Twice a month, we feature Sonicbids Musicians who are releasing albums, videos, EPs or other cool things.
Dan, Corey, Mike and Vince are Dead on TV. Check out their newly released video, "I'm Easy." Together, they started playing live 3 years ago. They follow in the grand and dirty tradition of many punk bands before them. While not actually dead, they have been on TV with their video. You can also check out "Fuck you, I'm famous" their EP released by WTII records.
I sat down with Dead On TV to talk about their video release and how their career has evolved so far.
History: They got started when Dan "wrote a bunch of songs in his basement. At first we used drum machines, but it sounded much better with live drums, so Vince came on board. Mike (bass) joined the band and Corey (guitar) made it a quartet." Being from Chicago, they were heavily influenced by Big Black. Mike has also played in Industrial bands.
Playing out: "We play 30-50 gigs a year, mostly on the weekends." They started tour regionally in the mid-west, to start building their fan base. Then, with their first EP recorded, they started touring on the East and West coasts. Their bring the excitement to make the live shows memorable, "Our stage show is pretty wild. It's not like we're sitting behind laptops or anything"
On the tipping point: Dan: "I'm an engineer, so my job is in music, and the other guys have jobs too. It feels like we could make this full time pretty soon because we're gaining momentum. It's all about being in the right place at the right time. We're playing St. Louis next weekend, played the east coast last May, and in a couple of weeks we're going out to LA. It's pretty awesome."
Any lessons from disastrous shows? "Just about every single one! We just welcome it. Our show is all about catharsis, so we try to roll with it. We've had all kinds of gear problems, stuff just ends up in pieces.
One time we were opening at the Cobra Lounge. Right as we hit the first note I jumped off stage and smashed my head against the front of house speakers and gashed it open. They dragged me into the kitchen so I could wash my head off. We played the whole show. Later at 5am, I showered off and realize the gash was pretty bad and had to go get it stapled shut at the hospital.
The venue caught it on the security footage, and we all got to watch it over and over again. It was the stupidest thing they've ever seen.
On releasing their video, "I'm Easy": "We have friends at some publications, a lot of the momentum is from friends we've made along the way. We spent a lot of time getting ready for the launch date, making posters, publishing stuff on facebook, building up hype for it. I had someone walk up to me in Chicago saying "You don't know me, but I love your video" so I think that's pretty cool.
Making the video: Vince, their drummer, did all the video work. He had the idea, did the editing and production. They had friends and girlfriends play the roles and extras, and another friend who does special effects work to do the blood and the decapitated head at the end. They used their friends and fans to make this video happen.
How many Corporate Management Training Seminars have you been hired for? "Hahaha, none so far. But we're still hoping." Their biography (which you should read if you haven't yet) captures the character of the band. Their friend Jim helped them write the bio and craft that persona.
Any major events that helped your band get to the next level? "In 2011, we played the WTII Records Festival. Someone dropped off at the last minute, and they contacted us to play, so of course we said yes. That was the label that ended up putting out our record. Lots of people saw us there. We got a great show and a record deal out of that, so it was definitely a huge event for us."
How do you fund your tours?: "You can't always rely on the door. But, you can rely on selling merch." They also use their friends and fans to help them along the way. "If you can get someone to put you up while on tour, that's more money in your pocket. Build good will everywhere you go."
How do you build your fan base?: "Live shows and social media." They always make it a point to connect with fans and keep them engaged everywhere they go. They create events, invite their fans, everything they can to reach them and let them know when they're playing in their area. "We really try to have fun with it too. We're kind of goofy and have a weird sense of humor to help get people to share our stuff."
Do you have an upcoming album or video release? Tell us about it and you can get featured in our Artist Spotlight series.