More about: Hidden CharmsDun BreedinVincent Davies

Once upon a time there was a band called Hidden Charms. They were good, really good. They played shows all over the world and wrote a clutch of exciting songs. Like many bands, they disbanded, but now their best tunes are being resurfaced for the new lockdown-filmed series Dun Breedin'.

In fact, show writer and star Julie Graham likes Hidden Charms so much, she inserted a new scene to properly honour it - watch out for a 'Be Somebody Else' moment in forthcoming episodes of the show. 

Producer Jackie Green particularly likes fan fave 'Harder From Here': "it’s one of my favorite Hidden Charms tracks and we were thrilled to be granted a license for it" she told us.

But what of musician Vincent Davies? Since Hidden Charms he took up a central role in garage trio Yak, before focussing on solo efforts. We caught up with him to find out more.

Gigwise: What have you been doing since the end of Yak?

Vincent Davies: Towards the end of Yak, I began to reconnect with my friend Andy “Hank Dog” Allan at his “Easycome” nights. I’d played my first gigs with Hank when I started out nearly 10 years ago but for one reason or another, over the years, we’d lost touch. So when Yak finished and it was time for me to start the next musical venture, I thought it might be a good idea to start there with him, at the beginning, so to speak, but instead of finding an old friend and just another place to (drink) play, what I found was a lovely group of characters, keeping the spirit of the song alive. I see it as a bit of a “club for lost souls” and I’m sure nobody would mind me saying that...

So anyone out there feeling aimless or alone, looking for a little music or maybe even a little bit of meaning, head down to the Easycome! You may just find whatever it was you were looking for. 

GW: Which songs did you choose to feature on Dun Breedin'?

VD: I chose a couple of old songs of mine from a while back, I chose to feature the tracks 'Harder From Here' and 'Be Somebody Else'. 

GW: What unites the songs with Dun Breedin'?

VD: Having watched the first episode, I  felt that 'Be Somebody Else' - although originally written about a completely different set of circumstances - was a good fit. The idea of being trapped inside your own body, unable to control what’s happening, was to me, quite in keeping with the theme of the show. I thought the song 'Harder From Here' would also work for obvious reasons! 

GW: What's your fondest memory of Hidden Charms?

VD: Quite early on in the band's life, we were invited out to record in LA. At some point during our stay, we were invited to a BBQ at a friend’s house in the famous Laurel Canyon area (CSNY, Joni Mitchell, The Doors etc). Up there, in a secret paradise way up high, I’d found a place where I finally felt I fit in! I was a part of this colourful gang of beautiful boys and girls, all sat in a circle, singing old country songs together, on this little patch of green on the mountainside overlooking the smoggy metropolis below. It was a sensory climax and one I’d been dreaming of my entire life. As the sun went down over the hills, I remember slow dancing to The Band’s 'It Makes No Difference' with a lovely friend of mine, thinking to myself, I’ve never been this happy before and I’ll never be this happy again. I wasn’t wrong!

GW: How's your quarantine going?

VD: Quarantine for me so far, has been a perfect opportunity to do a lot of the things I should have been doing already and to cut down on the things I shouldn’t have been doing... I try to avoid the news, although I have continued to wash my hands and I haven’t kissed a Pensioner for weeks. 

GW: What's next for you as a musician?

VD: I was due to play the first show of this “new period” with some fantastic new musicians on 20 March but it was cancelled due to the lockdown. So as soon as it’s “OK” to play again, I will be taking the new songs to a venue near you! (if there are any venues left). Until then, I’ll be “live streaming”.

Episode two of Dun Breedin arrives today (7 May) on their YouTube channel here. Episode one available now. Find out more about Dun Breedin here. 

Grab your copy of the Gigwise print magazine here.

More about: Hidden CharmsDun BreedinVincent Davies