DMA'S Matt Mason talks Hills End anniversary tour, breaking the UK and new single, My Baby's Place

Last month, Australian trio DMA'S marked a decade since the release of their explosive debut Hills End with a run of UK celebrations, a milestone that felt as much like a rebirth as a reflection. Now, with their brand-new single My Baby's Place arriving this Friday (20 March), the Sydney outfit stand on the brink of yet another chapter, signalling that a bold new era is already beginning to take shape.

Frontman Tommy O'Dell, lead guitarist Matt Mason and rhythm guitarist Johnny Took embarked on the bumper UK tour to celebrate this momentous occasion with their fans who have supported them since the very start. 

And this stems from the culturally significant value Hills End and DMA'S hold within UK and British identity. 

With its Britpop inspired sound, paired with shoegaze style rhythms, Hills End propelled the trio into stardom and success, earning their first ever Official Chart entry when the album peaked inside the Top 40 back in 2016. 

What really took to home nation hearts however was their mantra of realness. No bulls**t, DMA'S embody a lion-hearted attitude that points to their authentic roots.  

Part of their overseas story began in what they call their "second home" of the UK, earning praise from English legends including Liam Gallagher, Richard Ashcroft and Kasabian. They were eager to give back to the fans that gave them so much, and they did not disappoint. 

Now, ahead of the release of My Baby's Place, a reflective, nostalgic and vulnerable track that feels instantly familiar, Official Charts sat down with Matt to discuss the incredible Hills End anniversary tour and the story behind the upcoming single.

10 years of Hill's End, how do you reflect on the time and what emotions do you associate with the album?

"So, learning the set when we went into rehearsals and learning these songs was just this crazy nostalgia hit. And it's funny because you change as a musician over that period of time. Going back and sort of learning how I would play guitar back then and the way that I would approach music back then has just been such a trip.

"And it feels great to go back to how we thought about music back then and how it made us feel. I even went back to the apartment that we lived in when we wrote and recorded the album, and I took photos of the garage and the house number that was on the door and we incorporated that into the stage and the visuals, so we're really leaning into the nostalgia part of it.

"Because our sound has changed over the years slightly, we have a lot of fans that really only like the first album. I think you do really want your favourite artists to evolve a little bit. You don't want us to stay the same, because then it just gets a little bit boring, so I feel like this is really making all those people happy, and that makes me happy because these people have been with us since day one. So, if I can go out, if we can do anything to make them happy, then that's a great thing."

Tell us about the new single My Baby's Place. What can the fans expect? 

"So that song is just one of those, you know, there's some songs that just come out straight away, you know, like, you sit down and it'll just sort of pop off like within, you know, an hour or something, and you sort of have it all together.

"But the verse of that song was written probably about seven years ago. Johnny and I were squatting in an abandoned building next to a pub in the city and we had electrical cables going from the pub next door right to the house. The stairs were also falling through and then rain would come into the place, I don't know what we were thinking in that moment. We were just so crazy back then, it just seemed normal. Now I'm just like, I don't know what the f**k we were thinking.

"We're all living just such different lives now. But it was written around the time I was single and you're looking around and you're yearning just for a sort of a connection and the verse of the song was written about being like, 'oh, that would be nice'. 

"And then I wrote the chorus maybe about six months ago. I'm married now and I've got a baby on the way, so I've kind of revisited in like a completely different situation. The chorus is about finding that person and the lyrics are very literal.

"Traditionally, DMA'S lyrics have been quite metaphorical and a bit vague, but the lyrics are more literal and immediately relatable.

"It's not the most extreme song, but we went off on a bit of a tangent on the last record and maybe scared some fans off. So this single is very much; we're back. I'm really excited to release it."

Artwork for the new single, My Baby's Place 

What does the audience demographic look like now at a DMA'S gig, ten years on from Hills End? Do you notice a plethora of younger fans? 

"Most of the people are young in the crowd, so I think they've like grown up with our music.

"I feel like there are mums and dads that have showed their kids, and now the kids are 18 and they're at our gigs, it's pretty special. 

"That's the benefit of playing music for that long, you get these intergenerational fans.

"I've often found that we as a band, we have a broad spectrum of age groups, and I think it's because we do a big 90's thing. So you have a lot of people who grew up listening to Britpop back in the day, but then you've got the younger generation and after Oasis got back together, they've been exposed to this English sounding guitar music and it's become really cool in their generation, so I think that's kind of brought another wave of young people in."

Over the years, what has been your favourite song to perform from Hills End live?

"There are songs that are just album tracks such as Straight Dimensions and The Switch, but they are getting the biggest crowd reactions. 

"Most of the time, we can't predict which song is going to be big, but I like performing the songs that weren't released as singles as the amazing reactions always surprise me.  

"It's good we have played the album in order. I think part of the nostalgia is the order of the record. This is the most fun I've had playing music in years."

Is there a moment where you can remember when you really broke through to the UK? I remember your Soccer AM performance in 2016 being incredibly poignant. 

"That could be it, you know [Soccer AM performance]. I remember Fenners [presenter of Soccer AM] was pretty on top with music and fashion and stuff, and Soccer AM at that point had never had a musical guest ever, so that was the first time anyone had ever played music on the show. I remember Fenners really pushed for us to do it and that was quite a pivotal moment.

"I remember it was really funny because we were dressed pretty slight. We were wearing real dirty clothes and trainers and people were like, 'are they really wearing dirty trainers on Soccer AM?' 
Back then it was, you know, a bit more punky and stuff but people being like, who are these c***s?

"But that's the attraction as well, because there's a lot of UK audience members who would hear us and say we are a British band, so I think that's really what drew it in a little bit.

"There's a lot of English bands that are playing 90s throwback British music and I think the fact that we're Australian and we're also doing that gives us a bit of a free pass.

"The fact that we're from Sydney, I think people gave us a chance. Maybe I'm wrong!"

What is it about your live presence that really connects you with British crowds? 

"I think it's Tommy, our singer. I've always tried to pinpoint exactly what he has, but even though he grew up in Sydney, his family are Scousers, so he does have this northern musicality about him.

"I think it comes down to his ability to connect vocally, but I also I think his stage presence is just a little bit different.

"He was a drummer years ago and Johnny, our acoustic guitarist, was the bass player. In a rehearsal, Tommy said, 'oh, let's do this part again' and he sung the song and everyone in the room was like 'wait, sing that again' and everyone realized at that moment that he had this really amazing, unique voice and since then, he's been the singer. 

"I feel very blessed to be in a band with Tommy because he's just such a down to earth guy and so good to work with and without his singing ability, I probably wouldn't be working in music."

My Baby's Place releases on Friday 21 March via Sony Music.

Article image: Roman Jody