Territory: Worldwide
Dassie is the solo work of David Moffatt, best known in South Africa as the guitarist and co-songwriter for indie/alt-rock band The Dirty Skirts. The band released 4 albums, briefly signed to Sony Records, played SXSW and headlined many South African Festivals. In addition to opening for international rock bands on tour in South Africa including Oasis, Snow Patrol, Billy Talent, Three Doors Down and Evanescence amongst others. The Dirty Skirt’s 2011 album “Lost in the Fall” won a South African Music Award for Best Alternative Album. The band essentially stopped at that point bar the odd festival performance over the following years.
Dassie's debut album 'Mistress' was released back in 2014. The subdued combination of Ukulele and gentle electronica defined the music. Mistress was nominated for a South African Music Award in the 'Best Alternative' category. David Moffatt’s latest Dassie EP “No Echo” sees a return to guitar-based songwriting. It’s due for release in 2021.
The four-song EP is part of a body of music written from 2019 to 2020, and recorded during the lockdown. David’s approach to songwriting in Dassie is generally to collage the music and conclude with a vocal melody overlay. The lyrical themes reflect a society characterised in part by violent crime and domestic violence and the futility of optimism. This sits incongruently with the sound of the music, which Dassie attributes to their origination coming from different places: heart and head.