LAWRENCE ROTHMAN
BRIT ELECTROPOP DUO NEW ARCADES (ADAM SULLIVAN AND DEAN CANTY) MAY BE THE NEW PET SHOP BOYS. MARC ANDREWS DIGS DEEPER…
DNA: When did you decide to get serious about New Arcades as a band?
Dean: We both come from musical backgrounds and have worked together for a while in music. We made one song and put it on Soundcloud. The great feedback got us excited about the project. We haven’t looked back.
Do you still have day jobs?
I design artwork for movies and Adam is a freelance sound engineer.
How did you meet?
It’s a funny story regarding spontaneously singing a line each to Hello by Lionel Richie – a beautiful moment. We hadn’t spoken before that moment [laughter]. That set in motion the friendship we have today.
Many people assume male duos doing synth pop are a gay couple.
In this case the assumption would be wrong. We are straight, best mates, like brothers.
Nobody’s perfect. Are you part of the fine pop duo tradition of Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, Hurts, etc?
We have a lot of love for those acts, especially Hurts. We like the diverse style and progression of their sound from their first album to where they’re at now. They’ve taken the ’80s sound and made it their own in a modern way. Who are your musical heroes?
Lots of different bands like Third Eye Blind, m83, Vangelis. For Adam, it’s got to be Chris De Burgh [laughs], or oldies like Led Zeppelin, Queen and Dire Straits.
How would you define your music?
It’s electronic pop and indie/electronic in places. We like to explore the ’80s sound, but experiment with future sounds. It’s all part of the progression of the band. With the name of the band we were thinking of something both retro and fresh. “New” stays current and “Arcades” were an awesome part of growing up – the lights, the sounds, everything about it so classic.
Do you have a particular stage look?
We love the slim fit, old school Adidas sambas, something typical of ’80s movies. It suits the sound and it’s a nice trend. A lot of pomade goes into my hair, too!
Which one of you is the sex god of the group?
We both like to think of ourselves as sex gods but in reality don’t quite live up to the title!
Any plans to do gay events or parties in the future?
If we were invited we’d be more than happy to. It would be a great laugh and probably the best show. If any opportunities come our way we’ll be sure to take them. We have quite a few LGBT friends, some of them very close and we have so much love for them. When you’re not making music what do you like to do?
We play a lot of football when we aren’t injured, which seems to be all the time.
Football? Do you both have good legs?
We both have extremely slim footballer’s legs. Taylor Swift or Katy Perry?
Tay Tay all the way!
What Pet Shop Boys song would you cover?
It’s got to be West End Girls!
At the beach: speedos, boardshorts or nude? Totally nude! Just kidding. If we were totally nude we would blind everyone with how pale we are. Boardies.
What’s your message to the gay men of the world? Legends, love each other, have a drink and party to New Arcades like there’s no tomorrow.
We both like to think of ourselves as sex gods but don’t quite live up to the title!