The Tim Smal Show

Brittany Dilkes – Walking In A Storm

Brittany Dilkes – Walking In A Storm
Brittany Dilkes
The Tim Smal Show
Brittany Dilkes – Walking In A Storm
Loading
/

Brittany Dilkes discusses her record, Walking In A Storm.

🎙️ Episode Summary

In this episode, Tim sits down with Cape Town-based musician Brittany Dilkes to celebrate the Spotify release of her debut album, Walking In A Storm. Brittany shares her journey from “plink-plonking” on the piano as a six-year-old to studying jazz at The University of Cape Town and UC Santa Cruz. We dive into the stories behind her songs, the “cupboard” recording sessions with Brydon Bolton, and her upcoming ocean-inspired project.

🎧 Key Takeaways

  • Nature as a Muse: Brittany’s songwriting is deeply rooted in her environment, from the train lines of Glencairn to the luminescent “nudibranchs” of the Atlantic Ocean.
  • DIY Excellence: Learn how Brittany recorded her best vocal takes while hiding in a cupboard full of shirts to achieve the perfect sound.
  • Collaborative Spirits: The importance of finding the right creative partners, like bassist Brydon Bolton and guitarist Chris Cape, to bring a vision to life.
  • The Balancing Act: A look into the life of a modern musician—balancing teaching, live residencies at iconic spots like The Piano Bar, and original composition.

⏱️ Timestamps

  • [00:00] Introduction to Brittany Dilkes and her jazz background.
  • [02:04] Early Beginnings: Writing songs at age six and the “Stars For Africa” showcase.
  • [03:56] Walking In A Storm: The journey from Bandcamp to Spotify.
  • [06:00] Meeting the “International Man of Mystery,” Brydon Bolton.
  • [07:06] Recording Secrets: The vocal cupboard and long-distance collaborations.
  • [08:48] Track Spotlight: Tears Like Rain and What Do You Do?
  • [11:08] The Story behind the title track Walking In A Storm.
  • [12:35] Future Sounds: Free-diving, nudibranchs, and an ocean-inspired album.
  • [14:50] Live in Cape Town: Residencies at The Piano Bar and rooftop vibes at The Sky Bar.
  • [18:54] Studying in California: Redwood forests and Santa Monica sunsets.
  • [20:39] The Life of a Music Teacher: Finding the balance between work and art.

🔗 Links

🗨️ Memorable Quote

“For the ultimate vocal quality, I kind of hid amongst [Brydon’s] shirts in a cupboard… we got some good vocal takes, so it was quite fun!” — Brittany Dilkes


📃 Transcript

Tim Smal [host]:  Hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of The Tim Smal Show. Of course, I am your host, Tim Smal, and here I chat to amazing musicians about their awesome records. So welcome, glad to have you here today. I’ve got an amazing guest on the show today, her name is Brittany Dilkes. She’s a dynamic multifaceted musician who graduated with an honors degree in music at the University of Cape Town in South Africa in 2014. Here she majored in jazz voice and piano, and in 2011 she traveled to the US to study music in California at Santa Cruz on a three month study exchange. This was through the International Abroad Program organization and the University of California’s Exchange Abroad program.

Brittany’s style is rooted in blues and jazz and includes influences from Diana Krall amongst others. She grew up in Cape Town and was compelled to compose songs from a very young age, while accompanying herself on the piano. Inspired by nature during many camping trips, she has written songs about the beauty of full moons rising, as well as her love for nature and the sea on her debut album, Walking In A Storm. Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome Brittany Dilkes.

Brittany Dilkes [guest]: Hi Tim.

Tim [01:16]: How are you doing today, Brittany? It’s a little bit cold in Cape Town.

Brittany [01:19]: Yeah, it’s chilly. A little bit more overcast than I was hoping, but there we are.

Tim [01:24]: Well, I’m very excited to have you on the show today and I’m looking forward to chatting about your debut album, Walking In A Storm – I’ve been listening to it a lot lately. And of course, yesterday I actually went to the grocery store here in Constantia, in Cape Town, and it was pretty stormy outside, so I was enjoying listening to the record while I was shopping for some wine. So yeah, it’s a great record and I think before we get into that, I’d love to just find out a little bit more about your background, because you grew up in Cape Town, you’ve always been very interested in music. You’ve been composing songs, I guess, from a young age, so let’s talk a little bit about your background in music.

