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| New Band Up North: Dead Sons | New Band Up North: Dead Sons |
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| Loud, heavy, dirty riffs seductively weave in and out of sexy yet menacing melodies to create sleazy, desert rock that makes you want to drink a decent whisky, grow a beard and rock out. | Loud, heavy, dirty riffs seductively weave in and out of sexy yet menacing melodies to create sleazy, desert rock that makes you want to drink a decent whisky, grow a beard and rock out. |
| The Sheffield five-piece Dead Sons have been making waves in the Steel City for a while now and hope their debut album The Hollers and The Hymns, out next Monday, will break them into the mainstream. They've already achieved chart success in Turkey, climbing to number 2, and they performed in front of 10,000 people when they supported Arctic Monkeys at Don Valley Bowl last year. | The Sheffield five-piece Dead Sons have been making waves in the Steel City for a while now and hope their debut album The Hollers and The Hymns, out next Monday, will break them into the mainstream. They've already achieved chart success in Turkey, climbing to number 2, and they performed in front of 10,000 people when they supported Arctic Monkeys at Don Valley Bowl last year. |
| Two members, Tom Rowley and Joe Green, were in the band Milburn and then became a three-piece with bassist Ryan Sellars. After that they became mates with Mathew 'Bernie' Byrne and Luke Baker and everything "just clicked", says Byrne. They started writing, coming up with loads of ideas and having a lot of fun. | Two members, Tom Rowley and Joe Green, were in the band Milburn and then became a three-piece with bassist Ryan Sellars. After that they became mates with Mathew 'Bernie' Byrne and Luke Baker and everything "just clicked", says Byrne. They started writing, coming up with loads of ideas and having a lot of fun. |
| Byrne is an all-rounder, playing percussion, guitar, singing on tracks and hitting marimbas every now and then. He says their debut "reflects [their] three year journey" together. When asked why it has taken so long to release it, he explains: | Byrne is an all-rounder, playing percussion, guitar, singing on tracks and hitting marimbas every now and then. He says their debut "reflects [their] three year journey" together. When asked why it has taken so long to release it, he explains: |
| It took us a good two years to really hone our sound in and to get where we wanted to be as a band. As it's our first album we wanted to make sure we put what we think is our best stuff out there. We're unbelievable excited. No sleep excited! We're desperate to get it out. | It took us a good two years to really hone our sound in and to get where we wanted to be as a band. As it's our first album we wanted to make sure we put what we think is our best stuff out there. We're unbelievable excited. No sleep excited! We're desperate to get it out. |
| Dead Sons do have a softer side. Especially when it comes to their love for the city they grew up in. "It's a little village with great heritage musically and historically. It's just beautiful." This soppiness seeps into the new record but not in a cheesy way. There are a few ballads on there and the penultimate track, 'The Hollers and The Hymns', delicately starts with piano and splashes of cymbals, which tease and flirt with our ears. You know the mighty noise is coming, but when? The song builds up and up until suddenly it explodes into a giant uproar reverberating through your ears and pounding into your body. | Dead Sons do have a softer side. Especially when it comes to their love for the city they grew up in. "It's a little village with great heritage musically and historically. It's just beautiful." This soppiness seeps into the new record but not in a cheesy way. There are a few ballads on there and the penultimate track, 'The Hollers and The Hymns', delicately starts with piano and splashes of cymbals, which tease and flirt with our ears. You know the mighty noise is coming, but when? The song builds up and up until suddenly it explodes into a giant uproar reverberating through your ears and pounding into your body. |
| "It was mind blowing" | "It was mind blowing" |
| Playing in a venue full of empty seats seems a little strange for a rock band who want to make lots of noise to excitable, sweaty fans, yet "to be on such a big stage in front of nobody, in a way, felt quite right. We really got into it and didn't want to leave. It was mind blowing." | Playing in a venue full of empty seats seems a little strange for a rock band who want to make lots of noise to excitable, sweaty fans, yet "to be on such a big stage in front of nobody, in a way, felt quite right. We really got into it and didn't want to leave. It was mind blowing." |
| Despite loving every song on the album including the softer ones, they confess "the older we get the heavier we're getting. When we released our first couple of tracks, some were really soft ballads. We all thought we needed to get away from that. Even though we enjoyed playing them... we just thought they weren't really us." | Despite loving every song on the album including the softer ones, they confess "the older we get the heavier we're getting. When we released our first couple of tracks, some were really soft ballads. We all thought we needed to get away from that. Even though we enjoyed playing them... we just thought they weren't really us." |
