DMA’s: Covered In Glory
Fresh from DMA’s recent triple j triumph, guitarist Johnny Took talks to The Note about the band’s latest album, playing in Adelaide and how their version of ‘Believe’ grew out of a soundcheck.
Words Tyler Jenke // Image Kalpesh Lathigra
Despite having been around for over a decade, Sydney three-piece DMA’S are one of those rare bands who – by all metrics – are getting bigger with every passing day. Now, in the wake of some of the most significant successes of their career, the group are returning home to Australia for their largest tour to date.
It was in 2012 that DMA’S – comprising vocalist Tommy O’Dell, and guitarists Matt Mason and Johnny Took – first officially formed, following a few years of casual collaboration. They arrived at their grammatically awkward moniker by abbreviating their original name, the Dirty Ma’s. Since then, rumours have long abounded as to what ‘DMA’S’ could stand for, with the band themselves claiming it ‘Doesn’t mean anything’.
Their debut single, 2014’s ‘Delete’, gained traction worldwide as the group garnered comparisons to the likes of Britpop icons Oasis, and their 2016 debut album Hills End charted in both the ARIA top ten and the UK Top 40. 2018’s For Now continued this trend, and despite COVID related delays and a change to a more pop-oriented sound, 2020’s The Glow saw top ten placings in Australia and the UK, and even an Album of the Year nomination at the ARIA Awards.
As Took explains over the phone, the release of March’s How Many Dreams? was a return to normalcy following some hectic studio experiences. “It’s been nice to go back to a more traditional release with touring and all that, but it was quite a difficult album for us to make,” he explains. “We started it in the UK, it wasn’t really in the shape we wanted it to be, and we had to give it more attention when we came back to Australia with different producers.
“I feel like it’s a growth from The Glow and it’s another step up for us, but it incorporates a lot of facets from all of our albums,” he adds. “I feel like the songs that we’ve incorporated into the live show from this album make the set so much better, and that’s one thing I’m really proud of about this record.”
However, their constant successes and positive reviews haven’t made DMA’S conceited. Rather, they’re cautiously following the formula that has brought them to their current position.
“I keep waiting for that growth to stop, to be honest,” Took admits. “But I think that we just love songwriting, we really love music, and we’re really grateful to have it as a job. So I think that inspires us to keep writing and trying to be better artists.”
The release of the new album is also accompanied by a national tour for DMA’S. Their first large-scale Australian tour since 2021, they’ve not been absent by any means, with their schedules dotted with festival appearances, and even a trek to Adelaide to officially open the Hindley Street Music Hall in September 2022.
“This is the biggest tour we’ve ever done in Australia,” Took says. “We’ve only ever really done regional areas through festivals, whether that be Falls Festival or Groovin The Moo. So to be able to do so many dates in Australia, especially when we feel like the live show’s never been greater, is amazing.”
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For both Took and the rest of DMA’S, their return to Adelaide is a special one, with not only familial ties accompanying the return, but with career highlights from every stage of their career.
“I’ve got some great memories of Adelaide,” Took says. “My dad grew up there, so it’s always nice coming back and seeing aunties, uncles and my grandpa. “But opening the Hindley Street Music Hall was great because those guys really understand live music,” he adds. “I’m a big fan of their venue [The Fortitude Music Hall] in Brisbane, and I think it’s great that there’s more venues like that for artists to play.”
The evolution of DMA’S is inextricably linked with South Australia as well, with their meteoric rise being seen through the venues they performed at – going from the likes of the humble Rocket Bar to beloved venues such as The Gov in the span of just a few years.
“The Thebarton Theatre is such a beautiful venue, too, and I also remember when we did a gig with Bad//Dreems at the Fat Controller,” he adds. “I’ve got such great memories of playing in Adelaide, because they’re all from such different stages of the band’s career.”
Alongside their new album and upcoming tour, 2023 has also seen a notable victory for DMA’S in the form of their recent gold-medal placing in triple j’s Hottest 100 of Like A Version. A twist on the station’s annual Hottest 100 poll, the recent undertaking saw listeners rank covers performed for the weekly covers segment, which has only grown in popularity since its 2004 launch.
Ultimately, out of almost 850 eligible covers, DMA’S took out the top spot in the mid-year countdown with their 2016 rendition of Cher’s ‘Believe’. Though the end result strips away Cher’s iconic autotuned performance and the euphoric production style of Mark Taylor and Brian Rawling in favour of reverbed vocals and chiming acoustic guitars, its now-lofty heights came out of modest beginnings.
“It’s just one of those things that we didn’t really think about too much,” Took says. “We played it one time in a soundcheck in Hamburg, a bit tongue in cheek, and then Tommy started singing the chorus and we said, ‘Oh, that’s actually really amazing’.”
Reportedly, the morning of the performance was marred by complications: Took and Mason were stuck in the carpark while leaving home and Took played all the wrong chords during a practice session. Despite this, the critical reaction to the eventual performance was hugely positive, with the track sporadically making an appearance in live sets since.
“Sometimes things like that can catch wind on the internet, and we weren’t expecting it to do the things that it’s done, so it’s pretty funny seeing it up there in the countdown,” Took says. “That whole ride with doing that cover has been a bonus, and it’s been nice to incorporate it into the set because the more sing-alongs you have during a live show, the better.”
At the time of their performance, questions had arisen as to what song DMA’S would cover for their Like A Version appearance. Though their Britpop comparisons resulted in suggestions of an Oasis or Stone Roses song, the group had also incorporated Madonna’s ‘Beautiful Stranger’ into their live set, indicating a fondness for pop music. However, more left-field suggestions like Aqua’s ‘Turn Back Time’ or even The Go-Betweens’ ‘Streets Of Your Town’ entered the discussion before they settled on ‘Believe’.
Having originally placed #6 in triple j’s Hottest 100 of 2016 – 14 places higher than any of their originals – it remained their highest peak in the annual countdown until now.
Despite this, Took says there’s no bitterness about their most successful song being one they didn’t write. “I’m not going to get hung up over something so trivial like that,” he concludes. “Maybe a younger version of myself would’ve gotten a little bitter, but I’m just too stoked with life at the moment to worry about that… Whether it be the cover or our originals, we’re really happy with the fans that we have [and] the fact that we get to travel the world.
“We’re just really grateful for everything.”
See DMA’s perform at Hindley Street Music Hall this October 1. Tickets on sale now.
