Vancouver area grunge punks Dead Soft are finally set to follow their self-titled album with the New Emotion EP through Arts & Crafts. Ahead of the full release, Exclaim! is proud to premiere the video for their new single "Down."
A collection of playful VHS visuals, the clip sees Dead Soft founders Nathaniel Epp and Keeley Rochon spend some quality time with their new bandmates Kyle Schick and Alex Smith. Most importantly, it draws attention to the impossibly hooky song, which might be the band's best work yet.
We caught up with Keeley to find out what's new with Dead Soft. Watch the video, read our interview and peruse Dead Soft's tour dates below. New Emotion arrives on October 5 via Arts & Crafts.
How has the dynamic of the band changed since adding new members?
After being in a three-piece and touring incessantly for several years, the change-up brought a ton of energy and good humour into the band at a time when we really needed it. We always thought we were going to be a power trio until death did us part, but it turns out adding a fourth was the key to our musical evolution — not to mention the fact that we are even louder now!
Personally for you as a bassist, has it made a difference to have an extra person involved?
I think that getting another person in the mix allows each member to relax a little more in general. As the bassist in a three piece I found I was constantly trying to find ways to fill sonic space as much as I could during guitar solos or more complicated riffs, but now I can loosen up ever so slightly and focus more on singing and interacting with my bandmates on stage.
You guys live in the middle of nowhere compared to most Vancouver-adjacent people. Does living in Gabriola Island impact your music at all?
Living in the woods has definitely provided us with the immense privilege of privacy and space. After living in a great many shitty, rat-infested Vancouver apartments, the fact that we were able to record the vast majority of this EP in our living room and shoot a music video in our front yard feels like nothing short of a miracle.
Tell me about the "Down" video. What was the idea, who directed it, how did it all come together?
We shot and edited this video completely on our own! Kyle and Alex had come to the cabin to hang out for the weekend, we were messing around with a recently acquired VHS camera and decided we should try to make a music video. It was one of the most fun days of the entire summer. I really love how it captures us in our element — eating, drinking, being merry, and acting like total freaks!
Tour dates:
10/19 Bellingham, WA - The Shakedown
10/21 Fort Collins, CO - Surfside
10/24 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Tavern #
10/25 Detroit, MI - DIME Underground #
10/26 Chicago, IL - Cobra Lounge #
10/27 Madison, WI - Freak Fest #
10/28 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry #
10/30 Winnipeg, MB - The Good Will #
10/31 Saskatoon, SK - Amigo's Cantina #
11/01 Edmonton, AB - Starlite Room - Temple #
11/02 Calgary, AB - Commonwealth Bar & Stage #
11/03 Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Cabaret #
11/04 Victoria, BC - Lucky Bar #
11/06 Seattle, WA - El Corazon - The Funhouse #
11/07 Portland, OR - Holocene #
11/09 San Francisco, CA - Hotel Utah #
11/10 Los Angeles, CA - THe Echo #
11/11 Phoenix, AZ - The Rebel Lounge #
11/13 Austin, TX - Barracuda #
11/14 Dallas, TX - Three Links #
11/15 New Orleans, LA - Santos #
11/16 Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade - Purgatory #
11/17 Nashville, TN - The End #
11/18 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 #
11/19 Washington, DC - DC9 #
11/21 Philadelphia, PA - Voltage Lounge #
11/23 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge #
11/24 Boston, MA - Middle East - Middle East Upstairs #
11/26 Quebec City, QC - L'Anti Bar & Spectacles #
11/27 Montreal QC - L'Escogriffe #
11/28 Ottawa, ON - Babylon #
11/29 Kitchener, ON - Wax Night Club #
11/30 London, ON - London Music Hall #
12/01 Toronto, ON - The Opera House #
12/02 Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe
12/03 Louisville, KY - Mag Bar
12/06 Kansas City, MO - Minibar
12/07 Denver, CO - Streets Of London
12/08 Salt Lake City, UT - Gold Blood Collective
# with the Dirty Nil
A collection of playful VHS visuals, the clip sees Dead Soft founders Nathaniel Epp and Keeley Rochon spend some quality time with their new bandmates Kyle Schick and Alex Smith. Most importantly, it draws attention to the impossibly hooky song, which might be the band's best work yet.
