New Politics’ David Boyd Talks Leaving Everything Behind For Success In The States
by Brittany Goldfield Rodrigues
Danish rock band New Politics may be relatively new to the music scene, but they’re taking it by storm. Following the success of their self-titled debut album and tours with acts like P!nk, Panic! At The Disco and Fallout Boy, the band is finally striking out on their own with their first-ever solo tour.
The Harlem USA tour is off to a strong start, selling out venues in Florida and Houston, leaving lead singer David Boyd, guitarist Søren Hansen and drummer Louis Vecchio speechless. Boyd admitted that the tour is going better than they ever expected.
“It’s really nice to see people who are there to see only us, and sing every song we have at the top of their lungs,” Boyd said over the phone. “We’re just really grateful. It’s such an acknowledgement for us.”
A lot has changed for New Politics since they released their first album back in 2010. Hailing from Copenhagen, the three-piece band had to leave their family and friends behind, and drop everything to move to the States. “We lost our girlfriends. We had down periods, and up periods,”says Boyd. “There was a lot of cultural shock, small things that made the hard [even] harder.”
“We experienced so much and got a taste of this dream we had [and it] made us more hungry and inspired.”
Featuring the songs “Harlem” and “Tonight You’re Perfect,” their second and most recent album, A Bad Girl in Harlem fits the happy medium between classic rock and indie rock. Their feel-good music is fun and upbeat, but is also full of emotion thanks to its heartfelt lyrics. Traveling with other bands, diving into the industry, and making the transition from Denmark to America were experiences the band used to make the album as personal as possible, and which sets their sophomore album a part from their first.
“We experienced so much and got a taste of this dream we had [and it] made us more hungry and inspired,” Boyd said.
For New Politics, creating the new music was not about confidence or past success; it was about being able to relate to the music. “It had to do with writing, with music itself. Music doesn’t have a formula,” Boyd said. “You need to make it yours.”
Boyd is thankful for the rollercoaster ride the band has been through, and joked that everything they’ve been though has been inspiring, including “having no money and eating ramen noodles.”
This is simply the warm up for New Politics who are already thinking of new material. As Boyd explained, the band is fueled by their determination not to fail, and “having that reminder in the back of [our] heads that [we are] one step closer to our goal. That was the main thing that got us through no matter what.”