ROGER WATERS About SYD BARRETT
Recently former Pink Floyd conducter ROGER WATERS went on American TV Show
‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ and talked emotionally by the late troubled co-founder
Syd Barrett.
SYD BARRETT: Bio – Discography
Interview
IGGY POP On LETTERMAN Show In 1982 About His Trailer Trash Childhood And Meeting David Bowie
The eternal Stooge-punk-father released his 19th LP Every Loser last week.
But today we return into the past, to the year 1982, when the passenger stopped
at the legendary American TV Show with David letterman and talked about his unusual upbringing, why he likes to hurt himself on stage and working with David Bowie.
Lust for Iggy? Watch/listen here.
EVERY LOSER
DOLORES O’RIORDAN – 1995 TV Interview With Her Parents In The Audience
15 January 2023
It’s already 5 years today since Irish iconic songstress Dolores O’Riordan
and beloved, charismatic frontwoman of The Cranberries left this world.
In January 2018, O’Riordan traveled from New York City, where she lived, to London
to work on her side-project D.A.R.K. and to meet people from record label BMG and talk about a new Cranberries LP. She spend the night of Jan 14th in the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane, Mayfair.
At 2 a.m. (15 January), O’Riordan had a phone chat with her mother. Later that morning, she was found lifeless in the bathroom. A medicine pronounced her dead at 9:16 a.m.
Only 46.
She died as a result of accidental drowning in her bath following sedation by alcohol intoxication. Empty bottles were found in her room as well as some prescription drugs. Toxicology tests showed that her body contained only “therapeutic” levels of these medications but a blood alcohol content of 3.30 g/L (0.33%). R.I.P.
This affecting interview from 1995 – with her parents in the audience – brings tears to your eyes. Dolores O’Riordan despite being a global pop star, was so down to earth, so grateful for what she achieved so far, and looked/talked irresistibly gorgeously. Sad, very sad loss.
R.I.P.
DOLORES O’RIORDAN: Bio – Discography
PRINCE In 2014 On ARSENIO’s Show – One Of His Rare And Last Interviews
PRINCE
June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016.
Prince wasn’t an interview addict, on the contrary.
But this rare one – two years before his passing –
is royalty fun. Check it out.
PRINCE: Facebook – Bio – Discography
LOU REEED 1975 – “Are You Happy Being A Schmuck?”
LOU REED
Sydney, Australia – 1975
The days of Reed acting
like a prick in interviews.
His eyes spit fire.
Target: the poor journo.
5 and 1/2 minutes of
verbal abuse.
LOU REED: Bio – Discography
PAUL McCARTNEY Remembers The Death Of JOHN LENNON In A New Interview
27 December 2022
Eternal working class hero JOHN LENNON was killed on 8 December 1980.
More than 40 years later his songwriting Beatle brother PAUL McCARTNEY remembers the sad event in an interview with SiriusXM’s The Beatles Channel: “It was difficult for everyone in the world cause he was such a loved character and such a crazy guy, you know, that he was so special. And so it had hit me so much so that I couldn’t really talk about it. I remember getting home from the studio on the day that we’d heard the news he died and turning the TV on and seeing people say, ‘Well, John Lennon was this,’ and ‘What he was, was this,’ and ‘I remember meeting him’.
And it was like, I don’t know, I can’t be one of those people. I can’t just go on TV and say what John meant to me. It was just too deep. It’s just too much. I couldn’t put it into words. I was in a building that would become my recording studio, and there were just a couple of little empty rooms upstairs,” he explained. “So I found a room and just sat on the wooden floor in a corner with my guitar and just started to play the opening chords to ‘Here Today.’”
You can listen here to the audio clip.
MACCA: Facebook – Instagram
How Was 2022 For Sparkling Italian Guitar/Synth Pop Family THE BANKROBBER?
