Considering DMA’S trajectory from inner west bedroom rockers to the brink of pop-rock world domination, it felt spesh to catch them in the modest comfort of the FBi Radio studios, the place where they got some of their earliest air-time.

Tommy Codling sat down with two-thirds of the Sydney trio – guitarists Matt Mason & Johnny Took (sans lead vocalist Tommy O’Dell) – and talked shop following the release of their highly-anticipated second album ‘For Now’. The album has allowed the band to be their own reference point; to emerge from the shadow of Brit-Pop and free themselves from incessant comparisons to their early influences.

Contributing to this development is their eclectic writing method. There’s a strong emphasis on collaboration and ingenuity as they splice together parts written at different times in different keys by different people, and generally defy the laws of music writing. 

“On ‘Do I Need You Now’, those two parts were written years apart, at different keys, different tempos. We’ll often just take two 30-second snippets, and splice them together to make a song. It’s pretty cool when it works. [We take a] lot of phone memos, just kind of record a bit on your phone.”

On their new album, there are a healthy bunch of tracks featuring production from Kim Moyes of Australian musical legends, The Presets.

“It was originally just going to be that we wanted to get someone in for drums… but then he kept throwing in little musical ideas that we liked… he ended up helping out with everything… we’ve always kind of been a guitar band so [it was great] to have Kim’s influence with synth sounds and drum machines.”

With a sold-out national tour and a Splendour set added to their schedule of massive bucket-list festivals (Coachella, Lollapalooza and Glastonbury anyone?), the guys spoke about what it means to tour non-stop, personally, emotionally, and financially. 

“When we wrote that song [The End], we had been on the road for like 8 months. When we’re just away for 5 weeks or so, it’s not a big deal. It was getting pretty weird… people were staying like top to toe in beds. We have a lot more personal space these days.”

You’ll hear more about getting Liam Gallagher’s tick of approval in a dumpling house in Melbourne, solid banter with Louis Tomlinson of One Direction, and more. Take a listen to the full interview above.