Upclose with Dengue Fever
The six-member LA band is one of modern rock’s most unique success stories. Five burly Americans back Khmer vocalist Chhom Nimol, fusing Californian rock and Cambodian pop. Bassist Senon Williams speaks to David Choi about their infectiousness.
HK Magazine: The name of your band is a disease…
Senon Williams: It’s a play on words—dance fever, Saturday night fever… Dengue Fever. Story is, a friend of our band’s founding member Ethan Holtzman got dengue fever in Cambodia. They hitched a ride to Phnom Penh to go to the doctor and the truck driver had a cassette of psychedelic tunes blaring from the radio. That was the first time Ethan got turned on to this old music he never knew existed before.
HK: Lead singer Chhom Nimol sings in Khmer. Is it a problem if your audience does not understand Cambodian?
SW: I can’t understand what most bands are singing in English anyway.
HK: How does it feel to be a part of a new wave of music, particularly a movement of music influenced by émigrés?
SW: I come from an immigrant family and most of my friends do too. West Coast American culture has always evolved from the mixing of nationalities. I think it’s been going on for as long as music has been played: before it was village to village; now it’s country to country.
HK: Would you say your music fuses American and Khmer styles?
SW: The catalyst for our distinct sound is Nimol breaking free from Cambodian karaoke and not worrying about whether or not the band is being traditional, and realizing that we are making music true to ourselves. So to answer your question: Yes. But, I am not sure if we have truly mixed Cambodian and American music… I have been listening to too much Italian disco and African music lately.
HK: Dengue Fever is in partnerships with organizations that support causes in Cambodia. How did that come about?
SW: Making great music is our first concern, but the nature of what we do has brought to light many things in history that can’t be ignored. Now that we can help shed light and raise money for Cambodian Living Arts, Wildlife Alliance and several other support groups. It was unexpected at first but it’s something we are now very proud of.
HK: Your music has been used in a Jim Jarmusch movie. Who’s film would you want your songs to be featured in?
SW: Quentin Tarantino!