn!”

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As for the music they play, it depends who you ask, Ben jokes: “We’ve heard everything form bluegrass, jazz, punk, country, blues…everything! I just call it rock ’n’ roll. We’ve evolved as a band, so the sound has always been changing little by little, but I think that what we are doing now is definitely in the rock arena.

“We pretty obviously started off as a blues-centered band. It’s where we were as musicians, and as listeners at that time. It’s changed quite a bit over the last few years though. Our personal musical tastes have changed, and that gets reflected in the music that we make. Now, everyone is listening to a lot more modern music, ranging from hip-hop artists like Kendrick Lamar, to modern rock bands like Radiohead, and even country guys like Sturgill Simpson. We’re writing a new record as we speak, and it’s been a really great experience, mixing influences like The Beatles and Led Zeppelin with modern artists like Radiohead and Tame Impala.

“We started out in college in Nashville. David Supica, myself and our former drummer all got together and started playing music together at first as an excuse to drink beer with friends. There wasn’t really any intention of taking it seriously for the first while. It kept growing little by little, and soon we were able to tour with it here and there. Eventually, the tours started getting longer and longer, and we decided to become full-time drinking buddies.

“I wholeheartedly believe that there is some sort of magic in live music. There are all sorts of non-verbal communication going on between the band members, and also between the audience. Forgive the cliche, but there is energy in a sweaty room packed with people and a loud band playing. The best moment on stage are when that energy is undeniable and thick. That’s what we strive for at every show. We’re a loud band, and we’re not ashamed of it. We love seeing people dig into the show, and let loose. That’s the atmosphere that we want to help provide.”

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Tickets for the Komedia gig cost £12. Call 0845 293 8480 or visit the Komedia’s website.

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