Dandi Wind is a band whipped up from the minds of Dandilion Wind Opaine and Szam Findlay. I saw Dandi perform in Chicago at Funky Buddha Lounge during an (RIP) Outdanced party. I hadn’t been to a show so dynamical in a long time. It was the kind where the music buzzes in your veins and down through your belly; the whole audience hovering on the same vibe. The force was dawned in Dandi as she sang, jumpy-dancing and rolling around on the floor. That core of raw energy attached itself to the glowy eyed, bobbing audience members around me. Suddenly the sea of audience was in mesmerized fits of ecstatic jumping and dancing. I danced with the cute stranger-girls next to me, making oscillating hand-to-mouth “indian-warrior” noises– like when you’d play as a kid.
Here, the woman fronting this kaleidoscopic off the wall pow-wow, Dandi Wind, opens up about the evolution of her music, fashion and the fall of the strong front woman:
R: What were you like as a kid?
DW: “A mixture of both shy and dramatic. just like now. I’ve Always loved fantasy, theater and dressing up.”
R: How did you and Szam meet?
DW: “In a theater camp about a decade ago.”
R: How would you describe your relationship?
DW: “Sexual.”
R: What drives you as an artist? Where do you find inspiration?
DW: “I watch a lot of films, read books, the news. Traveling around the world and finding out local myths or bizarre stories. Also personal hardships I guess.”
R: Tell me about the latest album, Yolk of the Golden Egg, what is it about?
DW: “It is not more “mature” though so some would say that but probably more reflective and slower. Yolk of the Golden Egg is a reflection upon my previous experiences of being a musician. The golden egg is success and the yolk is what is really inside the egg.”
R You’ve said you are somewhat anti-social. Where do you pull the Dandi Wind persona from?
DW: “Yeah I’m definitely not a social person. But then again I don’t think I’m “social” on stage onstage. It’s just me performing in response to each song. I don’t tell the audience to do anything but of course prefer them to respond with energy which in turns gives me adrenaline in addition to the music itself.”
R: Have you always been straight edge?
DW: “I was straight edge from 2003-2006 now I occasionally have a drink.
Drugs affect me in a bad way so that’s primarily why I don’t do them.
Also even alcohol weakens my ability to perform and it can be dangerous, not in a cool, unhinged way – I just don’t want to fall offstage or fuck up.”
R: What have been your inspirations for the styling of Dandi Wind?
DW: “Tribal: both ethnic and primitive, dance costumes because they’re easy to move in, sequins because they catch the light and look great in photos. It’s basically things I gather from thrift stores… Lately however I work with these amazing Australian designers called Cabbages and Kings who’ve made some amazing outfits for me! I love their stuff. My favorite costume was made in 2005 by YSO a fabulous Montreal based designer and it’s featured on the cover of Concrete Igloo. It’s made of leather and I wish I could afford to hire him to make me something else!”
R: Has the music or image of Dandi Wind changed over the years? What has been the evolution?
DW: “Yeah totally, you could say we’ve gone through 3 very different sonic stages.
Initially we were kind of like 70s glam/pop influenced, ie: T-Rex, Sweet, Slade. then we went into our heavier cathartic punk era when I was young and angry and thought I could change the world, which would be Concrete Igloo.Then when I realized the reality of how the world works, we created Yolk Of The Golden Egg.
Live I don’t feel I’ve changed drastically as I most enjoy doing dance songs in live settings. Also whenever we do singles/7 inches I think we maintain a connection to our pop/glam roots.”
R: What is your favorite city you’ve played in so far?
DW: Taipei – I was electrocuted onstage and almost died but it was an amazing performance.
If I had died then I would have been happy as I was having a great time in a cool place doing what I do best.
R: What are your thoughts on being a strong front woman?
DW: “I don’t know as I’ve always been a woman. However in history many of my favorite performers are women; perhaps because we are more conscious of our bodies? But I love Nina Hagen, Jun Tonagawa, Gloria Trevi, Grace Jones, Siouxsie, Lene Lovich, Toyah, Hazel O Connor, etc.”
R: When I saw you live what was evoked for me was the spirit of riot grrrl and the early days of electroclash when it was very girl centric. This is a culture that seems to be being erased slowly–as there are fewer and fewer strong visible front women.
DW: “Well I don’t know about electroclash because I hated it for being too self aware. However, I have definitely noticed in the last 5 years a shift towards anti-feminism with stuff like Uffie which is so tepid, so “rape me” un-empowered and pathetic. It is unfortunately taking the limelight when the many current strong female front women languish in obscurity.
For whatever reason in the early 90s stuff like Bikini Kill, Hole and L7 became mainstream which is pretty insane compared to today; I was pretty unaware of the movement at the time but of course loved Courtenay Love…
I think the reason you don’t see music like that in the mainstream anymore is that record labels have become so conservative in signing bands that the stuff that even big indie labels put out is far more conservative than things that were in the top 40 in the 80s and 90s. It’s sad that as a result of piracy things have become far more homogenized in term of bands that can make a living touring or selling things.”
R: Do you listen to many female fronted bands?
DW: “Yes. There are so many female fronted bands that deserve to be successful such as: e.s.l, Brilliant Pebbles, Pony Da Look, The Violets, Kap Bambino, Terror Bird, Duchess Says, Marina and the Diamonds, PlanningToRock, Apache Beat, Alex and the Drummer, Suspria, Certain Breeds, Fan Death, Glass Candy, Lesbians on Ecstacy, Mu, GoChic, Les Georges Leningrad RIP, Ch 3 & 4 RIP….
There are loads and loads of them– unfortunately most cannot afford to press cds or tour outside of their own town so basically you’ve got to look around myspace or, like me, travel incessantly. So great females live on even if only like trees that fall in an empty forest.”
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