Deaf Havana: “We’ve got a bit of a bizarre intro planned…”

Just like peanut butter and jelly or strawberries and cream, Deaf Havana are one of those bands that just seem to go hand-in-hand with Reading and Leeds.

The six-piece, who are currently limbering up to take on the Main Stage at the Reading leg of the fest, are as excited as the crowd awaiting them. “We’re excited!” enthuses drummer Tom Ogden, just an hour or so ahead of their set. “I am a little bit nervous, if I’m honest.” “I don’t think I’ll be nervous until I’m literally on the side of the stage,” throws in frontman James Veck-Gilodi. “We love it here at Reading and Leeds, it’s just always been great.”

Having released their last album back in 2013, the band have admittedly had a quiet year, but they’re already turning their minds to what comes next: writing for their next album, “We’ve started already,” divulges James. “That’s the main objective at the moment.”

As for whether it follows on from the tone that the band set with their last record ‘Old Souls’, that’d be a no… “Not really,” he continues, before Tom joins in. “I find it a bit boring if you stay the same. It’s good to evolve and it keeps things interesting for us and for the fans. Some people might hate it, some people will like it, hopefully some new people will like it.”

Back to the present day, they’re also planning on changing things up a little for their sets this weekend: “We’re actually playing a song that we’ve never really played before,” admits Tom, before James concludes. “We’ve literally never played it before! And we’ve got a bit of a bizarre intro planned, which I reckon nobody is gonna get…”

Deaf Havana play Reading’s Main Stage today at 3pm, before heading to Leeds tomorrow.