Brittany [02:04]: Yeah, so from very little – I think about six – I would “plink plonk, plink plonk” on the piano. And of course, my folks were like, “Oh wow, she can write songs.” And then when I was a little older, about 12, I actually then started… those sort of progressed into nice little chordal songs and I’ve added some lyrics. And so from sort of junior school, I wrote these songs where I was quite inspired by, it was a lot of like full moon and the night will never stay. I dunno why, I dunno where this came from, but lots of kind of natural elements and all these sort of things.

And then Jonny Blundell and Julie Blundell hosted this talent showcase called Stars For Africa, and they… I sort of auditioned for that when I was 12 and got in. And so that was this really amazing experience to be on the stage in front of thousands of people. And it was this little taste of the performing world and I thought, “Oh, this is so awesome. I think I’m hooked.” So then from there, I just carried on writing some songs and just kept up singing and playing. And then when it came time to deciding what to study, I thought, “Okay, no, I think we should just try music, see where it takes you.” So that’s when I did some jazz vocals at The University of Cape Town.

And yeah… Then from there, I’ve just been continuing to write. And then of course, these songs that I had been writing since I was little, I thought, “No, let’s just make a… let’s make a record. Let’s just put it down, have a record of these tunes.” And so, yeah, finally it happened and it all came together in Walking In A Storm.

Tim [03:56]: Wonderful. So what’s really interesting is that Walking In A Storm actually came out a few years ago and it’s been available on Bandcamp, but just recently it’s been released on Spotify, which is fantastic. So I guess this is the Spotify interview release episode. So I’m interested to find out a little bit more about how this album came together, because I imagine you were writing songs for many years before the official release of Walking in A Storm in 2017. So how far back do these songs go, in terms of when they were composed? And can you tell me a little bit more about how you started gathering these songs together, deciding which ones to put on the record, and of course, who you worked with in putting this record together.

Brittany [04:43]: Right. Yeah, so I think when I was a teenager I was living in Glencairn, down south, and we lived in a house that overlooked the sea. So in the first track, Tears Like Rain, was this sort of romanticized song about how I think this person goes on the train. And so when you were sitting in the house, you could see this train line and you could hear the train in the mornings. And so that was an influence, and then the sea, and then Tears Like Rain was just this kind of romanticized, I dunno. And then it kind of created this little story about this person.

And then, yeah, Over You, then I think I was a little older, and I think it was based on like a crush. So some of them go back to when I was 12, but I don’t think those are on this album. But I’d say yeah, 16 and then into my twenties. So when I started writing some more songs, I think. Walking in A Storm actually was a little bit later. And then it all kind of started coming together as an album when I met this double bassist. I was looking for a double bassist because I had this gig and I just recently met this mysterious looking hairy man, and he was quite intriguing and I thought, “Cool, apparently he’s this really good bassist, let’s try, let’s try.” So I got hold of him and we played together a bit and then it actually developed a bit more into something. There’s this whole new sort of chapter, this a whole new relationship. And then that’s when the beginning of the album actually started coming together.

Then we recorded these songs in his home studio – it’s Brydon Bolton, by the way. I forgot to say that – it’s Brydon Bolton, a great composer and arranger and double bassist. So then we recorded these songs in his home studio. And for best results, there was this cupboard in his bathroom where all his shirts were. And so for the ultimate vocal quality, I kind of hid in amongst his shirts and we got some good vocal takes, so it was quite fun.

Tim [07:06]: Great. Okay, so this chap by the name of Brydon Bolton, he was obviously a big influence, in terms of recording this record and also performing, because he performed double bass, electric bass, acoustic guitar and so forth. I believe he also did some arranging and programming on the record. So he’s a very important figure in terms of producing this record. And another chap that you played with was Chris Cape.