23 December 2022
Sparkling Italian synth-guitar-pop act THE BANKROBBER is centered
around siblings Giacomo and Maddalena Oberti. Turn Up The Volume is
a vivid fan since their 2018 album Missing with its effervescent shaped
pop-ular tunes without frontiers.
This year the band came back with a stellar new 6-track EP, named
LIGHTERS and is voted Best EP of 2022 by Turn Up The Volume.
Say no more.
Enough reasons to have a chat with capobanda Giacomo about the EP
but also about their Euro tour, a scary night in France, The Clash (of course),
the siblings’ inspirational father and more.
But, as usual, we start an interview with a piece of music. Here’s one of my
fav tracks off the EP where they went from bankrobbers to bankrockers.
Hello Giacomo,
When and how did THE BANKROBBER started its musical journey?
“We started as a band many years ago, playing the songs we loved. We had
the rehearsal room in the cellar under the house, after the first gigs we wanted
to start writing our songs and over the years the project has changed shape
up to today’s line up.”
Who came up with the band’s name and is there story behind?
“We were kids and we mostly listened to punk music. We had a list of names
from songs or album by artists we loved like “Shadow Play” by Joy Division and
“Bankrobber” by The Clash. I decided for The Bankrobber because it sounded great
to me and it still does, I also love the meaning so I really like our band’s name.”
Your father was in a prog rock band in the 70s and now his daughter and
son are making music for some time. Were you inspired by your dad?
“Sure! We grew up in a house full of music and records so it helped a lot
to build our passion for music and our creativity. He also always bought
us the records we wanted and encouraged to make music but without
pressure.”
Father Oberti on the far left – drummer for
with prog-rock band Men Of Lake in the 70s
Which of your songs would you pick to introduce
THE BANKROBBER to people who never heard of you?
“Hard question! I think our music has a soft romantic side and a more energetic side,
so I will probably would say “Blood” which was released between the two albums.”
The brand new EP ‘LIGHTERS’ is a great work of pop
excellence. Does the title relate to the 6 songs?
“Actually it’s not, we are going to release another EP called “Lovers” and the full album’s title will be Lighters and Lovers. We chose this name from one of the songs we were producing for the record but then we decided to save it for a future release.”
With song titles like ‘Kill My Name’, ‘Hate Me’, ’Bury Me Softly’
and ‘Leah Dies’ it’s like the EP is not really a happy one.
“We define this new work something between Dark and romantic, there are often
both elements. introspective, abstract and dark lyrics that somehow speak of love.”
WHITE SKIN is my absolute fav piece.
What’s the song about?
“White Skin is a love song about distance. A love letter.”
“The video for ‘White Skin’ is top too.
What did you want to express with the clip?”
“To get a more precise answer we should ask my sister who conceived and directed
the video but it is set during prom and she wanted to give the protagonist an almost magical aura to make the story dreamy and romantic.”
Next year another EP named LOVERS is coming out.
What can you already reveal about it ?
“It’s going to be a five songs EP, we produced everything in the same
period so the whole project sounds heterogeneous but with common
references.
We can also say that there will be a feat. In one of the songs.”
Any anecdotes about your recent Euro tour?
“We are very happy to be back after two years without concerts.
During this tour everything went very well except for a couple of scary
accommodations and a crazy adventure by night. We were in France and
we almost had to cross the country in one day. So after the concert we
headed back to the next city but we were too tired and we looked for
rooms to rest a bit.
At one point we entered the parking lot of a motel to see if there was the
possibility of staying overnight when we realize that the gate had closed
behind us blocking us inside.
Desperation!
No one was answering at the motel’s phone number so we
had to wait for someone to come in or leave. We decided to
sleep in the van while we waited and after a few hours
a very drunk man came in opening the gate and leading
us to freedom!”
What’s the best track/album you heard all year?
“I loved Skinty Fia by Fontaines D.C.”
Suppose you were asked to cover a Xmas carol,
which one would it be and how would it sound?
