Sheffield duo Charles Watson on first Indian debut at Bacardi NH7 Weekender in Pune

Characterized by a sound that's somewhere between nu folk and rockabilly, Sheffield duo Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor's Slow Club is a charmingly simple band. Against a backdrop of music that makes you smile and sway are lyrics that hint at a deeper understanding of life and love. Watson takes out time for a small chat before the band makes their India debut this weekend at the Bacardi NH7 Weekender in Pune.
How did the two of you come together to form a band?
Rebecca was playing drums for a band which needed a singer and I joined them for a short while. After being in that band we decided to start making our own music and played lots of shows around Sheffield.
You have two albums to your name, and the second album, though still very much Slow Club, was different from the first album. What kind of changes can fans look forward to in your third album? Is a 2014 release still on the cards?
The new record is pretty straight up. We both listened to lots of 70’s soul and pop over the last year, which I think has influenced the record quite a lot. We wanted to make something simple that we could record live. It will definitely be out in 2014.
You have a fan in Daniel Radcliffe and he was even in one of your videos. Has his popularity kind of rubbed off on you as well?
I wouldn't say that but it was certainly great to have him perform in our video. He was a gentleman.
What was it like to support Mumford and Sons and Florence and the Machine? Were you a bit nervous? Did you have to play a lot of big venues?
We played Red Rocks in Denver Colorado last summer with Mumford and Sons. It is about the biggest venue I think I've ever seen, let alone played in. Google it! It's beautiful. And yes, we were all very nervous.
You've collaborated with one of India's better known indie artists, Raghu Dixit for ‘The Dewarists’ Sessions. What was that experience like?
The Indian sense of melody is totally different to the one we are used to. It was exciting to work on The ‘Dewarist’ album with musicians from India and see how they approached making an album. Raghu Dixit is an extremely energetic performer and has a great band. We also worked Sohail Yusuf Khan who is an incredible Sarangi player. I spent a lot of time watching him practice.
Do you dislike being boxed into a genre? For someone who has never heard a single Slow Club song, how would you describe your music?
I don't think anyone likes to be boxed in but people have their opinions of what you do and it might not coincide with how you see your music. But that's life, isn't it? We sing a lot of harmonies with each other and we both write different kinds of songs.
How did things change after the release of your first album? Did you find yourself thinking about certain aspects or things that hadn't even occurred to you earlier, like fan response/ expectations?
Even from the start our fan base has grown slowly but steadily. We've been allowed space as artists to do what we like, rather than being on a constant touring schedule. I think this freedom has played a big part in us getting to the point where we are now.
Slow Club will be playing on 'The Dewarists' stage on October 19.