Imagine the Welsh Valleys in the early noughties. Two teenage brothers and their neighbour are playing Blink-182 covers in a cabin at the bottom of the garden. ÔÇ£ThatÔÇÖs basically how it all started,ÔÇØ says Morgan, one of said brothers, and nowadays a lead singer in the alt-pop quartet Safari Gold. Fast forward a couple of decades and the band has just released their second album, entitled The Years Between Dog and Wolf. We had the privilege of sitting down with Morgan and Danny, another lead singer and the primary songwriter, to learn more.
When asked about their beginnings, Morgan pinpoints a moment from adolescence which had huge influence on the emergence of the band. Around aged thirteen, whilst staying with his cousin in North Wales, he heard Blink-182ÔÇÖs Take off your Pants and Jacket for the first time. After listening to what he considers a ÔÇ£generation-defining albumÔÇØ, Morgan was keen to play it to his younger brother Lewys. ÔÇ£That was the catalyst for us starting the band in the first place,ÔÇØ he reveals.
Originally, Morgan, Lewys and their neighbour Sion formed a band as a trio and went by the name Custom Made. They enjoyed jamming together and writing their own songs, before being joined by Danny, a schoolfriend of Lewys, who remembers ÔÇ£thinking Sion was the best guitarist IÔÇÖd ever metÔÇØ. As a foursome, they began ÔÇ£expanding the soundÔÇØ, and became the pop/rock band Cuba Cuba, after which point music became more of a serious pursuit. As late teens, they signed to a record label and released their very first album. This led to a UK tour, and them even scoring gigs at popular music festivals such as Reading and Leeds.
A turning point came after a previous band member left the group, causing them to lose momentum after being ÔÇ£on a bit of a highÔÇØ. They felt that, in order to ÔÇ£change the sound and grow up a little bitÔÇØ, a fresh start was needed. After investing in new studio equipment, Safari Gold was born.
So, how do the group sound now?
Safari Gold seeks to create ÔÇ£music for the massesÔÇØ, yet they canÔÇÖt deny that their sound is far from mainstream, lending itself more to alternative pop.
ÔÇ£We try to write catchy hooks and stuff, but it always turns out a little bit weird ÔÇô a little bit different,ÔÇØ Morgan explains. ÔÇ£Everything we do has an electronic element,ÔÇØ Danny chimes in, adding that there are also ÔÇ£folkier elementsÔÇØ to their sound. One thing that is especially important to Safari Gold is creative control, something which the band has gradually acquired more of. Danny describes how being able to record the songs themselves allows the band to be ÔÇ£self-indulgentÔÇØ and ÔÇ£mess around with different sounds and time signaturesÔÇØ.
And how would they describe the new album?
ÔÇ£I mean it sounds better,ÔÇØ Morgan says with a laugh. ÔÇ£My brother (Lewys) has been slowly honing the craft of music and actually in fairness has become a very good producer.ÔÇØ High praise from a sibling, the harshest of critics.
The album is a project that has been ÔÇ£five years in the makingÔÇØ. This includes the entire lockdown period, during which the group were writing and scrapping songs constantly. It has seen over thirty potential tracks that were narrowed down to the perfect eleven. ÔÇ£If you listen to this album, thereÔÇÖs a real wide range of sounds on it,ÔÇØ Morgan clarifies. The album isnÔÇÖt a linear experience of storytelling but a colourful mish mash of different resonances. Range and variety across tracks mean that they donÔÇÖt necessarily have a lot in common.
ÔÇÿInner SummerÔÇÖ, an uplifting tune and ÔÇ£a good representative of the sound of the albumÔÇØ, was destined to be the opener, throwing us into the world between dog and wolf.
When describing the projectÔÇÖs striking title, Danny explains that ÔÇ£the dog is domesticated, something that is coddled over and looked after. A wolf is a wild animal that has to fend for itself. I guess thatÔÇÖs the difference.ÔÇØ Decoding this metaphor, the album is channeling the journey from boyhood to manhood. For the band members, this refers to the increase in responsibilities they have experienced whilst growing up, especially since entering their thirties. The album is reflective; Morgan suggests that they are looking back on adolescence with a sense of nostalgia while simultaneously looking ahead to their next steps. ÔÇ£These are stories taken in between the years of dog and wolf,ÔÇØ he concludes.
And are these autobiographical, you might wonder?
Danny believes that ÔÇ£everything is a little bit autobiographicalÔÇØ. Morgan agrees that most of the songs are inspired by their own experiences, as well as those of friends. At times, however, larger world issues weave their way into the lyrical landscape. This is seen in the track ÔÇÿInstant AmericaÔÇÖ, an ode to the false promise of the American dream and the downfall of individualism. Written before the pandemic and other recent impactful events, both in the US and across the world, this tune has only become more poignant in the aftermath.
Aspiring songwriters out there might ask: what is their creative process like?
According to Danny, their songwriting process involves ÔÇ£a bit of everythingÔÇØ, with no one recipe for writing a hit. ÔÇ£A lot of the time, IÔÇÖll bring some big meandering essay into the studio and Morgan will sit there and edit it into the song.ÔÇØ Some songs however, such as ÔÇÿRenderÔÇÖ, were not written by Danny ÔÇô he jokes that it is ÔÇ£MorgÔÇÖs baby, reallyÔÇØ.
But what about collaboration ÔÇô how is conflict avoided?
With the band being in part a family affair, a few tiffs have been inevitable. Yet Morgan claims he and Lewys ÔÇ£havenÔÇÖt quite had a Liam and Noel Gallagher bust-up yetÔÇØ.
Instead he speaks of the benefits of working with his brother. Personally, he views this as ÔÇ£a levellerÔÇØ, with their straight-up communication style actually helping the band to be honest with each other and resolve disagreements quickly. He admits that whilst they do have arguments at times, ÔÇ£five minutes later weÔÇÖre best friendsÔÇØ. Danny agrees, saying ÔÇ£things are said but never meant.ÔÇØ They believe the key to their collaboration is their longstanding commitment to each other and their music.
So, is Safari Gold for you?
If youÔÇÖre a fan of The 1975 or Phoenix, two of the bandÔÇÖs more recent inspirations, then the answer is probably yes.
And even if not, weÔÇÖd certainly argue that listening to The Years Between Dog and Wolf is an experience worth having! Out now on major streaming platforms.
Safari Gold are performing in Clwb Ifor Bach on Thursday 11th May – info here
Check them out on Instagram: @musicsafarigold
Words by Caitlin Wildgoose-Davis and Laura Wallace Schjoett
