Dent May

Illustration by Scalder.

Dent May is a bit like Truman Capote with a ukulele. Not only does the songwriter look like the American novelist (wispy blonde hair, oversized glasses and a penchant for formal evening wear), but he hails from America’s deep south and his droll lyrics reveal a sharp and literate mind. Dent’s first album ‘The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & his Magnificent Ukulele’ will be released on Animal Collective’s Paw Tracks label in February. Maybe the album title and my description of him already have you imagining what he sounds like? A slightly more exotic Jens Lekman perhaps? You’re not far off. Just mix in a strong dash of Stephen Merritt, a squirt of Morrisey (ooh matron) and shake the whole concoction to a Tropicalia beat before pouring into a chic glass. Nice.

As you may have guessed by now, the ukulele is central to Dent May’s sound (on this record at least; he also talks about an intriguing dance project called ‘Dent Sweat’). He explains why he chose this tiny toy-like instrument. “I chose the ukulele because it’s portable, and its tropical sound inspires lush, exotic soundscapes. It goes well with my other favorite instrument, the pedal steel guitar”.

Dent also has a connection with the instrument that goes back to his childhood. “I’ve known a few chords on ukulele since I was a little kid. My mother actually taught me ‘26 Miles’, which is on my album”. And of course there’s the practical side. He explains that he used to play guitar in a band but “got tired of lugging all the equipment around”.

I ask him if he ever worries about the ukulele thing being perceived gimmicky, that he might be pigeon holed as the ukulele guy? “I don’t mind if they see it as a gimmick”, he replies. “If the simple fact that I play the ukulele turns someone off, then I’m not really too concerned about it. I’ve heard a few people compare me to Tiny Tim as an insult, but I think Tiny Tim is amazing. For my next album, though, I’m burning my ukulele and going on tour with an iPod, some backup dancers, and a local community choir”. Having a limited grasp of American pop culture, I later look Tiny Tim up on the Internet to put Dent’s comment in context. I find him to be a frankly terrifying creature that appeared on US entertainment shows in the ‘60s and ‘70s, a sort of overgrown, ukulele-toting cross between Russell Brand, Lurch and Napoleon Dynamite.

While Dent is pretty far down the barmy spectrum that ends in Tiny Tim, he is definitely a bit of an oddity and cultivates the image. Not least in his music, which has elements of old show tunes, doo-wop, French pop and Tropicalia. On top of that, he came to the album after writing “a failed psychedelic country rock opera”.

What draws him to such diverse sounds? “Combining disparate elements to create a cohesive yet pleasant sound is definitely one of my goals as a musician”, he tells me. “I don’t want people to hear my records and be able to pinpoint when they came out or where I’m from. I do hope that the style of my songwriting helps tie things together, though”.

Animal Collective seemed to think so, signing him to their hip Paw Tracks label after running into him during the recording of ‘Merriweather Post Pavillion’. “I had just played a show in Oxford with my country western band Cowboy Maloney’s Electric City one night and there was a party at my house”, explains Dent. “I’m not really sure how they got there, but we became friends. A couple of weeks later I played my first show on ukulele with a band behind me, and they were able to check it out”. Hah, so maybe he is a bit like the Truman Capote of the American independent music scene, with the likes of Animal Collective turning up at his swanky parties.

I ask him if he really is the life and soul of the party, considering that one of his lyrics states ‘you can’t force a dance party/ but for you I’ll try’ and that his album is called ‘The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & his Magnificent Ukulele?’ “I think I’m super fun, but others might think I’m a grouch. There’s an aspect of my personality that throws lots of parties and also an aspect that wants to stay in my room forever”.

Unfortunately the part of Dent’s personality “that throws lots of parties” won’t be coming to Europe in the near future, but when he does he looks forward to singing his single “Oh Paris! in Paris for the first time”. He adds “I’ll probably fly over the crowd and cry like Garth Brooks”. Until that magical moment, anyone with a taste for sweet, sophisticated indie-pop could do a lot worse than check out Dent’s new album.

‘The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & his Magnificent Ukulele’ is out now.