| So we can expect to see a much heavier sound coming from Dead Sons in the future. The opening track from the new record is Ghost Train (video below). Immediately we know we're in for a massive rock and roll treat as the growing reverb of the guitars crashes into the perfectly pounding heavy drum beat. If that wasn't enough to get you into the record, you're then impressed by their harmonies. Making you want to sing along, stamp your feet and shake your head, wishing you were as cool as they are. | So we can expect to see a much heavier sound coming from Dead Sons in the future. The opening track from the new record is Ghost Train (video below). Immediately we know we're in for a massive rock and roll treat as the growing reverb of the guitars crashes into the perfectly pounding heavy drum beat. If that wasn't enough to get you into the record, you're then impressed by their harmonies. Making you want to sing along, stamp your feet and shake your head, wishing you were as cool as they are. |
| "We have a reyt good time" | "We have a reyt good time" |
| With this album preview vid Dead Sons wanted to show people they have a laugh and love what they do: "We're all best mates and we have a reyt good time and we want everyone to see how much fun we have and come have fun with us." After watching the video you get the urge to grab your leather jacket, head out to a smoke filled bar, full of beardy men and sexy women, get drunk and jump around. | With this album preview vid Dead Sons wanted to show people they have a laugh and love what they do: "We're all best mates and we have a reyt good time and we want everyone to see how much fun we have and come have fun with us." After watching the video you get the urge to grab your leather jacket, head out to a smoke filled bar, full of beardy men and sexy women, get drunk and jump around. |
| So being from Sheffield, singing in Sheffield accents and making rock music means they'll undoubtedly get compared to Arctic Monkeys. Does this annoy them? | So being from Sheffield, singing in Sheffield accents and making rock music means they'll undoubtedly get compared to Arctic Monkeys. Does this annoy them? |
| "Not anymore. I mean being compared to arguably one of the biggest rock and roll bands in the world right now is not a bad thing is it? They're good friends of ours. I don't think we take influence from them and nor do they take influence from us. I think if we were from a different city we wouldn't get that comparison as much." | "Not anymore. I mean being compared to arguably one of the biggest rock and roll bands in the world right now is not a bad thing is it? They're good friends of ours. I don't think we take influence from them and nor do they take influence from us. I think if we were from a different city we wouldn't get that comparison as much." |
| Dead Sons are not another Arctic Monkeys. They're making music that's darker, more sinister and heavier. But as Byrne says there's no shame in being compared to a great band. Performing on the same stage as them last year was a "dream come true" and being on a bigger platform "really suited our sound". | Dead Sons are not another Arctic Monkeys. They're making music that's darker, more sinister and heavier. But as Byrne says there's no shame in being compared to a great band. Performing on the same stage as them last year was a "dream come true" and being on a bigger platform "really suited our sound". |
| Looks like they won't be moving any time soon as they've built their own studio in the industrial quarter of Sheffield, which is apparently "surrounded by factories and brothels. It's quite a fitting environment for our music," says Byrne. | Looks like they won't be moving any time soon as they've built their own studio in the industrial quarter of Sheffield, which is apparently "surrounded by factories and brothels. It's quite a fitting environment for our music," says Byrne. |
| Touring and having an album on its way out is already making Dead Sons pinch themselves. They aren't rushing to 'make it' big. They just want to let the music be made naturally and enjoy being in the band for as long as possible. | Touring and having an album on its way out is already making Dead Sons pinch themselves. They aren't rushing to 'make it' big. They just want to let the music be made naturally and enjoy being in the band for as long as possible. |
| The minute they get back from tour they're heading straight into the studio to record their second album, which they want to put out by the end of this year. So putting out two albums in one year is ambitious, but I'm very excited especially as they've promised me "it's going to be sexy. Very sexy." | The minute they get back from tour they're heading straight into the studio to record their second album, which they want to put out by the end of this year. So putting out two albums in one year is ambitious, but I'm very excited especially as they've promised me "it's going to be sexy. Very sexy." |
| The debut album from Dead Sons comes out on 18th February 2013. For tour details head to www.deadsons.co.uk. Apparently, their live shows consist of "top offs and no talking ... let the music speak for itself." | The debut album from Dead Sons comes out on 18th February 2013. For tour details head to www.deadsons.co.uk. Apparently, their live shows consist of "top offs and no talking ... let the music speak for itself." |
| Emily Brinnand is a freelance journalist, radio presenter and producer. You can listen to her show Mixtape every Tuesday evening at 6pm on Sheffield Live! 93.2FM or follow her on Twitter @EmilyBrinnand | Emily Brinnand is a freelance journalist, radio presenter and producer. You can listen to her show Mixtape every Tuesday evening at 6pm on Sheffield Live! 93.2FM or follow her on Twitter @EmilyBrinnand |
| If you're in a northern band, Emily wants to hear from you so please Tweet her links to your music. | If you're in a northern band, Emily wants to hear from you so please Tweet her links to your music. |
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