Deadcuts only formed in 2012 but they have a musical pedigree to rival any other band out there. The members are well known from their time in bands like Senseless Things, The Wonderstuff, Jolt, The Skuzzies, The Wildhearts, Queen Adreena, Miranda Sex Garden and more! Their album “Dark Is The Night” is out now and a cracking listen it is too. I was able to throw a few questions to Jerome Alexandre and find out a bit more about Deadcuts…
Hi Jerome, thanks for chatting with us, your album “Dark Is The Night” is out now, can you tell us a little bit about it in your own words please? And are there any central themes running through this album?
All I really remember was how unwell we all were whilst making it… like throwing up blood unwell, we were all really burned out not so much from partying but because we’d often be recording and then gigging at night we really pushed ourselves ridiculously hard. Two of the four of us were kicked out of our homes, staying on peoples couches and then going to record… it was like some sort of military exercise. You’d wake up feeling like you were at deaths door and somehow get to the studio. Lots of strange stuff went on too for instance we were recording the track “Floods” and during a break I switched the television on and there was breaking news revealing that a large section of The West Midlands was under water! I began to feel like my sanity was being fucked with in a big way. Another incident was during a smoking break mark and I witnessed a young woman walking on the rail tracks opposite our studio, so I yelled at her to get off as there was a train due any second – she starred at me vacantly and carried on walking and we saw a train go by and assumed she’d got off the track. Later that night we went to get the train home and saw that the station had been closed “due to unforeseen circumstances”… we later found out from the guy who works the ticket office that a girl had thrown herself in front of a train. If there’s a central theme then it’s that of struggle… Marks lyrics are like prayers – and in that sense they’re uplifting because beneath all the despair there is a strong subconscious urge to survive.
Have you been pleased with the feedback received on it?
The reaction has been over whelming, a lot of people seem to really connect with this album. I just can’t wait for them to hear the next one. Every review has been great – particularly the Louder than War review because I could tell the reviewer had really listened to the album and the only criticism was a fair criticism which was that they’d wished some of the songs had been a little longer – which is no bad thing. I liked the Disinfo review too – Thad Mcracken totally gets what were about.
Deadcuts is somewhat of a super group, how did the band get together in the first place?
That’s an incredibly nice thing to say, I do think the four of us have something special but it can be volatile at times. Deadcuts was formed on the first full moon of 2012, Mark Keds and I had known each other for years, after forming a few ideas we went into the now defunct infamous Fortress Studio and by the third rehearsal it all fell into place. Trevor Sharpe Joined later that year and the rest is as they say… History.
How do you find the time to play in Deadcuts as well?
Do you mean do I have a day job? Absolutely not! I did try it many years ago and almost ended up in the loony bin. Gigging at night to return home at 3am to then be up for 6? No thanks. Being creative is really the only think I’m good at. It’s important to understand one’s limitations in the order of things. Like the man next doors dreams of being onstage playing guitar whilst fixing his car, but I wouldn’t even know how to drive his car, yet alone fix it.
Has the experience of all your other bands made it easier or harder to work in Deadcuts? Is there much of a clash with ideas when it comes to the song writing process?
It’s instantaneous, that’s when you know you’ve got something kinda special. Four musicians that don’t need to tell each other what to play, I’d never had that before. It’s the same when Mark and I write songs, we have it in seconds. I don’t mean to put my past projects down but nothing really compares to this, things move quickly. I mean I’ve learnt to work harder and push myself to the limit regarding song-writing as everyone in this band has very high standards. In a way it’s like being at the unit I got sent to for juvenile delinquents except we’re trusted to roam amongst the populace. As for writing it’s instantaneous, Mark and I write the songs and then we take it to the group.
The music itself seems darker than what I expected when I picked the LP up, I guess only cause I knew of your previous bands. How would you describe your sound to those who are yet to hear Deadcuts?
Really? With a name like Deadcuts you thought it might be suited to the easy listening section? 😉
What bands have influenced you personally and also the Deadcuts sound?
A real crossover – a hell of a lot of Post Punk. I really like John McGeough and Bobby Beausolel’s otherworldly guitar playing. I like sounds that are dramatic and cinematic, Rev Wayne D Love of Alabama 3 told me he thought my guitar sounded like a Mellotrain at times…I like the idea of that.
The album is out on vinyl as well, is it quite important to you to have it released on vinyl?
I used to think it was some golden myth that vinyl sounds better, but in the case of “Dark Is The Night” it’s the truth. The test was hearing it for the first time after we’d played our album launch at the Macbeth in Mark Keds’s front room and I suddenly heard a whole different dimension there…plus the album’s a great aphrodisiac, I recommend making love to it. I remember in the very early days of the group we had a potential manager take us aside once and saying “no one sells record anymore”. And perhaps they don’t sell like they used to but the vinyl seems to be the favourite method for our fans.
Do you still feel the CD plays an important role?
I don’t understand people who download an album and don’t want the physical products. At least with a CD you get a booklet and the lyrics, with downloads there’s no personal exchange.
How do you deal with the whole downloading and file sharing issue?
I pretend it doesn’t exist ha ha! No, I mean it somebody wants to download the album that’s cool but we actually shift more vinyl which is great. I mean can you imagine a priest downloading a PDF of a bible? Or a magician reading an invocation from an iPad? There would be no personal interaction. With a vinyl or a CD you can see what the group is about, their artwork etc.
Do you feel that a lot of people come to see the band because of the previous bands you were all in?
Not really, there’s the odd fans who have followed our old bands but for the most part this audience have come to the band without prior knowledge of our past. Besides, I can’t really picture someone coming to our gig and requesting “Too Much Kissing” or “Size Of A Cow”, they’re aware that Deadcuts are a separate entity.
And how would you describe a Deadcuts live set?
We played in Leicester a few weeks ago and somebody came up to me and told me it was like watching an Exorcism. Our audience are perfect because they totally get it – there’s a line in the track “Kill Desire” that goes “I’m as fucked as you” and I feel fortunate that I can look at the audience and say that with conviction. So may groups often feel they’ve no connection to their audience or that they simply can’t comprehend what they’re writing about… we’re writing songs for those who are at odds with everything and who can’t help but be on the outside.
What have you currently got in the pipeline? Is there a second album in the works at all?
In many ways we’ve just started, we want to make a new record and more videos. I’d like to return to France again, I absolutely love playing there. We kind of owe that to Peter Doherty who has had us open for him out there quite a lot (we also did a few dates on the Babyshambles “sequel to a prequel” tour). He likes a merry knees up with his mates and as a result we now have a lot of French fans. A European tour is on the cards and perhaps a brisk American East Coast jaunt would be nice with some more festivals.
Are there any bands out there you’d recommend our readers check out?
Nothing brand new. A friend of mine played me Ryan Gosling’s band “Dead Mans Bones” at 5 in morning when the sun was just about to come up which seemed to be the best time to here ‘em. I’m constantly impressed by “The Fat White Family”, our bassist (Mark) lived in the Old Queen’s Head above their rehearsal room. I was fortunate to join them onstage at one of their gigs. “The Wytches” are pretty cool and I like “Odd Future” and “Kane Grocerys”.
Are there any final words you’d like to leave us with?
I think I’ve said far too much already! Thanks, all the best, J x
Massive thanks for taking time out for us, we do appreciate. One last thing, if we were off to the bar, what would the band order?
Mark K and I will probably just have cokes as we don’t really drink anymore, Mark McCarthy likes his ales and Trevor is a wine/whiskey.
Jerome chatted to Mr. T (June 2015). Interview also available in Issue 33 of Lights Go Out.
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