SXSW Dent May Interview

Move over, Jens Lekman. There’s a new sensation who loves his ukulele just as much – so much that he named his debut album Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele. After being snatched up Animal Collective’s imprint, Paw Tracks, Dent May has stirred up a frenzy in terms of a new range in indie pop music. Music fans who have eaten it up find themselves catching a new fever: Dent Maynia.

BeatCrave was lucky enough to catch a few words with new crooner. He picks out a few of his thoughts out for us during this jam-packed weekend. Check it out along with his music video for “Meet Me in the Garden” below!

Now that your debut album’s been out for more than a month, how do you feel about it? How are the songs developing in your live performances?

I’m really proud of the album. It feels nice to finally have it out there. The songs sound different live, but they haven’t changed too much. I’m also doing a lot of shows in Europe with just my friend Bobby on handheld percussion, so that will be a lot more stripped down.

Did you find Animal Collective or did they find you? How did it go down?

I met them at a party at my house and we kept in touch. We were friends before they heard my music.

Who is your biggest musical influence? Who or what is your biggest influence outside of music?

I don’t think I have any sort of influence that is necessarily the biggest. I have a lot of favorites but I’m constantly changing my mind about things. It’d be different from one day to the next.

What would you be doing if you weren’t making music? What’s your dream profession?

I’d like to write Lifetime made-for-TV scripts and an advice column.

What artists are you listening to right now?

Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Arthur Russell, The-Dream, Gas, Bruce Haack, Gucci Mane…

You were at SXSW last year and I’m sure you had some crazy times, but what do you want to do this year that you didn’t have a chance to last year?

This is actually my first time to play.

Who are you most excited to see at SXSW?

I’m not really sure who else is playing, but I’m excited about the Paw Tracks/Carpark showcase with Beach House. We played with those cats last year and it was fun.

You’ve also recorded some dance/electronic tracks under the name Dent Sweat. Any chance we’ll see an appearance from Dent Sweat at SXSW?

I’m working on some dance tracks, but I won’t be performing them for a while.

What is your favorite venue/bar in Austin? Do you have an alcoholic beverage of choice?

I’m not familiar with any bars or venues in Austin, but I’ll be sipping mostly on tequila sunrises.

Check him out at SXSW:

Mar 20| 3:45P | SXSW Forcefield/Asthmatic Kitty Junkyard Piznik @ OK Mountain
Mar 20 | 8:00P | SXSW Billions Showcase @ Antone’s

Other future dates:

• 3/22 Bristol @ The Trinity w/ Animal Collective
• 3/23 Nottingham @ Rescue Rooms w/ Animal Collective
• 3/24 London @ The Forum w/ Animal

To see more dates, check out Dent May’s MySpace.