While most of us spent the past year doing the bare minimum, Sad Night Dynamite were dreaming up a cinematic, dystopian vision with their self-titled debut mixtape. This year, they’re laying plans to pull us further into the vortex.

Since the release of their debut mixtape, Sad Night Dynamite have been drip-feeding their unique dystopian vision of the world around them onto an expanding cult following. Josh Greacen and Archie Blagden — two best mates who clearly know their shit — have launched a mixtape bursting with ideas taking in 808 beats, raps, melodic interludes and intriguing piano lines, alongside animated videos, chucking a limo in a pond and picking up fans like FKA Twigs and Pa Salieu. Doing all this in the most isolated year of all time? That cannot have been easy. We demanded answers and they happily obliged, so down the rabbit hole we went…

Sad Night Dynamite
  • Archie (Left):
  • T-Shirt SCRT
  • Trousers Marie Lueder
  • Ring The Ouze
  • Trainers Prada
  • Josh (Right):
  • Overshirt and Trousers SCRT
  • Rings The Ouze, The Great Frog
  • Trainers Asics

You launched your career during the global pandemic, do you think this had an effect on the way you presented yourselves to the world and do you think it made it more difficult?

I think it’s given us the chance to completely control our image, the only people putting out Sad Night Dynamite content is us — shows aren’t happening, and sadly there isn’t much interaction with the outside world. The positive of this is that we can be very picky with what represents us. We haven’t had any shit gigs plastered over YouTube for example yet… But there’s still time.

You are clearly influenced by a number of genres and disciplines both musically and thematically, what are they and how direct is that influence on your work?

I think our influences are constantly evolving, as there’s so much music out there to be consumed. During the first mixtape, we were definitely heavily inspired by the old days, whether that’s 90s hip-hop and G-funk or early English bands like The Clash. We also really love films and film scores, and we try and make sure our music is always sounding cinematic. Favourite film at the moment is probably Betty Blue, and the soundtrack for that is amazing. I think when drawing from these influences we always try to mix- and-match them, it kind of disguises where you’ve come from and helps to create something new.

Tell us about the world you have created, did you feel like you needed to do this, or was it an organic extension of the music you make?

It was organic. The music came first and then I think luckily we’d built it in a way that there was lots to draw from, whether from the lyrics or the music itself. It comes back to our love of cinema — we are always trying to mimic the feeling we get from films, so making our own visuals was just like tapping back into that.

Will the same clear aesthetic and direction run through all of your work, or are there plans to take us to new places with your future work?

We’ll always be evolving and growing. Obviously, the first mixtape had quite a clear direction and mood, but we’ve definitely got plans to move forward from that into newer areas. I imagine just as our tastes change, so will our image. Mainly I just think if we are still driving around in a tacky white limo when we are 40 people might laugh at us.

Sad Night Dynamite
  • Archie:
  • Hoodie MCQ
  • Jacket Marcelo Burlon
  • Rings The Great Frog, The Ouze
  • Josh:
  • T-Shirt Atika
  • Chain The Ouze
Sad Night Dynamite

Some of your work could be perceived as tongue-in-cheek, how do you react to that statement?

Makes us furious, we take ourselves incredibly seriously…

Although you are a relatively new concept to the world, how long has Sad Night Dynamite been gestating in your collective consciousness?

We’ve both done music for most of our lives, but it definitely didn’t sound like SND. When we started writing together it took a while for us to find the sound we both liked… I do sometimes wonder where it came from, but for some reason, Archie and I are both just drawn to the same thing.

Are you perfectionists, or do you believe in finality once a piece of work is finished?

I don’t think you can be a perfectionist in music. It would drive you mad and you’d never release anything. I also think, and we are learning this more and more, you don’t want to overwork a song, you can easily rub out the magic without realising. I think one of the best skills to have is the ability to leave things alone.

What is next for Sad Night Dynamite?

We’ve got lots planned… Obviously shows, we are rehearsing for those at the moment and cannot wait to play live. It’s the first chance we will have to bring people into SND properly. Musically, Archie and I have always wanted to work with other artists so that’s something that’s coming. I guess the plan is to take people further into SND. Kicking and screaming…

Sad Night Dynamite
  • Archie's T-Shirt SCRT
  • Trousers Marie Lueder
  • Ring The Ouze
  • Trainers Prada
  • Josh's Overshirt and Trousers SCRT
  • Rings The Ouze, The Great Frog
  • Trainers Asics
  • Jumper ZDDZ
  • Jeans Eytys
  • Trainers Vintage Prada
  • Josh's Overshirt and Trousers SCRT
  • Rings The Ouze, The Great Frog
  • Trainers Asics
  • Archie's T-Shirt SCRT
  • Trousers Marie Lueder
  • Ring The Ouze
  • Trainers Prada

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