Dewolff, we solve problems with the freedom of rock

They do not have many doubts about the expressive freedom of the music they love. Despite the young age, the Dewolff, from the Netherlands, have more than clear ideas in this regard: they do not want cages or formulas already built. They mix Southern Rock, Blues, soul, psychedelia and much more, with a vintage but also decidedly exuberant touch for a pulled and incendiary mixture of technique and theatricality, able to drag the group itself together with its audience in a dimension out of time.
Arriving in Milan in Santeria Toscana 31 for the Italian stage of the tour in support of the last “Muscle Shoals”, the Dutch Power Trio – Pablo Van de Poel on the guitar and main voice, Luka Van de Poel on drums and voice and Robin Piso at the Hammond organ – live as a very rodaic car, capable of dilating its songs beyond size for a real celebration of electrifying energy, between improvisations, Lisci and Fistambolic finding.
At the center of the scene, Pablo’s Gibson Thunderbird finds himself dictating the most explosive passages as well as the softer ones, for a journey of passion and sweat made of muscle riffs and suggestions that go so much from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Doors. The result is a show calibrated on another era, all dynamics and changes of rhythm, which, almost without continuity, manages to ideally connect the south of the United States in just under two hours with the heart of Europe. The trio shows its ability as a great virtuous by dilating the songs up to the impossible, letting go of furious battery solos that recall those who were of John Bonham as well as to the keyboards for a repertoire that lines generous flames that touch not only the last “muscle shoals”, with “Out of the Town” and “Ophelia”, such as “Night Train”, “Live Like You” and the inevitable “Rosita” suite.
Therefore, clarified that the Infinite Rock streets also pass from Holland, we made ourselves told before the show, directly from the Dewolff, of their irrepressible passion, between special vibrations and all too wild horses.

Your latest album “Muscle Shoals” was recorded in the studios of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, who hosted truly legendary artists. Have you heard particular vibrations in those places so full of history?

Pablo: Absolutely yes! We recorded in two studies: one was the hunger recording studios and the other was the muscle shoals sound studios. When we entered hunger for the first time, we were immediately captured by the atmosphere and we felt transported to another place and another era. We had seen so many videos of that place in the 60s that when we finally found ourselves there as a band it was an incredible, almost magical emotion.
Luka: The story of that place is everywhere: the walls are full of photos of the artists who have recorded there, and you can really perceive their presence. Ringing, I could almost hear the echo of those old records. I remember a precise moment when I was standing and I thought: “Oh, this is the exact point where Aretha Franklin was located!” Or, when I sat in the battery room and made: “Wow, this is the place where one of my heroes played, Roger Hawkins!”.
Robin: The tail piano on which Leon Russell recorded some of his songs was right there in front of us, and every corner of the study reminded us that our idols had touched those same tools. There was also a really fun episode: I found myself washing my teeth in the same bathroom where Keith Richards finished writing “Wild Horses”! Normally it is not open to the public, but we could use it, so … yes, we had the honor of making needs in the same place!
Pablo: The study is built in a particular way: in the middle of the room, where there are all the tools, there is a small door that leads to the bathroom. So if someone uses the bathroom, the smell feels all day. In short, the air in there knows … Wild Horses!

Play together for a long time. Do you prefer to improvise in the live or to follow a more rigid structure?

Pablo: There is a lot of improvisation, but we also have guidelines. Each song has a basic structure that remains more or less always the same, but inside that structure we leave room for jam and variations. We have signs between us: for example, if I look at Robin, he understands that we are about to change part, or we know that a certain section must last about four minutes before evolving into something else.
Robin: Sometimes, everything changes according to the energy of the evening. Yesterday, for example, we had almost finished the last piece, but we saw Pablo launch into the public to make crowdsurfing. Instead of closing the song, Luka continued to play and we all followed the flow. It was an incredible moment!

What is the song that excites you to play the most live?

Pablo: certainly “Snowbird”! It is difficult to say whether my favorite song of the album is the same one I prefer to play live, because they are two completely different experiences. Del heart changes everything: there is a lot of space for improvisation and dynamics becomes fundamental. For example, a piece can start very delicately and then explode.
This is also the case for “Rosita”, which generally lasts about 24 minutes in the live version. And I know for sure that, even if we do a bad concert, if we manage to play how that passage should be, then everything is settled!

You are young musicians and composers with a strong connection to the golden gold period. Do you think the best of music comes from the past?

Luka: For me, if we talk about rock music, yes, definitely. It is thought that rock should play in a certain way, but in reality it shouldn’t play like this. It is a somewhat difficult concept to explain, but in the 1960s they were inventing a new genre, had the same expressive freedom as jazz and for this reason I consider that period his golden age.
Pablo: Today, however, it has become a formula. Obviously there are exceptions, there are still rock bands valid around, but in general rock, at least for us, in the late 70s and the beginning of the 80s is now a sort of stereotype. Then in the 90s all these bands arrived in which there is a precise idea of ​​how rock must play with which we do not agree.

You have already been in Italy several times, including as the opening band for Black Crowes. What experience was it?

Pablo: It was a fantastic experience, we played many other times in Italy: I remember concerts in Rome, Arezzo, Milan and various festivals. I’d like to know exactly how many shows we did here!
Robin: that experience was incredible, they are of our heroes.

It was almost like going on tour with the Led Zeppelin, because every evening we could look at them on the side of the stage and listen to some of our favorite songs of all time played by a great band. And Chris Robinson’s voice is really crazy.
Luka: They were really kind to us, and Black Crowes are certainly one of those exceptions in rock, because they are not limited to that. There are the Rhythm and blues, the soul, they go far beyond the boundaries of a single genre. It was absolutely incredible for us to open for them, and they gave us a great opportunity, because even today, when we play, there are people who tell us: “I saw you when you played with the Black Crowes!”. So yes, it was really fantastic. He gave us a lot of visibility.

At the moment the Dutch music scene is receiving a lot of attention, with bands like you, Grand East, Dawn Brothers, Tricklebolt, please and others. What do you think?

Pablo: It’s funny, because when we started in 2007 there weren’t many really interesting Dutch bands around. This is also one of the reasons why we chose the name Dewolff: we were arrogant teenagers and we inspired the character of Harvey Keitel in “Pulp Fiction”, Mr. Wolf, who says “I solve problems”. We felt a little like this, ready to solve the problem of music in Holland!
Robin: At one point we also founded our analog study in Utrecht, where we lived at the time. It was an accessible place for musicians who wanted to record, because in the Netherlands there was no other study similar to reasonable prices. Whoever came there said they admired the Dewolff, playing music like ours. Thus, in a sense, we helped to create a new scene, with bands that played rock n ‘roll old school and things like that.

One last question: could you be the best European answer to Jack White?

Pablo: In a certain sense, perhaps yes.

What really respects Jack White is … Well, there are many things that I respect him, but one of the most interesting is the way of living music: when he goes on stage, he does not have a rigid lineup because he lets himself be guided by the inspiration of the moment and creates something unique every evening. I think his idea of ​​what music and art should be very in line with ours. I’m sure we could have very interesting conversations with him.
Luka: Musically I would not say that we are similar, but yes, as Pablo said, we have a vision of music very similar to his.
Robin: A few days ago we talked about when he had a concert in Utrecht and we went to fantasize: “If we still had our old study, maybe he would have gone to visit us!” In addition, our former Roadie was the internship manager of that concert, so who knows … anyway, I think we would find ourselves really well with him and that he would greatly appreciate our way of working in the studio.