British India bass man William Drummond took five minutes out of the band’s national Midnight Homie tour, to tell us a bit about himself, his music and the future.
Could you start off by telling us how you got involved in music and how it ended up becoming your career?
For me I’d always had music in the house. I had three older brothers and an older sister who all had different tastes in music. From Metallica to Presidents To The United States, Propellor Heads, The Meanies, The Beatles just to name a few. Each room would have a different soundtrack depending on who was in it. So for me it was a natural progression to pick up the dusty guitar in the corner of the back room and try and string some notes together. Over time the goal changed to, “I want to play with someone else” to “lets get a gig”. After slogging it around Melbourne for a year the right people took notice and we were able to record our first album with Harry Vanda and Glenn Goldsmith. From then on we have worked hard had good luck and bad that has driven us to keep writing music.
There’s often a story behind how a band gets its name. Do you have one?
We were young kids who knew nothing of the world. We would spend all the school holidays devouring the Beatles anthologies rewatching and rewatching to try and suck as much out of it as possible. We were fascinated by their trip to India. Around the same time we saw the clothing store with the name British India. Someone threw the name out one lunch time at school and it stuck. When you live inside a band name for so long it becomes a case of semantic satiation.
What do you enjoy most about performing?
It’s direct injection to the vein, instant gratification for all the hard work of songwriting and recording you have been doing. It’s also a great excuse to get a group of people together and have a great night.
What’s has been a stand-out moment in your career so far, if you’re able to pick one?
There are so many to choose from. When I was driving a forklift in a warehouse and received a phone call to say that we would be working with Harry Vanda I felt that I maybe could escape the menial job I was doing and create and live of those creations, even for a little bit. It’s such a strong memory, I remember telling everyone who talked to me for weeks!
Is there anywhere you’re really excited to play on the tour?
I’m always excited to play in WA. They have such a strong music scene and fanbase there. People will come out on any night of the week to see a band. And they don’t have pokies which is always a plus.
What’s coming up in the future for British India?
Write and play gigs. Just keep making music until all four of us are dead.
Tickets and more info on British India’s Midnight Homie national tour here.