“Christmas songs sound too happy for us, haha. Actually, I like almost
all Christmas tunes but I don’t really know if I don’t know if I could make
a version with our sounds while keeping the spirit but let’s try with
“The Christmas Song ” by Nat King Cole.”
Which track will you play when the clock
strikes midnight on 31 December.
“This is unpredictable! It will depend on the moment
but I think I would put something really powerful.”
Name three things you really want to happen in 2023?
“In terms of projects I’m building my production studio and I hope to work
a lot in it, I also would love to play with my band at some great festivals and
of course, I want to feel good with my friends and family.”
Thank you for this interview, Giacomo!
May the road rise with The Bnakrobber in 2023.
Stream LIGHTERS EP here…
.
THE BANKROBBER: Facebook – Instagram
How Was 2022 For The Merciless PIG Of Darkness?
19 December 2022
(photography by E Gabriel Edvy)
Raymond Watts aka PIG is a centipede artist, a pioneering member of the mid-1980s industrial/darkwave/Goth rock scene who recorded/released multiple longplayers since then, wrote/writes music for fashion, film artists, and exhibitions and still found/finds
time to collaborate with other like-minded artists.
As a vivid fan it’s an utterly cool pleasure to talk to the merciless PIG of darkness
about the past, about 2022 and the future, about his imposing 2022 album – a mix
of brawny industrial Rammstein bombast, nightmares in slow-motion, wham-bam-glam drones and gospel chants – about Berlin and Japan, about his dog Wally and much more.
But as usual Turn Up The Volume starts an interview with a slice of music.
Open your ears and eyes for one of the highlights of this year’s new LP
The Merciless Light.
You started your career back in the late 80s when living in Berlin.
What and or who triggered you to go on a musical journey, Raymond?
“Ever since I was about 8 or 9 I found music was the artwork that resonated most
strongly with me. We had a little band in my neighbourhood (I was the drummer, then
bass player) and of course I was inspired by the great glam rock bands of the early 70s.
By 1976 I was already a little suburban punk rocker and I could really run
my colours up the mast of punk as the ethos was ‘anyone can do this’.”
Did Berlin, the city itself, inspired your musical muse?
Were you there when the Wall came down?
“I moved to Berlin in 1985 after a year in Hamburg and it was the place I felt most comfortable because of the absolute duality and division of the city. West and
East Berlin were two contrasting and opposite systems.
What inspired me was the anarchic nature and the greyness combined with DIY bars that never closed, the wall, the fantastic and fantastically weird bands that you wouldn’t find the like of in any other city … and the bullet holes. So the answer is yes … the city, the drugs, the nightlife, the sleaze, the fear, frenzy and delight all fed my musical muse.”
“In answer to the second part of your question; where was I when the wall came down?
I was at Checkpoint Charlie on Nov 9th 1989. I had been in the studio that day producing a band and I got a call from some friends who said they were coming to get me as it was about to open. We got there just as the barrier lifted and a tide of East Germans flooded through to much cheering and celebration.
I lived close to the wall and for the next few weeks there was a constant sound of hammers and chisels on the wall as people (myself included) chipped bits away as keepsakes. It was a wonderful and wild time but for me it signified that the party
was over in West Berlin and it was time to leave.”
You choose to operate under a moniker to present yourself
and your work to the world. Why did you go for PIG?
“It’s a short word that I like.”
What or who attracted you to the world of industrial/darkwave rock, Raymond?
“You will think this is incredibly arrogant and self-important but I wasn’t attracted to it…
it was attracted to me! At the moment I feel more attracted to the world of opera – but that’s just today, tomorrow I may feel more attracted to the world of cooking or designing clothes or writing poetry.
I don’t spend a lot of time seeing or listening to industrial or darkwave (whatever that is) bands. When I was younger I felt the burning intensity of seeing that kind of stuff as it was totally and utterly mesmerising. To work with a band like Neubauten at their peak and be doing sound for them was to be a part of it, and maybe having been a part of it I’ve been looking for and experiencing other things since then.”