Brittany [07:33]: Yes. Chris Luyendijk is his original name, and we were great friends when he was in Cape Town, the most phenomenal electric guitarist. We played a lot when he lived here, and then unfortunately he went to London and has been living there. So then when we were putting this album together, he then sent his recordings of his guitar across, so he could still be part of the album from London.

Tim [07:59]: Amazing. So what I find quite interesting is that when you perform, you perform in a solo capacity, as well as in a duo, a trio, and a quartet with a lot of incredible musicians. So, talking about Brydon, who worked on this record with you, does he perform with you in any of these capacities, if you will? 

Brittany [08:20]: Yes. Yeah, most of them. So when there’s a duo gig, then often it’ll be the two of us, if he’s available. And then… so we’ll be playing Piano Bar, for example, that’ll be the duo. And then whatever’s needed – so if there’s a wedding where there’s a trio that’s needed with the addition of a saxophone, then we’ll get the saxophonist involved, and then quartet with a drummer, then I’ll book a drummer. But yeah, Brydon is often involved.

Tim [08:48]: Great. Alright, well you mentioned the first track on the album, Tears Like Rain, in terms of growing up in Glencairn and living close to the train track there in the deep south of Cape Town. So yeah, it’s a beautiful track and it’s certainly really lovely to listen to in winter. It is winter now in Cape Town and I believe we are having some of the coldest weather or the most rain that we’ve had in a very long time. So yeah, certainly a very relevant track right now. The second track on the record is called What Do You Do? and to me, this is a little bit more of a mysterious track, so can you tell me a little bit more?

Brittany [09:24]: I know, it’s so sad, you think this is so depressing, this whole topic. I mean, everyone, you know, in this song, it’s so depressing. But I promise I wasn’t depressed when I wrote it and I don’t know really where it came from, but it was just this lovely melody that then turned into this major chordal chorus. And I think when one is in times of darkness, when you kind of can’t go any lower. It wasn’t a particular event, but they were just thoughts that were coming together and created that tune. 

Tim [09:56]: Okay. And the third track, Soon I’ll Be Gone?

Brittany [10:00]: One of my favorites, Chris plays on it. I think that was perhaps a little bit of a… when you’re into somebody and then they are playing you, and then you realize, “Oh no, okay, this is not gonna work out.” And he’s stringing you along and you think, “No, I’m done. I can do better.” And then you know, you’re out of there.

Tim [10:21]: Great. Yeah, Chris plays on a number of different tracks on this record. So, which are the other tracks that he plays on?

Brittany [10:27]: He plays on Over You. And, oh goodness… I can’t think now. Which other ones did he play on? I can’t really think offhand now. I need to have it in front of me. 

Tim [10:40]: That’s okay. I actually interviewed Chris on my show when I was on Assembly Radio many years ago before he went to London, I believe. So maybe it’s time to get him back on the show. Yeah, I think he’s been involved in a number of different projects. I’d be interested to see what he’s up to at the moment. But carrying on with your track list, track number 4 is Things That Used To Interest Me. Track 5 is Over You. Track 6 is Walking In A Storm. So maybe let’s talk about the title track, tell me more about that one.

Brittany [11:08]: Yeah, I think that was actually inspired by Brydon. It was this mysterious man who had this dark cloud above his head and I was just intrigued by this. And then, yeah, sort of the storm and then just a little message of hope. But I mean, Brydon is great, he’s really happy. So, I don’t know, I think it was just this first impression, this mysterious character. But yeah, that was basically Walking In A Storm.

Tim [11:39]: Great. Well, I certainly look forward to meeting Brydon one day – he sounds like an international man of mystery. And of course, he can play many different instruments, so what is he involved in at the moment? Does he record a lot of other artists records? Does he play a lot of his own solo shows? What does he get up to?

Brittany [11:55]: He does a lot of writing. He creates music for various shows, dance shows, things like that – kind of very electronic influenced. And then he performs a lot with double bass, electric bass. He performs world music, and jazz, and classical. So he does a lot of performing in Cape Town and Joburg and yeah, wherever.

Tim [12:19]: Great. So, track 7 is The Right One and track 8 is Window To Heaven, so you’ve got 8 tracks on this record. Do you have any plans to make a new record and perhaps work with Brydon again?

