Interview
Interview
Don Broco: “It made sense, aesthetically, to dial it down”
Ahead of December’s UK tour, Don Broco frontman Rob Damiani discusses life as an arena band, plus progress on the upcoming fifth album
They couldn’t, could they? Those were the imaginary words to go with plenty of raised eyebrows in the British rock community when Don Broco announced they’d be headlining Wembley Arena in February 2019. After flooring the place with assistance from Neck Deep and Issues, the Bedford rock quartet now find themselves going back for seconds, nearly six years later.
How did these pop-rock troublemakers kick and scratch their way to the top? The answer lies in a combination of 2018’s Technology, 2021’s chart-topping Amazing Things, an utterly devoted fanbase and some genius marketing – from David Beckham lookalikes to fake boxing matches. Nevertheless, Don Broco can now count themselves as arena veterans.
Having dropped three sinister, nu-metal-inspired singles this year, Broco look like they’re gearing up to announce the follow-up to Amazing Things. With December’s return to Wembley coming in the midst of a full UK tour, we spoke to frontman Rob Damiani about their plans, the impetus behind new material and what to expect from their support acts.
How does it feel to be returning to Wembley, nearly seven years after that crowning moment – and your first full UK arena tour?
Collectively, that was our favourite show we’ve ever played. It felt like this point in our careers where, for the first time, we were in control of what we were doing, and we knew who we were as a band. We did Ally Pally [London’s Alexandra Palace] before that, and the first time you do anything at that level, it can feel super daunting. We definitely felt out of our depth at that show. None of us even remember it.
Having a few bigger shows under our belt, like Ally Pally, we came into Wembley feeling so self-assured. By that point, it felt like we were a ‘proper band’: three albums to draw upon; the stage show was super fun to play around with. To get back now and do it with another two records under our belt – and obviously the new songs too – it’s going to be awesome. We already feel at home there, which is really nice.
Have you got used to the idea of Don Broco being a band who only exist in arenas?
A lot of the time, you feel relaxed, until you realise there is a lot more that goes into these arena shows than just rocking up to a venue. The visuals, the lighting – it becomes more than just a gig. You’re putting on a show, a night out to remember. People are making the effort and travelling a little further than they might normally do, because you’re just playing certain cities. You really want to give your fans something really special, so there’s definitely an added pressure.
Over the eight years since your first arena show, have you taken inspiration from any other artists, and the way they execute shows of this scale? We’ve spotted you watching the likes of Limp Bizkit and Spiritbox in recent years.
That Bizkit show [at Wembley Arena in 2023]… it was the simplicity of it. You can easily overcomplicate things. I was like, ‘Wow, this is just a band playing on stage, and it feels incredible.’ When it comes to screens, you can chuck so much on the screens, you then end up not watching the band you were there to see.
One band that does it really well is Biffy Clyro. The stage show looked incredible, slick and cool, and there were plenty of cool visuals when the moments felt right. But also, you felt like you were seeing the band. You’re not watching a video wall. The only downside to big arenas and stadiums is you can feel quite detached from the artist. The camera crew are so important to that, [helping the audience] feel like you’re there on stage with the band.
Have you started planning the aesthetic behind the production for this tour?
We flip-flop – as a reaction – aesthetically and musically, a lot of the time. The last album was all about colour and vibrancy, and it really felt like the album title, Amazing Things, and this celebration of life. We threw a lot of colour and vibrancy into the live show to match that.
This [upcoming] record is taking a different route. There’s something so simple about stark black and white as a colour scheme that we’ve never leant into. Without solely drawing on that, we’ve tried to really focus on simplicity within the music and the artwork. There’ll definitely be few more bold decisions, rather than sort of spreading ourselves too thin on the aesthetics of the live show.
The three singles you’ve released this year share that darker artwork, which almost looks like storm clouds brewing. What prompted that direction, both visually and sonically?
Amazing Things ended up being a lockdown album. There was a lot of hope and positivity, finding the silver linings in bad situations. We’ve been through some tough times, individually and collectively, and my outlook has somewhat changed on this album. Sometimes, there isn’t a silver lining to be found, and trying to find a positive in these really bad situations is actually not helpful, and makes light of the trauma and the pain people are going through.
Rather than dismissing that and saying, ‘Look on the bright side,’ it’s actually like, ‘No, let’s embrace this sadness and pain that we go through as individuals, and acknowledge that we’re all going through this together.’ Facing that head-on, and trying to be as OK as you can be with the sad times in your life, there’s still a real positivity to that. Not every song on the record is about that, but as a general direction, it made sense, aesthetically, to dial it down to something not quite as jubilant as Amazing Things.
How does ‘Hype Man’ tie into that narrative, for example?
‘Hype Man’ is a follow-on song, thematically, from ‘Everybody’, which was one of the first times in our career where things weren’t going well, and we weren’t there to support each other as a band. ‘Everybody’ was a great, cathartic way of getting this down. In a similar way, over the last touring cycle, you’ve got your best mates around you, but you’re going through something that they’re not picking up on, and you end up dealing with it yourself. It’s very hard to reach out and ask for help in those situations. Life is too rushed, and you don’t have time to check on people.
‘Hype Man’ is a reflection of that, but it’s also an acknowledgment that in a band, you’ve got these highs and lows, and to be able to experience that with the rest of your band is an incredibly privileged thing. I can’t imagine being a solo artist… everyone goes through moments where you need someone to help lift you up and get you on the straight, but you need to be able to say that to them. I like the thought that if anyone ever needs to, they can send that track to them!
Has that brotherhood become more pronounced as the years have gone? It’s not always been the case for some bands, as things get more successful.
When things are going well, you don’t really think about it. It’s when times are really tough, you write it down – or someone might do something – and the action will remind you, ‘Wow, this would be so much worse if I was all alone.’ That’s one of the things that’s allowed Don Broco to continue for so long. So many bands break up because they grow apart or don’t talk. We’re there for each other as friends first, and bandmates second.
The main lyric in ‘Cellophane’ is already becoming a fan-favourite: “I just pulled a sickie / Woke up in the matrix.” What inspired that line?
I thought it sounded so badass that I gave it meaning in my own mind! The whole idea of ‘Cellophane’ is about realising you’re not as tough as you think you are. In the same way, waking up and acknowledging that you’re in a matrix is this realisation of the harsh and stark reality that you’re in. I just married the two ideas together. “I just pulled a sickie / Woke up in the matrix” – you’re acknowledging that you’re not as strong as you [think], you’re feeling shit, and you’ve woken up to that fact.
Finally, you’re bringing State Champs, Yonaka and Magnolia Park for these arena shows. What can fans expect from this four-band bill?
State Champs took us out on our first ever tour in the States. We got to bring them back for that one-off Ally Pally show, and we wanted to bring them on the journey with us [again]. We always try to incorporate a nice variety of all the different parts of rock music that inspire us.
Yonaka, again, we love those guys. The way they’re constantly pushing themselves and evolving as a group, and it’s really fun to see how – similar to us – they’re getting heavier as a band and embracing the darker side of rock music. Magnolia Park, we’ve never actually played with before, but we think those guys are awesome.
We wanted to bring an extra heaviness to the bill, and it’s great to have that variety, going to a show. You can see that bill, and see there’s a link that ties us all together. We’re all in the game of trying to write bangers and get the crowd going, but we all bring something very different to the table.
Don Broco tour the UK from 1-7 December. Find tickets here