When looking back at your extensive catalogue, which one of your tracks/albums would you pick to introduce PIG to people who never heard his music?
“I suggest ‘Symphony for the Devil’ from ‘The Swining’.”
Last September your new excellent LP ‘THE MERCILESS LIGHT came out. Is there a big picture behind it or do the songs all stand on their own.
“I would hope that the songs stand up on their own and there’s a bigger picture to it. Each PIG album is a Gesamtkunstwerk. An entire artistic body of work; artwork, music, words, videos, production and performance. I don’t know what your interpretation of that album is and I’m never too sure but I think there’s something about the excoriating nature of truth in there amongst the madness and the machines.”
One of the standout tracks, to my ears, is massive banger THE DARK ROOM, accompanied by a dazzling video. What’s the track about and what is it that you wanted to visualize with the clip?
“It seems that possibly the song is using the analogy of a literal dark room where rolls
of film are developed. You need a dark room to see what the image is. Maybe we only develop in the quiet and dark space inside ourselves. Change happens in the dark.”
Another big one is TARANTULA. An (earlier) hammer blow remixed by Jim Davies. Why is it that in the ‘dance’ genre remixes are like a second nature and far more common than in ‘rock’?
“I actually have no idea how to answer that. Maybe the dance genre has more
elements in common and they can be transplanted more easily from song to song.”
Throughout your career the artwork of your albums/EP/singles always was something to look out for. In what way were you involved in the choice, development and final touch of the images?
“I’m lucky enough to work with Vlad McNeally who does PIG artwork and Gabriel Edvy who does the cover photography and videos. I generally have an idea which I discuss with them then I usually stand well back and both of them come up with something vastly more interesting!”
You seem to have a strong attraction for all things Japanese. You had your label there, toured there, lived there. What is it that fascinates you so much about Japan, Raymond?
“I used to spend a lot of time in Japan. It was my second home. I don’t know what it is about being there that resonates but the whole aesthetic makes me feel comfortable.
When I first went there for 5 months in 1981, with a band I was with, I just wanted to stay.
I felt like I’d landed on the set of Blade Runner but with the best catering imaginable. It was heaven and hell but turbocharged with fantastic manners and technology.”
Industrial/darkwave/Goth music seems to be around for ages. It’s imperishable.
Any idea why the genre still appeals to so many people around the globe?
“I wish I knew… Maybe we all need to move on and find something new!”
You toured regularly with greats (NIN, Neubaten, your former band KMFDM, and many more). Which acts/artists are still on your wish list to tour with in the future?
“Having been locked into a relentless cycle with PIG in the last few years I need to take some time out to refresh my creative juices and one of the things I’ll be doing is listening to more new and interesting artists and maybe think about who to tour with next time we go out.”
We’re nearing the end of 2022. What’s the best track
and album you heard all year, Raymond?
“Freddie de Tomasso’s album II Tenore has a lovely recording of ‘Mario’ on it from
‘Tosca’ but maybe it’s because I saw him perform it last night at The Royal Opera
House in Covent Garden.”
If you were asked to cover a Xmas song, which
one would it be and how would it sound like?
“It would sound like this; here’s a link to the PIG Christmas ep Black Mass that
I released a few years ago as a fundraiser for International Rescue Committee.”
.
Which song (s) will you play at New Year’s Eve and why?
“‘Last Christmas’ by Wham!, ‘I Feel Love’ by Donna Summer.
And ‘Im Abendrot’ by Richard Strauss (with Jessye Norman).”
Name three things you really want to happen in 2023 for PIG.
“It would be great if touring in the US was a bit more viable and I’d
like to re-release my back catalogue … though this is happening slowly!
The Swining / Red Raw & Sore have been remastered and will be out on Cleopatra
next summer … and thirdly and more importantly I’d love my dog Wally to stop
howling and barking like a hungry little wolf every time I stop for a coffee when I walk him.”
https://www.last.fm/music/Pig/The+Swining+%2F+Red+Raw+&+Sore
Thank you very much for this interview, Raymond.