Brittany [12:35]: Yeah. I’m in the process of writing a new album, very inspired by the ocean. During lockdown, I think we all had to kind of come to terms with a new focus, when we couldn’t really continue our current gigging career. So I got really involved in free-diving and snorkeling and a friend said, “Come, let’s go nudi hunting.” And I was like, “What? And what did you say?” And it turns out that there are these little weird creatures under the ocean called nudibranchs. And they’re these little slugs without a shell, and they can be the trippiest of creatures because they’re really brightly coloured. One can look like a piece of candy, one can look luminescent, so really amazing.

And so I bought myself a camera and I went exploring under the sea and it was incredible to see this whole world of underwater life and anemones, and I mean, it was really beautiful and colourful. But even before then, I’ve always been very connected to the sea. So this album is very much inspired by the ocean. The various tracks are different takes on your connection with the sea, swimming in it, being above it, being near it. And there’s a bit more of a slightly darker, electronica influence in this one as well. So it should be interesting, I’m very excited and intrigued to see where it goes.

Tim [14:07]: Great. Yeah, so just to clarify, we’re talking about your forthcoming album. There’s no release date for that because there’s still a lot of work that has to go into it, but very exciting that you are forging forward with new albums and building up a nice discography, so that’s super exciting. You’re still based in Cape Town and so I imagine you’ll record it here. And for the listeners that wanna check out your Instagram account, you have a lot of the photographs that you’re talking about that you took during lockdown. So I encourage them to check your Instagram account out, especially for those that are into photography, that seems like a nice side project for you too. Perhaps you’ll even contribute to the album artwork for your next record. Right?

Brittany [14:46]: Exactly. That would be cool, yeah.

Tim [14:50]: Awesome. All right, well, we touched a little bit on The Piano Bar, which is a fantastic venue here in Cape Town. It’s in De Waterkant area, in the city of Cape Town, and it’s a wonderful location. It’s a great venue, it’s a restaurant, and there’s always really good live music there – particularly, I guess a lot of jazz, a lot of piano based music, etc., hence the name, The Piano Bar. I’ve certainly popped in there a number of times. But you’re currently playing a residency there, and you’ve got some dates on July 6th, July 18th, and July 27th, where you’ll either be playing solo, or in a duo capacity. So tell me a little bit more about what it’s like to play at The Piano Bar and these shows that are coming up. 

Brittany [15:35]: Yeah, so The Piano Bar is great fun. It’s like this New York, Manhattan-style restaurant and bar, and the piano is great, where I sometimes just play piano only, and a lot of jazz and some pop, and then with vocals as well. And then when I’m doing a solo gig, then it’ll just be me and fun pop tunes – get the feet tapping and everything. And then Brydon, or anyone else who’s available actually – it doesn’t necessarily have to be just Brydon – but then the duo, Brydon and I will be playing in July on the Thursday, so that’s the 27th and the 6th. Those are the two where we are doing the duo, but then the 18th is me. And it’s a really fun, upbeat, lively kind of atmosphere, so it’s definitely worth checking out. It’s great fun.

Tim [16:29]: Awesome. Well, I’ll definitely try to come through for at least one of those shows. The Piano Bar also has an amazing rooftop bar, I believe it’s called The Sky Bar or something to that effect, right? 

Brittany [16:39]: Yes, The Sky Bar. 

Tim [16:41]: Yeah. So apparently The Sky Bar has some of the best views of Cape Town, of the city. But yeah, I highly recommend The Piano Bar and The Sky Bar for that matter. 

Brittany [16:50]: You go all the way up the stairs and then at the top there’s this… it’s a small space. And then a pool, a little pool as well, in summer, where you can just dip.

Tim [17:01]: Yeah, one of my pastimes is dipping into the rooftop pools of all the various high-rise locations in Cape Town. So one of my favourites is the pool on the top of The Radisson Red Hotel at the V & A Waterfront in the Silo District. I recently went there with one of my friends and yeah, it was summertime and there was a lot of activity on the roof and a lot of people, so I grabbed a glass of rose wine and slipped into the pool. But I highly encourage anyone in Cape Town to take advantage of the lovely rooftop pools because of course, what could be better than sipping on some rose in the pool at The Sky Bar, listening to some great music or whatnot.

