White Dice
White Dice are one of the hardest working bands in South Wales. Don’t believe me? Let drummer Kristian Wiliams explain where they went on their travels last year: “We toured the UK for two solid weeks, going from Devon to Glasgow via London,” he says. “Then once we got back to Port Talbot, we packed our stuff and jetted off to Texas, where we were treated like rockstars as soon as we stepped off the plane”.
Playing an average of once every two days might break some bands, but not this close-knit Swansea based three-piece, consisting of Kristian’s brother Lucas on guitar and vocals with Port Talbot interloper Craig Morgan on bass, White Dice have been compared with everything from the Goo Goo Dolls to Elvis. So how would the band describe their work? “Soft rock, with an American twist” says Lucus “I guess people like us, and compare us to the band they like the most”.
Having been across the world and gaining an intimate knowledge of British motorways, what do they think of their home city? “Our Swansea fans are fantastic, and loyal”, says Craig. “There were more venues but that didn’t mean it was better. People stopped coming out as some of the bands were awful.” But once the city filtered out the untalented? “Yeah, some venues and promoters got their heads screwed on and acts are really coming to the fore now”.
That evolution hasn’t happened overnight but it has been stealthy, as Lucus explains: “When we started, there was almost no-one playing the American indie type of sound here. We were getting booked for weddings and birthdays and I don’t think people realised that we were playing our music. We weren’t screaming into the mic and I think people assumed we were covering other people’s music”.
The shift has brought forth a new musical challenger between the heavier stuff and DJ decks: “When we went to other cities, Swansea was known for either metal or dance due to Escape in the Park,” says Kris.
Despite helping change the city musically over their 4 year existence, they know that there’s still a long way to go: “Touring with other unsigned acts like Firefalldown made us realise just how good some bands are. It’s definitely made us work harder. A band can be huge in their home town, but when you go out and see other places, it’s scary!”
They recently had one of their more bizarre gigs, supporting Art Attack’s Neil Buchanan and his band Marseille: “He was a class act”, says Kris. “He practically raised half our generation and when we got asked to support, we jumped at the chance.”
There’s exciting things on the horizon. After EP Better Than Wednesday was well-received, they’re currently recording their second album, which the band are naturally excited about: “It’s a long slog, but it feels like the best stuff we’ve written”, says Lucus. “We can’t say too much about it right now but it should be out by the end of 2011.”
Catch White Dice on the web at whitediceonline.com, as well as on Facebook and Myspace. Their music is available on major download services. They’re playing live at The Office Swansea 30th of July.