May the road rise with PIG in 2023.
You can stream/buy
THE MERCILESS LIGHT here via
Bandcamp</a
.
PIG: Bandcamp – Spotify – Instagram – Facebook
How Was 2022 For Garage Rock Snakes THE DARTS
16 December 2022
They rock, they roll, they have swagger, they have looks, they are for real, they
are THE DARTS. After being locked up for about two years, like all of us, the female,
4-cylinder powerhouse from Phoenix came back with tons of energy and an appetite
for a love tsunami these past 12 months. They dropped a new 3-avid-tracks EP last
April and kept on touring in the free world for months.
And the future looks even busier. Not only one but two longplayers are waiting to
be unleashed in 2023 followed by gigging as much as they can. Thanks to upfront
dart Nicole Laurenne we get more details about this and next year.
But before starting the chat, Turn Up The Volume, as usual, starts an interview with
a slice of music. Open up your ears and your eyes for The Darts‘ brand-new super-duper single SNAKE OIL, the smashing title track of the upcoming LP.
What’s the story behind the band’s name, Nicole?
“A lot of people – well, people without boobs anyway – don’t realize it, but shirts made for people with boobs have to have seams sewn on the sides of the chest area to allow extra room. In English those seams are called “darts”.
I wanted a name that was unique to people who identify as female without being too obvious, and for some reason an image of a 1940s bullet bra came to mind, with its extreme darts! The bullet bra was one of our first logos, designed by artist Justin Barker.
I love that most guys don’t even know there is an alternate meaning of the word “dart”.
Which of your songs would you pick to introduce
THE DARTS to people who never heard of you?
“Probably “My Heart Is A Graveyard” and “Love U 2 Death,” because they both have that vibe of being dark but not too serious. That’s a big part of The Darts thing, lyrically, musically, even visually. We might smile a lot, but there’s always a little blood on the teeth.”
You played a live session for renowned radio station KEPX in Seattle this year.
But, as you told me before, Covid-19 almost blew the planned performance.
What exactly happened?
“We worked really hard for a long time with DJ Brian Foss to finally get that coveted slot on KEXP sessions. They gave us a date in July 2022. The pandemic was finally lifting a little and the station said if anyone tested positive for covid the day of the session, they would have to cancel us. We weren’t worried. We had a new EP out and we were finally back to touring after two years of lockdown, and we were totally ready.
We headed out around the USA for the first two legs of the tour… and them Christina
and I came home with covid. Like really nasty, can’t-move-for-a-week, no-food, no-music covid. This was three weeks before the KEXP appearance. We tested every day, sometimes multiple times a day, praying to the gods of rock that we would test negative in time for the session. Literally two days before we left for Seattle, exhausted and desperate, I finally tested negative.
We arrived in Seattle at KEXP and they rigorously tested everyone – the band, the DJs, photographers, studio people, everyone – before anyone could even go into the building. We all tested negative. And the session was one of the most amazing things we have ever done to date. It was a covid miracle.”
Full KEXP show
Last April the band released a 3-track EP, titled ‘LOVE TSUNAMI’.
Is it the harbinger for a new album in 2023?
‘It is definitely a taste of things to come, but Love Tsunami was actually recorded before the pandemic, by a new producer for the band, Gerald Schöenherr. Our friend Etti Bowen sat in on drums for the recording. With everything locked down right after that, we had to wait forever to get it out there.
Our European labels Adrenalin Fix Music, Dirty Water Records, Beluga Records, and Ghost Highway Recordings got together and put it out on vinyl and the 7” vinyls arrived literally on the last day of our European tour. Yeah, we’re good at timing apparently. But we love this little 7”, the songs are so much fun to play live.”
.
