DMDR talk queerscene ukeleles, toxic masculinity & the pressures of Hollywood ๐Ÿ”ช

‘We just wanted to make something fucked up & ugly & ever changing. There’s a lot of baggage that comes with us, but it’s like Louis Vuitton baggage; you always want it. ‘

๐Ÿ’– You guys are one hell of a fucking presence – how did the project get started & what can audiences expect from one of your shows?

Zak: We all got together to create queer HEAVY music!

Like, I love the queer scene but most people’s definition of a heavy band usually involves a ukelele & thatโ€™s heavy in a different way . . .

We just wanted to make something fucked up & ugly & ever changing & really heavy. & intense, as that seems to be the main take away from our showsโ€ฆ Intense. 

KK: I am so stereotyped into being this Hollywood girl.

My mom & I had the same vision, & we want the same things. We would always make a goal list every year. I am hands-on in any project that I am associated with.

I just don’t want to put my face or name & lend it to a product that I’m not behind a hundred percent.

I’m the true definition of a workaholic.

I am so stereotyped into being this Hollywood girl.

๐Ÿ’– What inspires your music/what is the creation process?

KK: I think each shoot has a different personality.

If you put that effort in, youโ€™ll get what you want.

There’s a lot of baggage that comes with us, but it’s like Louis Vuitton baggage; you always want it.

I only just started wearing underwear a month ago. & I never used to wear underwear it until then. In recent years, I’m like too cool for duck face, so that doesn’t happen.

Zak: What Kim said.

There’s a lot of baggage that comes with us, but it’s like Louis Vuitton baggage; you always want it.

๐Ÿ’– I know youโ€™ve done some pretty creative stage shows in the past, whatโ€™s the most theatrical performance youโ€™ve ever put on?

Zak: I definitely think the Bentfest: A Deflowering was the prime!

We drowned our best pal Mike (from Mr Lizard & my old band Georgia Asphalt among many others) in pink slime whilst he was nearly naked & showing off his muscles.

We killed toxic masculinity & masc4masc (well theyโ€™re pretty much the same) for ยฃ17.99s worth of pink slime & some riffs. Who knew!?

We killed toxic masculinity & masc4masc for ยฃ17.99s worth of pink slime & some riffs

KK: What gave me the right to think I could be a singer? Well a bear can juggle & stand on a ball & heโ€™s talented. But heโ€™s not famous, you know what I mean?

๐Ÿ’– Aesthetically you tend to work around concepts rather than individual images. How does that come about?

KK: I like nudity! (_!_)

๐Ÿ’– When you’re not doing band stuff what do you get up to? / What other projects do you all work on?

Zak: We all work on a range of projects & stuff!

James has a GAZILLION noise projects & theyโ€™re sick as fucccck so ask him about them & check them out.

Mina has written a novel, & is someway through the second already? Ask them about Yugoslavia!

Oh & Iโ€™m in a shit tonne of bands (Brazen Hussy, Cecilia, Do Me Daddy, Elsie Dominator to name a few) & organise gigs & shit.

KK: Kowabunga dudettes. I’m so pumped to be on this surfing kick. Who else surfs out there? Gnarly day in the h2o. Ridin waves! ๐Ÿค™๐ŸŒŠ

๐Ÿ’– Having a name like Dead Men Donโ€™t Rape weโ€™re pretty clued up on your feminism already. But more concretely, what change do you hope to see come about through projects like this?

Zak: Given that we have a 1 30 minute long song with minimal audible vocals & no stage interaction with the audience!, if we see a change, it is more the showing people that you can be part of marginalised communities & create whatever kinda art you wanna create.

Most of the time we play itโ€™s semi-improvised, which I never thought Iโ€™d be able to do, its really fucking heavy & intense, but still fun!

We donโ€™t have the time/space to give speeches etc so if there is change (other than everyone telling us to stop!) coming from this band itโ€™s about showing womxn/queers/POC/disabled people & any marginalised groups that are typically shut out of โ€œheavyโ€ music scenes, that fuck โ€˜em, go do it & do it your way! More queerdos, less beardos.

KK: If I feel something, it’s how I feel.

I never say, ‘I feel this way, so you should feel that way.’ Not that there’s anything wrong with it, but I just am who I am.

But, yeah. I think you would call me a feminist.

I’m not trying to influence anyone else; I’m not saying, ‘Do what I do.’ I think it’s a little pretentious to say, ‘I’m a role model’; I would never say that, & I don’t think of myself that way.

I’m just really supportive of everyone – even though I believe that things should be equal – people have different circumstances in their lives that have taught them to be who they are.

Even if I don’t agree with them, I don’t judge them. I’m a really non-judgmental person.

If we see a change, it is more the showing people that you can be part of marginalised communities & create whatever kinda art you wanna create. More queerdos, less beardos.

๐Ÿ’– When can we expect to see some recordings from you guys? Do you have anything like that in the pipeline?

KK: I love to eat – Kit Kats or cookies-&-cream ice cream. I need sugar like five times a day.

Zak: Ermโ€ฆ Maybe? So far we are kinda enjoying just recording live & releasing them on the bandcamp, but something more concrete may come out in the futureโ€ฆ.

๐Ÿ’– What’s next for you guys?

Zak: Erm play some shows!

Very excited for the Galentines one this Friday. We love playing & weโ€™re very much a โ€œlive bandโ€ so hit us up if you wanna book something weird & heavy for your lineups!

https://www.facebook.com/events/792275794568447/

KK: I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun & sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. & out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth & were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. & the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, & their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like womenโ€™s hair, & their teeth were like lionsโ€™ teeth. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, & the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses & chariots rushing into battle. They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, & in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon & in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer). The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.

๐Ÿ’– Where can we fiiiiind yoooouuuuu???

https://www.facebook.com/deadmendont/

& probably sawing a hole through the stage at the Amersham Arms this Friday!

๐Ÿ’– Follow KNM on IG

๐Ÿ’– Follow KNM on Facebook

๐Ÿ’– I want more Interviews

๐Ÿ’– I want more Rumour Has It

๐Ÿ’– Take me the hell Home

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *