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Outside Revelation is a heavy groove rock band from the Netherlands that draws inspiration from bands like Audioslave, Led Zeppelin, Rival Sons and many others. The final piece in the jigsaw fell into place late last year when vocalist Tracy Tchai joined. The band have just released their debut EP ‘New Dawn’, here’s the lowdown on a fantastic new band, direct from the band themselves.
DGM: What are the origins of the band, and how long have you been playing together?
OR: Outside Revelation started three years ago. This formation is actually really fresh since (vocalist) Tracy Tchai joined the band in the fall of 2019. The band has its roots in Rotterdam and the south of The Netherlands.
DGM: How did you feel performing your first gig? And how was it?
OR: The first gig we did in this formation was quite amazing. We saw it as a try out but at the end it was way more than that. It was a cozy indoor festival with 300+ people, and from the first chords everybody was dancing and enjoying it. Of course we had to find each other during the show but we were all amazed how natural it was for all of us. At the end of the show people were shouting for more so we decided to jam on Led Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love’, which always works!
DGM: What should people expect when they check the band out? How would you describe yourselves?
OR: Outside Revelation is a heavy groove rock band that likes to flirt with the blues. We find ourselves in between heavy groove rock like Audioslave and the bluesy feel of Blackberry Smoke. We always try to stick to ourselves. So when our head is moving on the groove and it’s not possible to stop anymore, we know it’s a good song.
DGM: Debut EP ‘New Dawn’ has just been released. How quickly did it come together? Had you been working on the songs for some time before?
OR: ‘New Dawn’ came together really quickly. The instrumental parts were already there, and Tracy wrote the lyrics in two months. After that we fine tuned things and immediately started to record the EP and the single.
DGM: Is there a particular theme running through the five tracks on the EP?
OR: The main theme on the EP is “take time for yourself and the ones you love and never forget to cherish your dreams”.
DGM: Listening to the lyrics, the EP seems very personal. Was writing it a form of catharsis?
Tracy: Well yeah, it kind of always is. When I write, I go back to a very emotional moment. I can lose myself in the writing process and feel all those emotions again, but then when I finish a song I feel better and can give things a place.
DGM: What was it about ‘Catch Me’ that made you pick it as the first single and video from the EP?
OR: ‘Catch Me’ has this electrifying groove and bpm that immediately get your attention. That’s why we decided it would be the single. It summarises the EP. It has the groove, the catchy chorus and the lyrics with a personal message. Therefore ‘Catch Me’ was perfect for a live video clip.
DGM: The new music scene is bursting at the seams with fresh talent. In what ways do you feel a band has to stand out from the others trying to build a name?
OR: We think it always has to start with the music. You can start building on the name of the band when everybody stands behind the music. Of course there are many ways to stand out. Nowadays social media is a big thing, which makes it easier to be seen but harder to stand out. And that’s perfectly fine. We believe that a band should do a lot of live shows. When you prove yourself at those live shows, the people around the band will grow.
DGM: What band out there at the moment do you feel that you would be best suited to open for?
OR: There are quite a few! We would love to open for Black Stone Cherry, The Dead Daisies or The Damn Truth. Of course we would like to open for our all time heroes Mother’s Finest as well!
DGM: Who do you feel will be the next band to break out?
OR: The last gig we did this year was with the Austrian band Mother’s Cake. Those guys are truly amazing musicians and we think they’ll break through sooner or later.
DGM: What are your first musical memories? And what was the light bulb moment that made you go “I want to do that!”
Tracy: Good question! For me it was when I was about 11 years old. I got introduced to Avril Lavigne through playing the game Sing Star. I thought that she was so cool, she was the doorway to all the rock music. When I saw all those bands, that was the moment that I thought, “fuck, yeah, I want to play like that”.
DGM: What was the last gig that you attended as a fan?
Tracy: It was Beth Hart, she is amazing. One of the best singers out there at the moment, she gives me inspiration.
DGM: What is the album that you have in your collection or Spotify playlist that would surprise most people?
Tracy: Maybe ‘Fatou’ from Fatoumata Diawara? I love her music; she makes Wassoulou, which is a musical genre of West African popular music. But to be honest, I like so many genres, sometimes when people go through my playlist they think that I have four different personalities haha!
DGM: What are your plans for the remainder of 2020?
OR: Our 2020 is still packed with shows. Unfortunately we had to reschedule our club tour from May to the fall. But from the 4th of September we will be touring The Netherlands and Belgium with our New Dawn Tour.
DGM: How active are you on social media and where can people connect with you?
OR: We’re quite active on social media. People can find us on Instagram and Facebook. We like to post a lot of content which gives inside information. We like to do some acoustic covers now and then, so definitely check our social media!
Check out ‘New Dawn’ on bandcamp here.
