Bands you should be listening to #7: DMA's

Drawing inspiration from a band of Oasis' calibre is always a dangerous game to play. Perfectly justifiable, of course, but a dangerous game to play. Trying to emulate the showmanship and songwriting skills of the aforementioned can often lead to a failure of colossal proportions.

You'd be hard pressed to find an emerging band from Manchester who don't claim to have drawn some kind of inspiration from Oasis, in some point of their careers. One particular band take tremendous pride in doing so, however, aren't Mancunian. Or British, for that matter.

Australian three-piece, DMA's, formed in 2012, in Sydney. They quickly gained themselves a reputation as the 'Australian Oasis'. In doing so, they portrayed a likeness to Oasis that no British band can currently claim to. They've adopted the retro sportswear, the high-pitched monotonous vocals and the mid-pace gritty sound that Oasis became synonymous with. Despite growing up on the other side of the world to Liam Gallagher, lead vocalist Tommy O'Dell's uncanny likeness to the legendary frontman injects a real sense of euphoria to any DMA's live set.

This of course, translates terrifically well to a British audience. In fact, interest in DMA's in the UK is at an all time high, as the Sydney three-piece prepare to embark on yet another UK tour. Typically attracting a similar audience to that of a band such as The Courteeners, their live sets are always typically passion-fuelled and lively.

Take nothing away from the Aussie's though. Yes, they bare clear resemblances to Oasis and other Manchester bands. Yet, they are truly astounding in their own right. Possessing all the qualities of Oasis, DMA's give off less arrogance and intensity, whilst retaining the overall gimmick that proves so popular.

Although not the most original of bands to have emerged over the past ten years or so, DMA's have penned some songs that the most iconic of songwriters would be truly proud of. Their debut album 'Hills End' is an impressive compilation that varies in style. It's respectively melodic, yet punchy. It's the exact kind of model any working class band of the 90's would have followed in order to compose a debut album to ultimately establish themselves in the industry.

Perhaps their signature track, 'Delete', is a sublime track from the superb debut album. An emotionally driven song on the theme of love in the time of social media, laced with a crescendo of distorted guitars and expressive lyrics. 'Feels Like 37', another popular track, is similarly exhilarating, yet entirely contrasting. The kind that would encourage hoards of pissed up, bucket-hat donning enthusiasts to lose their shit, unlike the seemingly tear jerking 'Delete'.

The follow up to 'Hills End', is drawing near, with their eagerly anticipated second studio album, 'For Now', set to be released later this year. Lead single, 'Dawning' was released in late 2017 and showed fans of the Aussie three-piece exactly what they'd been missing. Possessing a more refined sound, it isn't massively different to anything from Hills End. However, 'In The Air' and 'For Now' followed in early 2018, and enabled DMA's to show off their impressive writing skills. 'In The Air' was a particularly impressive contrast from the majority of Hills End. It possesses a stripped-back sound and allows a break from their typically more lively and riff-driven singles, such as 'Dawning' for example. 'For Now' shows off a similar vibe.

In the midst of their constant touring and vigorous recording schedules, they received some appropriately welcomed praise from Liam Gallagher himself. After being bombarded with questions on the similarities drawn between Oasis and DMA's, he told GQ "I know there's that band DMA's, I went to see them a couple of weeks ago and I like what I see."

"Man, they got some good tunes in there."

Receiving acclaim from the big man himself might just be one the most prestigious of accolades that a rising band like DMA's could receive, this early in their careers. Perhaps, this could fuel an emergence like no other for the Britpop inspired Sydney trio, who look likely to take the British rock scene by storm in the next year.

A handful of slots at some rather popular British festivals approach this summer, including a set on the Radio 1 stage, at Reading and Leeds. In preparation, DMA's will be embarking on a UK tour, playing some surprisingly small, but intimate venues. One can only assume that this has been arranged with the idea of trying out some new material before their hectic summer. All three new singles are available on Spotify, and you can check out their upcoming UK tour dates below.