Rising local band Dance à la Plage tell MATT AYRES why they think staying close to home could help them hit the big time

Banbury has become one of the best Oxfordshire towns to go to for up-and-coming independent bands, largely due to its super trendy vintage bar/venue, Also Known As.

It has provided a platform for some brilliant local acts, and none more so than the town’s most danceable indie-pop purveyors, Dance à la Plage.

When venue owner Marc Sylvester first heard the band’s summer vibe sing-a-longs, he was quick to invest in their future by giving them the cash to record their first studio tunes.

Since then, Dance à la Plage have grown in popularity and musicality – their guitarist/singer Joe Hamilton might still be at college, but his group has already toured the south of the UK and supported Jake Bugg at student-centric summer festival, Beach Break. The young musician loves every minute of being in a band, from the studio to the stage. “We enjoy writing music as well as playing gigs, because it means we can integrate new songs into our set,” Joe explains. “It's nice having a mixture of both.” Joe attended school at Blessed George Napier before meeting the rest of the guys at music college – Harry Elkington (guitar), Tom Sullivan (Bass) and Tom Howard (drums).

“I heard them jamming some Bob Marley tune in the practice rooms,” he remembers. “After walking in and making friends with them, it was only a matter of time before we started a band together.”

Forming in 2011, Dance à la Plage performed in venues all over Oxfordshire, from tiny upstairs rooms like the Port Mahon on St Clements Street to larger commercial concert spaces like the O2 Academy. Even closer to home, the band are still regulars at AKA’s gig nights, and one upcoming show will see them rocking a festival stage in the nearby village of Bodicote.

listen to ‘The Oxford Mail talk about Dance a la Plage: Electric Concentric’ on Audioboom
Bodfest ’13 boasts an eclectic line-up, featuring everyone from local rapper Half Decent to the Brackley Wind Ensemble. Dance à la Plage are top of the bill. When asked about the prospect of playing alongside such a varied mixture of artists, Joe talks excitedly of his band’s place in a county-wide musical movement, one that’s previously spawned a number of iconic acts.

“There’s such a good reputation for music here, with bands like Foals and Radiohead who started off playing in venues like the Jericho Tavern,” he explains. “It’s inspiring playing in the same places as those bands.”

With a fully-booked gig schedule, more studio time and a new single coming up during the summer months, Dance à la Plage are certainly working hard to reach the same level of success. You can catch them live, along with a roster of other great Oxfordshire-based talent, on one of two stages at Bodfest in Bodicote village on Saturday.