Dots: First and foremost, who or what is Yolanda Be Cool? And secondly, predictably, who or what is DCUP?
Johnson Peterson: Yolanda Be Cool is a couple of guys - Johnson Peterson and Sylvester Martinez. DCup is one guy - Duncan McLennan. All lovers. Musical Brothers. Different mothers.
Dashes: Following the ubiquitous success of We No Speak Americano, albeit with the benefit of hindsight, was there any moment during its conception and production in which it dawned on you quite how huge it'd shortly become?
JP: It was definitely a good sign when people started dancing to it before actually knowing who was behind it but no, I don't think we could ever really have predicted the huge success it's had thus far...
Dots: How long did the record itself actually take to produce, from thought to Ibiza anthem?
JP: We discussed it on a plane with DCup when we were flying back from a gig, and basically got together the following Monday, finishing it off on the Tuesday. It was actually the quickest track we've ever created.
Dashes: And do you feel certain reservations and pressures now that it's become a global 'Smash Hit' in the purest form of the word?
JP: Well... If we'd tried to make a hit, well we reckon it would have been harder to consider than to just do. We just tried to record a track we liked, as we plan to keep doing, hoping listeners too will be into it...
Dots: We No Speak Americano, grammatically, isn't all that eloquently put. To what particular accent does the title allude, and does it serve as a stand against the American bastardisation of the English language?
JP: We'd never stand against America - it's too big and strong for us at the moment. I think it's maybe a bit of a joke on people who don't speak English all that well, and maybe also a slight dig at the thought of American being a language in itself...
Dashes: The video to We No Speak Americano serves as a rather explicit nod to Renato Carosone. What was it that attracted you to his 'canzone napoletana' in the first place, and obviously, particularly Tu Vuò Fà l'Americano?
JP: Primarily, his voice is amazing. To us it seems as though he represented the Italian take on Sinatra. Maybe...
Dots: With the track having garnered greater success over in the UK, in comparison with your native Australia, do you feel as though, as many Antipodean acts do, the UK is still as fertile and accepting a musical hub as it's been renowned for over the past several decades?
JP: That's a good question... Definitely London is still a musical hub down to its core and most of the best trends are emanating from it...
Dashes: Following on from We No Speak Americano, what can be expected from Yolanda Be Good both musically and attitudinally?
JP: We're working on a follow-up to the track with our main man DCup, as well as some solo tracks that'll be more club-based, besides some rather exciting collaborations with certain artists whilst we're over in Europe. Attitudinally, well, even though we did meet at the peach pit in the back of Sylvester's sardine van, we're Aussies at the end of the day so we'd like to think we'll always be relaxed and easy going.
Dots: Fosters ad campaign stereotype well and truly confirmed then... What do you think it was that differentiated We No Speak Americano from your previous work, for instance Afro Nuts?
JP: A few million Youtube hits, maybe?! It's really difficult to distinctly allude to quite why it's kicked off as it has, but I suppose it's just because it's a hookier track than those we've worked on previously. And I think we probably timed releases fairly well, what with it coinciding with European summer. But maybe that was just luck...
Dashes: Finally, do you still feel in control of We No Speak Americano, or has it almost quite literally become too hot to handle?
JP: We've most definitely given up on trying to control it, and that's why we're now 100% focused on writing new music that we love, that we're proud of..!
We no Speak Americano (Elmo is Dead 'Live from Sydney' Remix) - Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP by DJElmoisDead
Yolanda Be Cool's Myspace.
