Rock band Dead Authors explore the human experience through the medium of music, each track a new story in their sonic anthology by writing songs that weave introspective lyrics with dynamic soundscapes.
To those not familiar with you, how would you describe your sound?
Performing an ever-expanding repertoire – featuring everything from angsty pop-punk anthems, life-affirming folk-rock, melancholy acoustic ballads and tempestuous progressive epics – blending vocal harmonies and instrumental changes to create songs that, while diverse in style, all have Dead Author’s unique character.
Which three albums have influenced you the most creatively?
Jeff Buckley – “Grace”
My Chemical Romance – “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge”
Tom Waits – “Closing Time”
Tell us about the key pieces of equipment that you use to define your sound?
Dead Authors use a traditional back-line of electric and acoustic guitars, electric bass and acoustic drums. Key the sonic aesthetic of Dead Authors lies in fuzz and overdriven guitar tones and an abundant use of delay and modulation that support the spacious dynamic the band possesses.
Is there any “non-musical” ingredient that is essential to crafting your sound?
Music can inspire us in many ways. It’s also true that the conversations we have, the places we go, and the emotions we feel have a direct influence on the music we write. The introspective lyrics we write are at the fore of our sound, documenting the human experience.
Studio work and music creation, or performing and interacting with a live audience, which do you prefer?
Writing, recording and performing are paramount to the band’s creative centre, each containing avenues that sustain our camaraderie and growth as artists.
Though the former offers the band the space to write and develop new material and explore recording techniques in a safe and free environment, the most favourable and important place for the band to be is on stage where the previously guarded becomes vulnerable.
What has been your most memorable performance so far?
We have had some really sweet performances over the last few years in various cities, most recently a notable performance in Winchester at The Railway Inn on a bill of bands including headliners One Dead Thief. The band received admirable feedback from a very gracious audience. If at any show we play, we reach at least one person who tells us that they found something in our music, then we are reassured in our commitment to carry on. Of course, more than one is always better.
If you could collaborate with, or perform alongside any artist, who would it be? And why?
There is a colossal list of artists and producers the band could dream of working with, but for now a list of the most recently played artists we have been listening to include:
Reuben (Pop Punk/Rock)
Weezer (Alt Rock)
My Chemical Romance (Pop Punk/Rock)
Car Seat Head Rest (Indie/Lo-Fi)
City and Colour (Acoustic/Alt Rock)
The Cure (Alt Rock/Indie)
If you weren’t a musician what would you be?
If any of the members weren’t musicians, it’s doubtful anything we would do otherwise wouldn’t come under the umbrella of ‘creatives’. We instead could become writers, painters, photographers or designers.
Trent Reznor once said “To me, rock music was never meant to be safe. I think there needs to be an element of intrigue, mystery, subversiveness. Your parents should hate it.” What are your thoughts on this statement?
I think the wonderful thing about music, is that it’s there for us to write our own definitions about what it means to us.
Artists, all types included, create and contribute their work as either personal expression, or to share with an audience. It becomes an exercise in vulnerability. It is put out there in the hopes we might reach others with our own message. These messages can be a celebration, an expression of torment, open to interpretation or just plain nonsense.
To quote Hank Moody, ‘Fly it up the flagpole and see who salutes’
Tell us about any upcoming shows or releases you have in the pipeline.
Portsmouth (UK) based alternative rock act Dead Authors release the second single off their forthcoming album “Between The Ocean And The Sky”. Dealing with themes of anxiety and connection to the soundtrack of a rock anthem brimming with energy and angst. Following from their September 2019 release ‘Spinning’. ‘Honesty’ will be available on all major platforms on February 26th 2020.
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