Photo – Down The Barrel Photography
So, what can we expect from the Irish four-piece as we wander into the final few gloomy months of 2019?
Well, the short answer is another kick-arse video/single for a brand new track. Get ready to get pummelled with “Dystopian Complex“.
Check out the new video below:
We caught up with drummer Claire Percival to find out about the new single/video and their plans for the highly-anticipated follow-up to their crushing ‘Throne of Bones‘ release.
OD – Give us the background on “Dystopian Complex” and how the track came to be with regards to the writing process?
CLAIRE – ‘Dystopian Complex‘ was actually in the works for a while. It is a track we demoed last year, and then we had another look at it earlier this year and changed some parts to make it exactly as we wanted it.
OD – There is definitely a new sound emerging within Dead Label’s last few singles, can you talk us through the evolution of the bands sound since ‘Pure Chaos‘ to what you’re writing today?
CLAIRE – I guess with any bands music, it is always evolving. We are always trying to push ourselves and go deeper into our sound. With the addition of Mick (Hynes, Guitars), we are able to explore a lot more with two guitar players. The possibilities are endless now and it is a lot of fun writing.
OD – The video contains a lot of images concerning the current ‘hot topic’ of climate change and general environmental issues. Is this something the band feels strongly about?
CLAIRE – Yes, absolutely. We are not hard core activists but Dan (O’Grady, Bass/Vocals) always writes his lyrics straight from the heart and things that he really matter to him. When something strongly effects him, it generally ends up in the lyrics in the best way. The lyrics led to the imagery in the video, and even though we filmed this in June, the issue of climate change and the state of our planet is becoming increasingly important day after day.
OD – The last time we spoke, there was talk of an album coming out. Are you guys still on track with that and if so, can we expect to see the last few tracks, ‘Pure Chaos‘, ‘False Messiah‘, ‘Triggered‘ and now, ‘Dystopian Complex‘ featured on the LP?
CLAIRE – Yes, the new album is going to be released next Spring. None of the singles we have released will be on the album. The album will be entirely unreleased material. The tracks on the album may have been played once or twice live, but for the most part; it will be completely unheard new material.
We are very excited about it. The singles we released to date are more like blogs, which are meant to hook people in to read our book (listen to the album).
OD – This past Summer saw you perform a selection of very coveted shows which included, Alien Weaponry, Gojira, Boomtown Festival, Metal Days and some dates with Jinjer to name but a few. Can we expect to see you on a some live dates in 2020, or will it be all about recording the album?
© Grupa 13 2019
CLAIRE – Oh if only I could tell you what 2020 has in store. The album will be recorded very early next year. Which leaves lots of time to see us supporting bands and playing festivals.
OD – We spoke of the Gojira shows you did in the UK, how did they come about and do you think that you left an impression on the punters at those UK shows?
CLAIRE – Well, that was something that I don’t think anyone would believe. As it is widely known, we are big Gojira fans. We always hope to support them for any show as they are amazing and their crowd is always amazing.
The band originally set to play those shows was Black Peaks, unfortunately due to illness the band had to pull out. We were very lucky that Gojira and their crew remembered us and got in touch.
When Gojira say can you make it to London to open Brixton Academy, you say yes!
The response we got from the UK Gojira fans was amazing! We didn’t know what to expect as we were not the advertised band, but we actually managed to get pits and a Wall of Chaos at both shows.
OD – Being a band that does things in an independent capacity, do you feel the industry needs to give more independent bands a chance rather than the same old system that gives opportunities just to the bands that are signed to labels?
CLAIRE – This is always tricky. The music business is ever changing and I am sure the people behind the scene are always struggling to find new ways to keep the business alive. Streaming has changed everything. The internet has changed everything. However, if it wasn’t for the internet so many independent bands would never have been heard from either.
There are a lot of people giving independent bands opportunities. The likes of Bloodstock and Metaldays and even Download, give bands without labels fantastic chances. I do hope more festivals and promoters see this and take the time to check out independent bands, as there are some amazing bands out there that are unsigned.
For more information on Dead Label, please visit this link.
Oran O’Beirne
www.overdrive.ie 2019
