Dead To Me

After the Gimmees interview I hurried off the bus to do an interview with Fat Wreck Chord new comer’s Dead To Me, who play a smooth, melodic, old school guitar driven music; with a seamless contrasting duel vocal exchange that keeps their Cuban Ballerina release sounding fresh listen after listen.

Dead To Me came together as a way for vocalist, bass player, and main lyricist Chicken to keep himself focused by playing music with friends after successfully completing a stint in rehab for drug and alcohol abuse. The ban is comprised of former One Man Army member’s Jack and Brandon, Chicken who also plays in Western Addiction, and his cousin Ian plays the drums (so hard he breaks sticks in half, trust me I saw it happen).

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Lanny: So let’s start with a brief introduction, and history of the band.
Chicken: Dead To Me formed in 2003, I just got out of rehab, and I was looking for something to do to stay out of trouble. I then met up with my friend Brandon, who played drums in One Man Army, and we started playing music together for something to do, and to keep out of trouble while staying busy. We then started writing some songs which were sounding really good, so Brandon mentioned this kid Jack that he used to play in a band with, and I knew who he was talking about, so I said yes you better give him a call, and get him down here right away, because it would be fun to be in a band with him. So Jack came down, and we wrote more songs. It was still just for fun at that point, and about a year and a half later we got my cousin Ian to come play drums with us, and we became more serious after that, so here we are now in Toronto!

Lanny: When did you realize Dead to Me had become more serious than just jamming for fun?
Chicken: Well I hope it is always fun, you know. We started playing shows right away, and there were always a lot of people there, so we were like this is great. As more people came we got more excited about it. I have always been in punk bands, but this one is kind of like my baby. I am real proud of it.

Lanny: As the lyrics for Cuban ballerina were being written, was your pen able to keep up your ideas? 
Chicken: Actually my favorite songs on the record came the easiest. They came out really fast, and they just kind of happened. Without sounding really cheesy, that guy Elliott Smith said that everyone has an invisible antenna on their head with all these ideas, and creative energy floating around, and certain artists or certain people’s antenna’s are sharper than others, and at a certain point in your life your antenna becomes a little sharper, and I was certainly a lot more clear coming out of rehab. So ya, I think my antenna was really sharp when I wrote this record. I don’t ever sit down and try to write a song, because it just kind of happens. I don’t choose it, it kind of chooses me. I know it sounds kind of self important, and I hope it doesn’t come across that way.

Lanny: I recently read somewhere that chicken has impregnated a member of strike anywhere? Any updates on that???
Chicken: Well thanks for opening that wound, but the drummer Eric he actually miscarried man! So thanks again for opening that wound.
Lanny: Oh I am terribly sorry man.
Chicken: He was a fantastic lover and he carried my child for almost a whole term, but it didn’t work out man! He is on tour he has been partying and drinking, and I think that is why he miscarried.
Lanny: Maybe you guys can do like a BYO split or something to commemorate the baby’s life.
Chicken: Maybe we could do something like that to commemorate mine and Eric’s baby,that would be fantastic!