“There’s a big tempo-change in the middle of the track “Underground” that was a new writing challenge I gave myself, and that has turned out to be one of my favorite parts
of the live set now. The lyrics to “Shit Show” are cathartic every night after all these years
of, well, shit, and “Love Tsunami” is just a surf-y, girl-group party song.
Our next album, “Snake Oil,” was recorded in April 2022 by our long-time producer Bob Hoag, with new drummer Mary Rose Gonzales on drums, and with Jello Biafra very involved in the sound and production. So the new record will definitely have a different feel than the EP; definitely a little darker at times, and with some pretty epic ballads that we are super proud of.”
You were all fired up when I saw you playing in Antwerp (Belgium) last October, like young Amazons happy to get on stage again after the awful lockdown period. Why is playing live such a booster for all of you?
“Playing live has always been the life-blood of this band. There is no better rush than playing a song you’ve written and rehearsed in an empty room, and then finally hearing
it explode on stage and watching the audience explode right along with us. And after a couple years of not having that feeling, we were all hungry for it. It’s hard to make music
in a vacuum without that energy and feedback from an audience.
Seeing everyone again, especially so many old friends in Europe, was absolutely
the best reward for getting through the pandemic, and we didn’t take it for granted
for one minute.”
Darting in Antwerp – 2 October 2022 (photo by Turn Up the Volume)
Which big-name artist(s)/band(s) would you love to tour with and why?
“I’m pretty sure everyone in this band would give you a different answer to this question. We’ve toured with The Damned, played with The Ventures and Joan Jett and Jello and L7 and Devo and so many incredible legends. But our current bucket list would have to include Amyl and the Sniffers, Nick Cave, Ty Segall, Jack White, and Billy Childish.
But there are also acts like Deap Vally, The Coathangers, LA Witch, Plague Vendor, Night Beats, Wet Leg and Smalltown Tigers that would make awesome tourmates for us, if you ask me. Our influences come from a lot of different places, old and new, and all of these artists inspire us a lot.”
What movie would you pick to soundtrack THE DARTS’ music, Nicole?
“Anything directed by Quentin Tarantino, obviously. But I recently
binge-watched the series “Killing Eve” and thought over and over that
our music would have fit perfectly with its black-hearted humor
and look.”
The best track and album you heard this year?
“We’ve all been digging “Chaise Lounge” by Wet Leg, like most of the world. But on a personal level, I’ve been getting oddly attached to Dry Cleaning’s new album “Stumpwork.” Maybe all that blaisé, detached vocal stuff is a nice change of pace for me after screaming into a microphone or something.”
THE event – good and bad – of 2022?
“Playing on KEXP was the highlight, but a couple of the Europe tour shows
were also unforgettable. Making two new records and having to wait endlessly
for vinyl manufacturing is definitely the lowlight of the year. I’m not good at waiting.”
Your fav Xmas carol, Nicole?
“Santa Baby,” but only when sung by Eartha Kitt of course.
Ok, it’s not really a carol but it should be.”
“Which song would you pick to play on New Year’s Eve and why?
Our entire new album “Snake Oil,” on repeat. Because 2023
is going to be its year and I can’t wait!!”
Name three things you really want to happen in 2023?
“I want to release not one, but two new full-length albums, spend most of our time touring internationally, and write and record a third album before the year is out. This is all going to happen, I am visualizing it.”
Thank you very much for this chat, Nicole.
May the road rise with The Darts in 2023.
Christina and Nicole – Darts sisters in garage rock crime (Photo by Turn Up The Volume)
While waiting for the new LP you can stream/buy
the latest one I LIKE YOU BUT NOT LIKE THAT here…
.
THE DARTS: Facebook – Instagram
How Was 2022 For Canadian Outlaw Rockers DEAD LEVEE? Read On And Find Out…
14 December 2022
DEAD LEVEE is a classic outlaw rock band from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada..
A mean Canadian rock machine. Imagine The Black Crows and Guns ‘n Roses have
a rough rollicking riff fight, while screaming their heads off. No breakes, no brakes,
no mistakes. Holy smoke, indeed!
They released a couple of smashing singles and an EP in the past 12 months and are working now on their sophomore longplayer. If you’re a muscular rawk ‘n’ roll fan-atic,
I’m sure you want to know more about these red-hot sizzling firestarters. Read on as
Turn Up The Volume had a chat with Dead Levee.
Hello Buck, Izzy and Preston.
Let’s talk...
How/when did DEAD LEVEE start their musical journey
Buck: “Dead Levee was born in the studio, early December 2017. All due to a previous project known as ‘The Outskirts’ falling apart right before we had our first ever studio time booked with local Regina legend, Chris Dimas. The lineup then was Ray, Preston, Parker, who was later replaced with the infamous Izzy Lyxx, and myself. We then recruited our
old singer (I choose to leave nameless).
Basically ‘Train Song’ was a song The Outskirts had been doing for some time, and we more or less substituted singers and chose a new name. Thus beginning the saga of Dead Levee.”
What’s the story behind the band’s name?
Ray: “The band was ready to release our first single and in need of a name. We couldn’t agree on anything so I decided to flip through albums looking at song names and albums for inspiration. When I came to When The Levee Breaks on Zeppelin IV, I realized that Levee was the coolest looking word on the sleeve.
So I thought about what a broken Levee is and decided it was dead. It had been killed
by something. So the image of a dead levee stuck in my head in a cool dark way.
I brought the name to the arguing band and it was all over.
From then on, we’ve been Dead Levee.”
Which song would you pick to introduce DEAD LEVEE
to people who never heard of you?
Izzy: “I would definitely introduce ‘Shout’. As It encompasses the real raw, high-energy, hard rock that Dead Levee so desperately needed to open and share with the world. It was the first song that we wrote after the old lead singer left us high and dry, so the song has a lot of pent up aggression and a kind of ‘p*ss off mate’ feel.”
Who/what led to your blistering rock sound?
Ray: “I have always been into bands with 3 standout points. A tight grooving rhythm section, guitars bouncing back and forth off each other sharing lead and rhythm rolls creating a controlled chaos of sorts. And a powerful lead vocal coming right up the
middle to tell a story or tear your head off.
Whichever the song calls for. So it’s definitely a child of everything from blues based
rock bands, punk bands, and even early metal bands. The common thread is definitely
the attitude of the late 60’s early 70’s when music was in a very raw place.”
Classic outlaw rock is around for ages. Imperishable. Why do you think
the genre still appeals to so many people, young and old, around the globe?”
Preston “Miami”: “I think it’s just a timeless genre of music that has changed slightly
over the years, while still keeping the same raw attitude and feel it had in the 60’s.
There’s a classic song or a band out there for anyone.”
Your self-named debut album was released 4 years ago.
No plans yet for a follow-up?
Buck: We have big plans to FINALLY follow up on our self-titled first album. This summer we tracked 4 new songs with the amazing Producer, Ben Erikson, here in Regina. We’ve never been happier with the music we’ve been writing.
We initially cultivated a good relationship with Ben when working on the Rise Up EP with the legendary producer Garth Richardson at The Farm Studios on the Sunshine Coast of B.C. Ben was the chief engineer of that project and we really found a creative spark with him in particular.
At the time we weren’t able to pursue that spark because 1. Our old singer kept us musically in a box that would only meet his musical demands and 2. We were under management and that had also castrated us creatively. I personally feel the Rise Up EP has lots of great qualities but is ultimately over-produced. I find my guitar parts – that I didn’t have a lot of say in – feel very robotic and forced.
Photo Credit: Nicole Malcolm
After exiting our professional relationship with Bandwagon and getting rid of our old singer. All we wanted to do was to chase that great spark that we have with Ben. So in July 2022, we shipped him out to Regina for 10 days and we crushed four new songs with Izzy Lyxx manning the helm of lead vocals and bass. With a new and electrifying feel, sound, and attitude as well as a fresh new drive, these four new songs carved out the future of Dead Levee.
