We're back with another Band of the Week! Hard to believe we've already done 15 of these. This week we're pumped to be featuring the band Dead Words! Check out our interview with them below!
HU: First off, it's great to talk to you guys. Thanks for taking the time. For those who don’t know, who is Dead Words?
DW: Dead Words started in 2011 in Fort Worth, TX out of the ashes of another band. We started out playing music heavily influenced by the likes of Title Fight, The Wonder Years, The Story So Far, etc and jumped straight into touring almost full time. That much time on the road can take a toll and we lost some folks along the way. Finally in 2013/2014, Garrett decided he was going to start playing guitar and singing and we were going to shift to a more Green Day, NOFX, Ramones, etc. influenced sound. We took some time to write new stuff and hit the road again as soon as we could. Our sound has morphed into something a little more fluid between punk subgenres that we have lovingly dubbed "dirty pop". As it stands now Dead Words is Garrett, Clayton, Blake, and JP alongside our extended family made up of past members and fill ins and all of the people who come out to shows and dance and sing with us. We just like to party with our friends.
HU: Where’d the name come from?
DW: I wish I had a better answer for this but I misread a twitter handle and thought this girls name was dedwards and thought Dead Words sounded cool. haha
HU: Could you choose a favorite show you've played?
DW: Oh gosh. That's tough. My (Garrett) personal favorite would be a tie between the last (and first) time we played Alien Ghost House in Dublin, TX because those kids went OFF - hands down the best crowd and most fun I've had playing probably ever, or playing BraceFace house in Maryland with BraceFace and Uncle Spudd on our tour with Uncle Spudd. It was a sick basement show with two of our best friend bands and we all had a bit more to drink than normal. It was just a solid kick back honestly. Best tour was our first one with Blake through the Midwest in 2018.
HU: Being in a band myself, I hate this question, but fans always like to hear the answer. Who would you say are some of Dead Words musical influences?
DW: We are all over the place with this one. Green Day, Ramones, Weezer, Red City Radio, Steve Earle, Jason Isbell, The 1975, Cheap Trick, Rod Stewart, Big D and The Kids Table. Our writing influences seriously range from punk to country to emo to 80's powerpop to the 90's grunge bands to metal and hardcore. We love music and we try and pull from the songs and artists we love regardless of "genre".
Dead Words - Ghost Town
HU: What's your favorite and least favorite thing about being a part of the DFW music scene?
DW: Hmmmmmm. That's a loaded question. Our favorite part of the DFW scene is Three Links. Greatest bar/venue in the world. Our least favorite is probably scene politics, but I'm thinking that will look very different post COVID.
HU: Who is a band that you've met through playing shows that we should all be listening to right now?
DW: Uncle Spudd, BraceFace, and Sarchasm. Best buds. Best bands.
HU: How have you guys been handling the COVID-19 shutdown?
DW: All very differently. A couple of us had to work through the initial quarantine times and a couple stayed at home. We didn't practice for like 5 months. Now we are just trying to finish up and execute a lot of our lockdown ideas now that we can be together a little more.
HU: If you could have Dead Words be direct support on tour for any band, who would it be?
DW: I think everyone would answer differently but for me, Garrett, I would have to say Green Day 100%. That would be a dream come true.
HU: Do you guys have a favorite song to perform live? Is there a fan favorite live?
DW: This one I can answer with full confidence, it's a song we haven't recorded or released yet called "Zoo". We've been playing it live for a while and it's the most fun for us to play and the most requested at shows.
HU: Anything new coming up for Dead Words?
DW: Music videos coming soon. A few singles in the next few months. Some digital and live stream gigs, hopefully. We are also finishing up the writing on a new EP and Full Length, and we hope to be in the studio real soon to record those!!
Well there you have it, Dead Words! Make sure to follow these guys stay in the loop about new music, live streams, music videos, etc. And as always. make sure to follow the Havoc Underground FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM for posts on new articles!
Dead Words - Kingsley