My first interview I was able to secure because I'm friends with one of the band members, Dan. He's the bassist. Here's the interview, let me know what you think. I'd appreciate any feedback relating to the way I interviewed them, and how I present them on this blog.
The Interview:
When did your band get together?
DCS became a full band in 2010 and started playing shows almost immediately, but the trio that wrote and performed on the debut ‘Life Dies Before Us’ (Mike, Paul and Kev) formed in late 2008/2009. We’d known each other from a previous band (we actually shot a video together) and following the dissolution of that band, decided to work together again but on something new. We’d all been in various bands before and were looking for something ‘fresh’ and a total creative outlet. That was basically the genesis of Dead Culture Society and our original “Goth n’ Thrash” label.
Earlier this year our founding guitarist left the band to pursue other interests, but we recently brought a new guitarist to the fold, our good buddy Arnold. He’s a welcome addition to the DCS crew and we look forward to bustin’ out some new tunes on stage soon.
Where was your first live performance?
Our first show was at the legendary Zaphod’s (Beeblebrox) in the heart of downtown Ottawa in I think April of 2010. We played with a band from Montreal that night that was playing for the first time in the city. It was a good show, but I think we all had some jitters about being on stage for the first time with the type of material we’d written. It was kind of un-charted waters for Ottawa, at least to the best of our knowledge. For me, it was also my first time as the front man of a band, singing to a crowd of complete strangers, so there were some nerves to get over, certainly at first. Although we had a lot of support from friends and family, so that helped us feel at ease.
Since then, we’ve played a number of shows with a really diverse list of bands. Everything from rock, industrial, to traditional metal, and even a punk show, I think. But it worked out well for us, as our music is quite diverse as well. Never be afraid to tap into an unfamiliar scene, because you may be surprised by the reaction.
What would you consider your Genre to be?
Well, without getting too convoluted (or pretentious) about it, we’re basically somewhere between hard rock and heavy metal. Originally I think the intent was to create something like To/Die/For meets Nevermore meets Mötley Crüe, but I don’t know if we really got that one figured out by the time we started writing. The writing process sort of led us along, rather than being led by a concrete goal. Music is such a creative process; it’s really difficult, at least for me, to say, “Ok, I’m going to write a song that sounds like Pain or To/Die/For.” If I tried that, I’d get nowhere because I’ve got the attention span and boundless energy of a new puppy.
We’ve used the term Goth n’ Thrash as kind of a tongue-in-cheek thing, given our more prominent musical influences, but it’s hard to say what that even means! Genres are a tricky game. There’s nothing worse than reading about a band that refers to themselves as ‘epic hardcore funkadelic pirate booze groove’ or something ridiculous like that. We play heavy, catchy music. That’s it. And we hope people dig it as much as we enjoy playing it.
Where do you get your inspirations?
We’re certainly a motley crew when it comes to inspiration. We’ve all got very diverse musical backgrounds and influences, so it’s really tough to say. We’ve collectively got roots in hard rock like (oddly enough) GnR/Mötley Crüe, classic rock/metal like Kiss/Priest, modern metal like A7X/LOG, traditional heavy metal like Iron Maiden, and dare we say 80’s pop or even ‘jazz’? Essentially, take the best of traditional metal, mix it with the roots and catchiness of hard rock, and add some goth-oriented mood and themes (we’re all fans of the Dark Side) and that’s where we’re at musically. We take inspiration from just about everything we hear. There are no limits, really.
Apart from your own, what's your favorite band?
That’s easy! Dan = Kiss. Mike = Lamb of God. Arnold = Thin Lizzy. Kevin = Don’t make me choose!
What would be your dream venue to perform in?
What a cool question! If it’s an indoor venue, I guess maybe the Royal Albert Hall in England. But if it was an outdoor thing, I’d love to play a huge amphitheatre somewhere in Europe. Preferably an old castle or some really cool Greek ruins, just to experience a part of the earliest days of the performing arts!
I understand you've played in several venues and on the radio. What would you say is the key to your success so far?
I think the key is not to be afraid to just talk to people and make contacts by being proactive. Sometimes word of mouth works, but the most success we’ve had so far is just putting it out there that we’re here, we want to talk, and we definitely want to PLAY. Be open to different formats, too. I know we’ve been asked if we can play an acoustic song or two for the radio due to space restrictions, which is something we hadn’t thought about previously with our more metal tendencies.
Anything you would like to say to the readers of this blog?
It’s become a bit of a broken record, but honestly, the best thing you can do as a fan of music – any genre – is to get out the door and buy a ticket to a show, particularly for independent bands whose shows are usually in the $10 or less range. And please pay the 99 cents for a song download. Believe me, it cost WAY more than that to produce it for your listening pleasure and the bands only get a fraction of that fee back due to the costs of the service agreement with the digital music provider(s).
And for us, the best part about playing live is seeing people having a good time and meeting them after the show…or during! Audience participation is the best damn thing since tube heads!
Love the art on your website’s home page, http://www.deadculturesociety.com/ Who was the artist?
Thank you! We’re very proud of the artwork, actually. It was something we conceptualized with our friend and artist, Raziel, of Dark Prince Graphix. He’s a real honest dude from down in Mexico who’s done all of our work for us and at a very reasonable rate. We couldn’t have done it without him, so a huge shout-out to our brother in Mexico for his amazing creations!
Discography:
Album:
Life Dies Before Us - Dead Culture Society Released: 15/06/12
Songs:
1 Mirror's Collapse - 04:42
2 Wine For Your Sorrows - 04:25
3 Sweet Lilith - 04:42
4 Interlude - 01:15
5 Suicide Lullabye - 04:51
6 Faded Lust - 05:14
7 Midnight In Stockholm - 04:14
8 Forever Rain - 05:33
9 Hollow Remains - 04:29
10 Hollow Remains - 04:29
11 A Dead Heart's Reflection - 03:59
12 Prelude to Darkness (Instrumental) - 02:33
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