Helicon Bats are a fraternal duo from Denmark. Originally from Silkeborg but now operating out of Copenhagen, the Davidsen brothers (Jeppe and Emil) released their first EP Spring after having performed as solo artists and in various other projects for years. Helicon Bats could be classified as something between neo-psychedelia and lo-fi. Their music is very much rooted in the psychedelic rock movement of the late 1960s, but not so derivative as to be pastiche; their sound is definitely their own. They are currently planning on recording more tracks with a full band in early 2015, possibly to be supported by a tour later in the year.
Lola Who: What is the composition process like for you?
Emil: After making music together for almost 10 years we don’t need to talk that much about the process, luckily we have some different skills, so the music often comes pretty easy. Often, we first make a demo, and then re-record it. We write the music together and some lyrics are written by me and other by Jeppe. Most often, we just meet in our studio and start work to prepare and record new songs.
Lola Who: Your songs have a sound reminiscent of late 60’s British psychedelic rock. Would it be fair to say that you draw inspiration from this era, or are there other influences?
Jeppe: Yes! It would be fair to draw that line.
Emil: We are both fans of the 60’s scene, so it makes really good sense for us to be inspired by that sound.
Lola Who: Who produces your tracks? What are you trying to accomplish from a production stand point?
Emil: I produce the tracks. So for me, it was important that production also had a sound of the 60s and 70s. However, it was also important that we tried to create a sound that sounded like Helicon Bats. So we played with more modern effects, sounds and instruments.
Lola Who: Is there a specific type of emotion that inspires your music? Is there a specific emotion you wish to evoke in your audience?
Jeppe: I dont think there is a general emotion that can be placed over all our songs. The songs are about everything from love to joy and sorrow, to drunken trips in the night.
Emil: Both the music and lyrics are perhaps influenced by the fact that we are brothers and that there is an age difference. So we both have a lot of common thoughts and feelings, but also different experiences and ideas about life.
Lola Who: Have you done much touring?
Jeppe: We havent done any touring with Helicon Bats yet. Its been important for us to take it easy and just let the music float. But we have been touring a lot with our old band Let Me Play Your Guitar and with our good friend Soren (Indians), where we were both musicians on his tour in Europe.
Lola Who: What are your plans for the immediate future?
Jeppe: We started off 2015 by having a live session with some new songs. Later, we are planning another release and hopefully come out and play our music live.
Emil: In the longer term we would like to find a label, bookings, etc. But as I said earlier, we are taking our time and spending it making good music. We are both busy with our solo projects and other bands, so we take things as they come.
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