We catch up with the Windmill mainstay as he releases second album ‘Emotional Dance Music’.
The Windmill Brixton has been on a roll for many years, seemingly churning out endless new acts for the indie and alternative music scene in the UK to enjoy. Haydn Davies (AKA Pink Eye Club), is uniquely positioned within this phenomenon, through his omnipresence through the eons of Windmill lore, gigging alongside many of these now household names in the indie sphere, among them Little Grandad, Opus Kink, Fat White Family, Honeyglaze, Night Tapes, DEADLETTER, Tapir!, Folly Group and Y. For nearly a decade Pink Eye Club has successfully garnered a reputation as a tireless promoter of grassroots music and leaving it all out there on the dance floor, a life that has led him to the release of his second record, ‘EDM (Emotional Dance Music). Ahead of today’s release, we spoke to Haydn about the album and his extensive past in the music world and looked ahead to the album launch show at The Lexington on 20th November.
To start off, how did you get your start in the London music scene and find yourself at The Windmill?
Haydn: It all started in 2018, I was really into this band called Meatraffle. I wanted to go see them, they had a gig on at the Windmill. Me and my pal went along, I instantly fell in love with the place and had a connection with it. I mean, the gig cost about six quid and I saw three brilliant bands. After that, I really knew I wanted to get involved.
After a few weeks of thinking about what I wanted my project to sound like, I landed on making beats on my laptop and speaking over them. I thought that was original because everyone played guitars, I thought it’d be something a bit different. I threw some songs together and ended up with an EP of four songs and got a gig at the Five Bells, which was a pub in New Cross. It was basically The George Tavern before It existed [in its current form]. It was a Millwall pub, but also put on art shows. Through playing these shows at the Five Bells I met loads of people who helped me get shows at the Windmill.
Am I right in saying Pink Eye Club has been through a number of different iterations? If so, can you talk me through some of those.
Haydn: It has kind of evolved, I think the most interesting bands in the scene tend to do that. I’m going to shoutout The Orchestra (For Now), they’re a prime example of a band who started off basically clearing out venues, but now these days they’ve got a massive following and are doing really well. Pink Eye Club started with just me and a laptop, then I got a band in around 2019, which only lasted about three gigs. Then I got a DJ in 2025. I felt like there should be someone else on stage with me. At the Lexington on the 20th November I’m doing it with a band again for one night only, it’s going to be like a ten-piece band.
You have described the upcoming album as autobiographical, especially with tracks such as ‘Small Talk’. Was that deliberate or is it something you realised after finishing the album?
Haydn: It definitely wasn’t deliberate. When I was writing and thinking about album two it was just a stream of consciousness. I had all these songs together, put them in order and realised it was an autobiography of the last three years of my life.
Do the lyrics of these songs often come before the music?
Haydn: It is always lyrics first for me. I’ll sit down and think of an idea for a song first. With my first album, ‘Disco Reality’, all the songs and lyrics are quite funny. Whereas, with ‘Emotional Dance Music’ I wanted to challenge myself to write emotional lyrics. It took me a year of sitting down and thinking of these ideas. I’d think of a caption for the chorus first, then I’ll write lyrics based on that.
Moving onto to some of the album tracks… If disco is your religion, can you give me some of the ten commandments?
Haydn: I guess the first commandment is too always be dancing. You can’t be stood still. There’s something so joyous about standing in front of a sound system and listening to some banging tunes. I suppose disco is about finding joy in yourself too. I think people try to play it off like they’re cool and miserable, just be happy and enjoy the music!
Commandment number three is about being open-minded. Whenever I go to the Windmill, I’ll always go with an open mind and open ears, it’s very important to do that on the scene.
You mention the prevalence of cocaine in both the tracks ‘Young Professionals’ and ‘Cocaine Friends’. Would you say that corporate strategists and people in bands could perhaps bond over this shared pastime?
Haydn: I definitely reckon so! I think it’s become a bit of an epidemic in the scene over the last couple of years. I don’t ever judge people, in the lyrics it says ‘everyone’s got their potions’, I do agree with that. You do see the businesspeople doing it in the pubs, apparently it’s absolutely rife. As for at gigs, you do see people running to the toilet in-between bands.
Lyrically, you approach perhaps more serious topics in a very straightforward manner. Do you think this is the best way of getting those ideas across for you?
Hadyn: I 100% do. I love the fact that my lyrics are open to interpretation. I’ll say something stupid like, ‘You’re just a stupid fucking man in a really shit band”, and then people came up to me afterwards and were asking if this bit was about this person or themselves or something else. Trying to guess what it was about. I love that, having basic lyrics will keep people guessing as much as a metaphor. You’ll see it in horror films, some of my favourite horror films explain things to you, but there’s still a sense of unknown to them.
This album is club anthem after club anthem. Hypothetically, If it could be played start to finish In your ideal club/dancefloor setting, what would that look like? (No, you can’t say the Windmill).
Haydn: Phonox, definitely Phonox. I’ve been going there for the past three years and I absoutlety love it. I go by myself, it’s proper dark and the sound-system is amazing. The community is great and everyone is really friendly. Night Tales is in Hackney, that’s totally different, a lot brighter. It would be amazing to hear one of my songs there too.
You’ve played a gig on a moving boat before, but apart from that, what has been the best gig of your life?
Haydn: Probably, when I went on tour with Meatraffle in 2024, we played The Lexington as a final show together. That was just a great, emotional night. We’d had such a good night on that tour and played some great places. It was just amazing hearing those songs for the final time.
You have shared the stage with many of London’s finest indie exports in recent years. What’s the funniest story from that period in your career?
Haydn: One of the first times I put on a night at the Five Bells, behind the bar they were selling these 10% IPA’s. I drank about 4 of those before my set, blind drunk. During my set I stripped down to my boxers. I forgot the lyrics and was just stood there in my boxers. Also in 2019, when Pink Eye Club was a band, I put on a ‘Sunday Roast’ at the Windmill, one of the first ever ones. We didn’t have a drummer, so I messaged a friend, we didn’t rehearse and he turned up and couldn’t drum because he was so fucked up. I literally watched that gig fall apart before my eyes. My pals came along to see me and you could tell they were just like, ‘What the hell is Haydn doing with his life?’
Is there any particular emerging London talent that you are currently obsessed with?
Haydn: Speedial 100%. I just they’re really melodic, really talented guys and really lovely people. I’ve got to shout out my housemates SOFT, who are doing a really good job at the moment.
What are the biggest inspirations in general on Pink Eye Club?
Haydn: Dance music and house is a massive inspiration. I listen to ‘90s house all the time. In terms of bands and stuff, at the start I was listening to a lot of Sleaford Mods, New Order, Pet Shop Boys, those were also huge inspirations, Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem too.
