Dusk Saffron's Maiden Tour in China Stops by Beijing

Ana Padilla Fornieles | Oct 9, 2025 11:30 am | Add a comment | 116 reads

Aus Berlin mit Liebe, dear reader. Because David Carey, of everlasting nugget records fame, left us a year and a half ago for Germany. Fortunately for us, his career as a musician has twice granted us the pleasure of an encore. Now, the third time is about to happen, and it's sure to be a charm with Dusk Saffron, David's most recent project that he defines as “shoegaze extraordinaire.” Some pretty exciting credentials for a band that is about to embark on their first tour ever, in China, of all places. First stop: Beijing, of course, Sat, Oct 11, at DDC. Because you know what they say: You can take the man out of Beijing, but you shan't take Beijing out of the man.

I have some legitimate admiration for David's relentless pursuit of his creative goals throughout the years. His big move back to Europe didn't come without a measure of internal turmoil, because life is ever-changing and plans rarely square out as expected. But time and time again, David pours himself into music, and music in turn offers him a new door in life. Grab your ticket for this Saturday; it's just about the perfect way to shake off the post-holiday blues. I know I will be there, just as I knew that I wanted to sit down with Dave for a second before he runs to the stage. Check out our conversation below.

Hi, Dave, welcome back home. Because I think Beijing still feels like home to you, right?
It really does ... in a way I don't think will ever be replicated anywhere else. I was walking down Andingmennei Dajie just yesterday, taking in the sights, sounds and smells, and it just felt RIGHT, y'know? This will always be my hometown because I became the me I am through living here, playing music here, opening a bar here and adopting a small, chubby pug that's the absolute light of my life here, too, haha.

Awww. Okay, let's not get too emotional, or we'll try to get you back here for real. Tell us more about Dusk Saffron. I am really curious about this new project. Who are your mates onstage? What will be your itinerary in China?
We're from all over the place, for sure. Other than your favorite Irishman (that would be me, in case anyone's doubting), it's Lucy Francesca Dron from Australia accompanying me on the vocals and guitar, and then there are two resident Russians, Arsenii Zinukov at the bass and Konstantin Raidugin at the drums. We're your slickest shoegazers, straight from the heart of Berlin. Berlin's a city with a very specific vibe that lends itself well to complete strangers from entirely different backgrounds meeting by chance and then going big on something new. Our first tour ever is indeed taking place in China, with six shows starting this Saturday at DDC. It's always a pleasure to play at that venue. After Beijing, it'll be Wuhan, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Guangzhou and finally Hong Kong. Truly exciting!

It really is, and you guys have a tight schedule. I am sure it's going to be really busy and fun. Do tell me more about how this all started.
I always wanted to come back to China and play, but my old band Nocturnes曳取 wasn't as active, so I wasn't sure how. I got lucky when Xian post-punkers Fazi came to Germany earlier this year. They needed a local contact to help book shows in Berlin and Cologne, and in return for my help, we got to play alongside them on those shows and meet a promoter who eventually helped us to organize this tour here! There was so much that could have gone wrong along the way that I never expected it to actually work out until we set foot in China a few days ago. I've had this big smile on my face ever since!

Previous to the official start of your tour, you released on all platforms “A Little Death,” the last song from your EP and eponymous to the record itself. It feels like a very intentional title.
It really is. Obviously, this is a long and thorny story, but to keep it short, I'll say that this particular EP comes from a very difficult period that led, in turn, to the breakup of my previous band. I was assaulted – entirely unprovoked – by the drummer there, and this unfortunate event called into question a lot of things in my mind. Why would this happen to me? I feel as though I try my best to put good out there in the world, so why did I face this in my life, and most importantly, how should I respond to it? How do I fight this violence, this ugliness back? I don't want to ever harden myself to the point that I would be violent, or physical or brutish, like this person was to me. So, I sat with myself and did some soul-searching to look for my strength and gain my voice back.

Now, “a little death” is a figure of speech meant to allude to that moment post-intercourse where one is supposed to regain clarity. And I guess I channeled that physicality that is present in those words to describe the sudden clarity with which I came to see my assaulter, and others involved in this scenario, in the true light of who they were. The façade cracked, so to speak, and I could see life for what it was.

Wow, this is heavy but also really poignant. While I am sorry that you experienced this, I am glad you are at a point in life where you can bring it up, and it is also great that you could come to terms with it all through artistic creation. As for the rest of the tracks on A Little Death, what kind of energy can we expect from them?
As a whole, the album deals with turmoil, both from that situation and also the difficulty of uprooting your life and moving to an entirely new country, far from what I've come to know. It tells the story of this past year and a half as a progression, from pain, anger and despair to eventually acceptance, hope and joy as you begin to piece yourself back together. It was my first time as the lead singer in a band, the first time I wrote lyrics with the knowledge that people would hear them and, through them, understand my inner workings, so I tried my best to be honest, brave and truthful. I think it's a pretty good snapshot of the person I am, for better or worse!

Awesome, I am truly excited about Saturday. Back to your new partners in crime, how did you guys go through the motions of putting together a whole new band? I know you hold Beijing very close to your heart and that you were deeply involved with the indie music scene here. In what ways do Beijing and Berlin overlap and then radically differ from each other?
I made an initial EP on my own, recording the instruments myself, and posted it in some Berlin music forums. I found Konstantin and Arsenii almost immediately. We had a few other musicians that came and went, but it felt like a piece was missing until Lucy joined and it all clicked together. Berlin and Beijing are quite similar in a lot of ways, actually, both beautiful in an ugly sort of way, rough around the edges, gritty, cool, filled with passionate people making important art. It's taken a while to settle in, but it's become home to me now and I love it. I still miss jianbing guozi, though. There's no better hangover cure!

Nothing quite like it, indeed. And since we're talking about food, I think it's time you come clear about the second purpose of your touring China…
Oh, no, you caught me! Yes, I have two goals this time round. One is to play shows in all these cities that I love and miss. The other is to eat literally everything I come across on the way. I have made out “David's Anti-Weight Loss Bucket List” (patent pending) with about 20 different things I need to eat during my time here. Four days in and I'm already halfway through. I should have packed wider pants…

Dusk Saffron will play at DDC on Sat, Oct 11, at 8pm. Advance tickets are RMB 108 and tickets at the door are RMB 128. Tickets can be purchased by scanning the QR below.