DMA’S Reveal Unheard ‘Delete’ Demo on ‘What a Great Punk’ Podcast

September 19, 2023

DMA’s guitarist Johnny Took has revealed a very early demo of the band’s breakout hit ‘Delete’. Took was a guest on the What A Great Punk podcast hosted by Sydney punk outfit These New South Whales, and found the old demo in his phone while telling the story of how lead guitarist Matt Mason came to be in the band.

“Jack River put on a festival back in 2011… it was called Young Sydney Folk Festival, and I played as a solo artist,” Took recalled. “I finished my set and was having a beer on the hill and then I saw Liam our drummer, and Mason… who was playing banjo and dobro in a singlet, covered in tattoos, kinda looks a lad. But he was shredding… and singing amazing harmonies.”

DMA’s Reveal Early Demo of ‘Delete’

Took continued, “I gave him an [EP] and he took it home and learned every song in a night. We linked up the next day and we jammed. He sang perfect harmonies and knew every chord, learned it all by ear. And we became mates.”

Took and singer Tommy O’Dell were already making music on the side, and Mason began to hang out with them, eventually handing O’Dell a demo of a track he was working on. After hearing the song, O’Dell went to Took and said Mason had to be in the band. “He played Tommy ‘Delete’,” Took laughs. “And basically [he went] ‘you’re in the band.'”

You can hear the scratchy beginnings of the track at the 45-minute mark of the podcast above, and listen to Took telling the story of how the band came together from around the 41-minute mark. ‘Delete’ was released in 2014 and became the band’s breakout single, reaching #48 in that year’s Hottest 100.

The band are getting ready to embark on an extensive Australian tour throughout September and October in support of recent album How Many Dreams?. The tour will get under way on Friday, 22nd September in Hobart.