Interview: Seven Questions For Hans Pucket

Hans Pucket kicked off their tour of Aotearoa last night, playing a bustling headline show at Blenheim's The Plant. The team of identical twins Oli and Callum Devlin with drummer Jono Nott's (Onono) 2018 debut album Eczema was a sleeper hit, gifting their ever-expanding fanbase such infectious numbers as 'Comfort', 'Straight To My Heart' and 'Fuck My Life'. Promising to bring you a "Really Nice Time" in October, the trio will be joined on their spring musical travels by Na Noise, Jed Parsons, Francisca Griffin, Sports Dreams, Lucky Boy^, Finn Johansson and more. They got together to shed light on their creative aspirations, playing on the Interislander ferry and more – catch Hans Pucket in your town and dive into their informatively candid conversation below...

UTR proudly presents...

Hans Pucket New Zealand Tour

Friday 4th October - San Fran, Wellington w/ Sports Dreams
Saturday 5th October - Lucky Bar, Whanganui w/ Finn Johansson, Dick Finnegan's Karaoke Afterparty
Friday 11th October - The Cook, Dunedin w/ Francisca Griffin, Jed Parsons
Saturday 12th October - Space Academy, Christchurch w/ Francisca Griffin, Jed Parsons
Friday 18th October - YOT Club, Raglan w/ him
Saturday 19th October - Leigh Sawmill, Leigh w/ Na Noise, Lucky Boy^
Friday 25th October - Whammyfest 2019, Whammy Bar, Backroom and Wine Cellar, Auckland (tickets available HERE via UTR)

Hans Pucket NZ tour tickets available HERE via UTR

1. What was it like playing on the Interislander yesterday? How was the crowd?

Jono Nott: The crowd was amazing, we were a little nervous just cause we hadn't done it before. Within the first two songs we had them spewing! But if anything we healed their seasickness.

Oli Devlin: We played a set of our own songs and then every kiwi banger we knew including a few songs we didn't know. I got to sing Royals!

2. What is the next “achievement unlocked” for Hans Pucket?

Callum Devlin: Maybe Australia? Like properly doing a whole tour over there. Releasing new music is always a huge achievement and a lot of work, but there's something kind of frightening about sharing your music with people from another country for the first time. Will they get it, you know?

O: We still need to write our one smash hit that we live off the royalties from. Like Hugh Grant in About A Boy.

3. If your last album and your next one were a spot the difference game, what would be three of the differences?

O: One thing is its going to sound a lot nicer – second difference is there are no obvious breakup songs on the record! Eczema seems to deal with loneliness and miscommunication, whereas these songs try and hit some new emotional territory.

C: Visually, the first album was the primary colours of light... red, green and blue... really bright bold and clear. They're the main colours on the album cover. We talked when we were recording the second album about it sounding like secondary colours. More complex, vibrant. A bit darker in mood.

4. Could you give us a rough idea of when it’ll be ready? What have you got left to do?

C: We're a notoriously slow moving band, and we've been caught in the past ludicrously underestimating how long things take. So... Hallowe'en 2019!

O: We're actually only about halfway done - I've been slowly rewriting the lyrics and we've got to do the vocals and all the fun little overdubs. More like 2020.

5. Who’s been involved in the recording process? Any cameos?

J: Send audition tapes to hanspucket@gmail.com

C: Jon [Pearce] did actually recorded a searing keyboard part for one of the tracks. I don't know how Oli's gonna play it live to be perfectly honest. No offence Oli.

6. How would you like to tour the next album - NZ, Australia? Perhaps even further abroad?

C: We have made promises to go back to the UK. We learned too much and made too many friends not to go visit.

7. Who is each Powerpuff Girl and why?

O: So theres baby spice? Planet spice? And old spice?

C: I think I'm the green one.

J: Yeah you are.

O: Oh it's Bubbles? Olive and... Pepper?

*Googles the Powerpuff Girls*

J: Oli would have to be Blossom.

O: Heavy is the head that wears the crown. That's Shakespeare.

C: So Jono's Bubbles?

J: I guess so. I've got blonde hair and blue eyes. You're the green one, you've got the attitude.

O: Jono's way too nice.

J: Just the occasional road rage. No biggie.