Ben really knew how to extract all of our individual strengths as musicians and gave
us the freedom to forge a sound that for the first time feels like the music I always
wanted to make. Heavier, grittier, less produced and no co-writing (makes everyone
write the same three boring songs).
So we have 4 songs done, including our latest single “Shout”. If you’re familiar with that song, compared to our older stuff, it’s very obvious how much more monstrous this new record will be. It’s going to be called “Big in Japan” and we’ll be tracking the last 4-6 songs
to complete our sophomore LP in 2023.”
One of this year’s singles NOTHING GOOD COMES EASY blew my head off.
Tell me more about the making of/recording of this belter?
Izzy: “Nothing Good Comes Easy was one of those songs that seemed to just take forever
to write and release. It started when we built a relationship with a lead singer and guitarist from a popular band from Australia, and started writing with them. We went out to Toronto for a week and picked apart a bunch of songs we had, unreleased and released.
This led to a lot of back and forth for 2 years before we actually brought it into the studio and when we did, we realized it wasn’t completely finished yet, something was missing. So we went for a drive alongside the ocean, trying to find a hook that captured the essence of the song, ‘Nothing Good Comes Easy’ came to my mind and everyone was in full agreement with the song title and hook. “
The newest piece SHOUT was inspired by a tough, yet funny story. What happened?
Buck: “Mid-June 2022, we had a private event booked near Estevan Sk. Our old singer
was AWOL in Alberta. We double-checked two days prior to the gig that he would make it back in time. He confirmed. The day of the gig we were two hours from unloading the truck and we got word that “the universe intuitively told him to cancel”. The four of us being right p*ssed off and said “screw it”, So we decided to tackle the gig with Izzy taking lead vocals and bass.
During that show, we were short on material so we were jamming a lot of improv music
off the top of our heads. That’s when Ray started doing the flagship riff of “Shout” and we wrote that song right then and there on stage, off the cuff. We ironed it out a bit later before heading to the studio but it changed very little. We then never played a gig with the old singer ever again because we found our sound is better without him and we discovered that being in a traveling Rock n Roll outfit, we don’t need a toxic abusive ego maniac frontman.”
Suppose you could soundtrack a movie with your music, which one would it be?
Preston “Miami”: “I’d like to soundtrack the next Frozen movie or Saw film”
Which artist(s)/band(s) would you love to tour with and why?
Izzy: “I would say a younger, legendary band like ‘The Black Crowes’. They have a similar sound and attitude, so I think that a tour with them would be like controlled chaos. On stage? Pure Armageddon. Off stage? A pint in one hand, a left-handed cigarette in the other.”
The best track and album you heard this year?
Ray: “Papa Was a Rolling Stone (note TUTV: original by The Temptations) by The Black Crowes. The cover they did on the album ‘1972’ shows how good of a band they are. They release a cover album but make it distinctly The Black Crowes.”
If DEAD LEVEE would cover a Xmas song, which one would it be?
Izzy: ‘Jack Frost’ starring Michael Keaton, has got to be one of the best Christmas movies to date. They do an incredible rock rendition of ‘Frosty The Snowman’ with harmonicas and the whole bit. So I’d love to do something similar to that.”
Which song (s) will you play at New Year’s Eve and why?
Preston “Miami”: “I’ll be in Mexico so mariachi music all night long”
Name three things you really want to happen in 2023 for the band?
Izzy: “In 2023, I would love to see Dead Levee join a solid tour as a supporting act for a successful rock band. I would also love to see Dead Levee in the music charts and
I think if we could find the right manager for us, we would be in a perfect spot for 2024.”
Thank you Buck, Izzy, Preston Miami and Ray
fir taking time for this interview.
May the road rise with Dead Levee in 2023.
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