So yeah, I’m definitely going off on a little bit of a tangent here, but Cape Town is a lovely city to visit, whether it’s summer or winter, and there are a lot of great shows and The Piano Bar is a fantastic venue, so definitely check it out. On your website, brittanydilkes.com, you also talk about a lot of other kinds of shows that you play. Over the years, you’ve played all kinds of shows, can you elaborate a little bit more on some of the diverse range of shows that you’ve played?

Brittany [18:07]: Well, I think a lot of them were restaurant-based shows: Cafe Roux, The Piano Bar. And then a lot of them are birthdays and weddings and corporate functions. I love playing at weddings – they’re just such lovely, fun, happy occasions, and that’ll often be in a quartet capacity or a trio. And then, recently we played for the Carrol Boyes lunch. But my own shows, Alma Cafe in the past, and yeah, there’ve been a few sort restaurants and venues in the past. But I’m thinking for the future, possibly even playing overseas, doing some stuff out of Cape Town. I think that would be really, really fun and a bit different, you know.

Tim [18:54]: Yeah. What was it like studying in California? I’m sure you must have met some good people over there and, and seen a lot, right?

Brittany [19:02]: Such fun. I met such interesting people from all over the world. We lived in an international living center, so it was this apartment with internationals, a few people from the States. And so it was just this really fun way to make really special friends and connections. We lived on the campus amongst these Redwood forests, it was really beautiful. And I did a few courses, jazz analysis and these various courses, and I played my violin there. We had a little concert, the Symphony Orchestra performed.

So it was really fun to just be part of a different scene, a different crowd, and make these really special friends. It was really fun, I think because there was time to enjoy it – it’s not like I was working endlessly. It wasn’t like there were lectures all the time. It was designed that there was space in between to have some time to be able to go for a jog and explore and go out. And we’d go to the beach, and we went down to Santa Monica in Los Angeles. So we could get around and explore, and it was really a one in a million experience, really loved it.

Tim [20:13]: Yeah, it’s great how you’ve embraced all these different aspects of being a musician, right? Because you are writing original songs, you’re playing in all these different duos and trios and quartets. You studied jazz piano and jazz vocals, but you also play violin, as you mentioned. And on top of all of that, you’re also teaching – you currently teach at two schools in Cape Town, so what has the life of a teacher been like in recent times?

Brittany [20:39]: Yeah, it’s been good. So I have always been teaching along the line, from when I was still studying actually, just to bring in that extra cash. And then I got really into it where it became a lot. Last year I was teaching every day, back to back and it did actually become a little bit too much, because then you are also wanting to gig too, and you’ve got the weekends where you’re performing. So it became a little bit too much.

So this year I actually made a change where I stopped teaching at one of the three schools that I was at, and so now I’m just at two schools and I have more time. My head space is very different and I’m able to focus a little bit more on my music. And then I also have some time to just do things that I wanna do that aren’t necessarily music related. So it’s been a good change. In a way, a little bit of an adjustment because last year I was so busy that I didn’t even know my middle name, you know? But now it’s been an interesting, but lovely bit of a change of pace.

Tim [21:43]: Yeah, I guess many of us have to multitask and get involved in a lot of different activities. And even for myself,  I’m super passionate about music and I’ve gotta carve out time to do this podcast, because I’m also caught up in all kinds of fun activities here in the city of Cape Town. So, yeah, thanks everyone for tuning in today. Brittany, lovely to have you on the show. Any final words for the fans?

Brittany [22:06]: Well, thank you so much, Tim, for having me. And yeah, to the fans: just watch the space, I’m excited – we’ll see what happens.

Tim [22:14]: Awesome, Brittany, enjoy the rest of the day and hopefully you won’t be caught walking in too many storms in the middle of a Cape Town winter.

Brittany [22:20]: Hopefully not. Thank you so much, Tim.

Tim [22:25]: Cool. I’ll see you at The Piano Bar soon, and of course at The Sky Bar as well.

Brittany [22:29]: Great, see you then.