We caught up with Keeley to find out what's new with Dead Soft. Watch the video, read our interview and peruse Dead Soft's tour dates below. New Emotion arrives on October 5 via Arts & Crafts.
How has the dynamic of the band changed since adding new members?
After being in a three-piece and touring incessantly for several years, the change-up brought a ton of energy and good humour into the band at a time when we really needed it. We always thought we were going to be a power trio until death did us part, but it turns out adding a fourth was the key to our musical evolution — not to mention the fact that we are even louder now!
Personally for you as a bassist, has it made a difference to have an extra person involved?
I think that getting another person in the mix allows each member to relax a little more in general. As the bassist in a three piece I found I was constantly trying to find ways to fill sonic space as much as I could during guitar solos or more complicated riffs, but now I can loosen up ever so slightly and focus more on singing and interacting with my bandmates on stage.
You guys live in the middle of nowhere compared to most Vancouver-adjacent people. Does living in Gabriola Island impact your music at all?
Living in the woods has definitely provided us with the immense privilege of privacy and space. After living in a great many shitty, rat-infested Vancouver apartments, the fact that we were able to record the vast majority of this EP in our living room and shoot a music video in our front yard feels like nothing short of a miracle.
Tell me about the "Down" video. What was the idea, who directed it, how did it all come together?
We shot and edited this video completely on our own! Kyle and Alex had come to the cabin to hang out for the weekend, we were messing around with a recently acquired VHS camera and decided we should try to make a music video. It was one of the most fun days of the entire summer. I really love how it captures us in our element — eating, drinking, being merry, and acting like total freaks!
Tour dates:
10/19 Bellingham, WA - The Shakedown
10/21 Fort Collins, CO - Surfside
10/24 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Tavern #
10/25 Detroit, MI - DIME Underground #
10/26 Chicago, IL - Cobra Lounge #
10/27 Madison, WI - Freak Fest #
10/28 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry #
10/30 Winnipeg, MB - The Good Will #
10/31 Saskatoon, SK - Amigo's Cantina #
11/01 Edmonton, AB - Starlite Room - Temple #
11/02 Calgary, AB - Commonwealth Bar & Stage #
11/03 Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Cabaret #
11/04 Victoria, BC - Lucky Bar #
11/06 Seattle, WA - El Corazon - The Funhouse #
11/07 Portland, OR - Holocene #
11/09 San Francisco, CA - Hotel Utah #
11/10 Los Angeles, CA - THe Echo #
11/11 Phoenix, AZ - The Rebel Lounge #
11/13 Austin, TX - Barracuda #
11/14 Dallas, TX - Three Links #
11/15 New Orleans, LA - Santos #
11/16 Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade - Purgatory #
11/17 Nashville, TN - The End #
11/18 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 #
11/19 Washington, DC - DC9 #
11/21 Philadelphia, PA - Voltage Lounge #
11/23 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge #
11/24 Boston, MA - Middle East - Middle East Upstairs #
11/26 Quebec City, QC - L'Anti Bar & Spectacles #
11/27 Montreal QC - L'Escogriffe #
11/28 Ottawa, ON - Babylon #
11/29 Kitchener, ON - Wax Night Club #
11/30 London, ON - London Music Hall #
12/01 Toronto, ON - The Opera House #
12/02 Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe
12/03 Louisville, KY - Mag Bar
12/06 Kansas City, MO - Minibar
12/07 Denver, CO - Streets Of London
12/08 Salt Lake City, UT - Gold Blood Collective
# with the Dirty Nil
