DE DELVERS On Saturday, March 23, the Dutch-speaking night orchestra performed in Ghent, and in the run-up we thought it would be a good idea to question bassist and lyricist Tom Kets. Hi Tom. Tell us how De Delvers came about? The Delvers were founded in 2017.We know each other from previous musical projects and/or from teaching at the Boom Academy for Music and Word. I had some rough song sketches ready and we started working from there. You call yourself a ‘Dutch-speaking night orchestra’. That is a term that really resonates with me. Was it a conscious choice to sing in Dutch, and why? It is a very conscious choice. We try to be very careful with words and language. I write the texts and would not be able to do this in English, for example. I think that working in Dutch also increases the power and directness of the words. Singing in your native language does not have to be a limitation. It's about emotion. For me, Einstürzende Neubauten are a good example. The fact that we are being played on the radio with De Delvers in Germany, England and even Japan is the best proof of this for me. You are – rightly – compared to Noordkaap, Aroma Di Amore and Arbeid Adelt! How does it feel to be compared to these greats of the Dutch-speaking wave? www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 26 - It is of course nice to be compared to these bands. The biggest common ground is of course the language: Dutch. I think that the comparison they make mainly serves to situate us and give the listener something to hold on to. This is not always obvious because we actuallymix all dark genres: from coldwave to more dark electro, from dreamwave to post-punk and punk. This was even more the case on our second album than on our debut. What also differs greatly from other bands is the singing style. Dries doesn’t actually sing in the typical eighties way. The fact that we cannot be lumped together is also noticeable in the airplay and reviews we receive. This ranges from underground and specific genre music programs to Radio 1 and the most diverse music magazines. Your lyrics are considered a form of social criticism. There is always a great interest in the people who are ‘forgotten’. Tell me, what are the themes you want to address with De Delvers? With the lyrics, I try to name things that I see happening around me and to pay attention to what we sometimes prefer to turn our heads away from. I try to do this with a big heart and without judgement. Housing problems, oppression, mental problems, control mechanisms... These are some of the themes that you can find on our albums. I found Danny Quetin's description in his review of our second album for your magazine very apt: ‘Poetry written in black ink’. Doesn’t it sound like fun to you? (Laughs)
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