After nearly a decade of performing and making music, Vancouver’s Delhi 2 Dublin feel as if it’s finally coming into their own.
“It’s like you’ve reached a new level,” says vocalist Sanjay Seran. “It’s like you’re playing a video game and you beat a boss and this new level opens up.”
That “new level” will coincide with the release of Delhi 2 Dublin’s newest record, We’re All Desi, an 11-track album that will be available for purchase on iTunes tomorrow (Sept. 18).
“We are just so happy with so much of the album,” Seran said. “Never has that ever been the case where that many people are happy with that much of the album.”
On Saturday (Sept. 19) Delhi 2 Dublin will be performing with The Fugitives at the Port Theatre.
Delhi 2 Dublin was formed back in 2006 after coming together as a group at a festival of the same name. In the years following, they have become well-known for blending and performing multiple styles such as Bhangra, Celtic, reggae and electronica.
Seran says the We’re All Desi has more of a electronic vibe and is inspired by some of the band’s favourite Bollywood albums.
“We went more electronic and we dug in deep for, like, old Bollywood samples,” he said. "Stuff that we really think is quirky and cool.”
According to Seran, Delhi 2 Dublin was trying to do too much in their previous albums and that We’re All Desi has more space and balance.
“It’s a separate thing altogether. The live album or the live performance versus an album that you really want to listen to over and over,” Seran said. “I think what we were doing and making the mistake of doing in the past was banging or beating people on the head with way too much with too much stuff. It needed more space.”
We’re All Desi was produced by Nick Middleton, who is also a member of The Funk Hunters.
“I think for the first time ever we feel we have made an album that is who we are and what we are about,” Seran said. “Every album leading up to this has always been a part of who we are but some of it has been sticky.”Following their performance at the Port Theatre, Delhi 2 Dublin will head off to the United States where they will make stops in Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, California and Nevada before returning back to Canada.
“We have … dates in California and it is going to be sick,” he said. “California people get it … the vibe is exactly the same as it is here.”
During previous tours, Seran says the further east the band has travelled the more the atmosphere changes during live shows.
“When we play Chicago, people will come and watch but is very akin to playing Toronto,” Seran said. “They stand and they watch the show. They appreciate it and it is not their fault. They are big cities and they get a lot of music and they are not as loose as we are. There are a bunch of different factors but it is the band that needs to understand that.”
According to Seran, the band's new album will bode well for audiences on both sides of the continent, adding that We’re All Desi has a party vibe to it and is also a record that people can simply just listen to.
“It works in a scenario where people don’t have to be giving it a 100 per cent the whole time,” he said. “If they are partying then it is there. The beats are there, the bass is there. It is like rad party music … but you can actually stand and listen to the music as well.”
Delhi 2 Dublin performs with The Fugitives at the Port Theatre on Saturday (Sept. 19) at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices range from $5-$35.
For more information, please visit www.porttheatre.com or call 250-754-8550. For more information about Delhi 2 Dublin, please visit www.delhi2dublin.com.
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