I went to see
Four Dead In Ohio at the Relentless Garage Bar on 21/01/11. They were loud, brash, dark and moody. They played in virtual darkness with only psychedelic visuals to light the stage. They were amazing.
Afterwards, I caught up with the bass player, Owen.
Here's my bullshit interview.
Great gig! Did you have fun?
Yeah, it couldn't have gone better. I felt a million dollars. It's always got to be fun.
How did Four Dead In Ohio come about?
Jakob and Rick have been friends for years after much moaning and continued disappointment with the music scene and a shared passion for hypnotic, psychedelic sound they decided to form a band in 2007. Doug and Stu (original bass player) completed the line up. Stu moved abroad and I have stepped into take command of the post. They like to call me the bulldog.
Gotta’ say, I love your latest E.P. (In Our Time Of Flying) Peasant’s Prayer is my favorite track from it. How would you say your sound has developed from your earlier stuff?
Peasant's Prayer is a lot of people's favorite track. Our latest release like all the best E.P.'s is a slow burner. It is quite dark and moody and is something you will want to come back to and listen to again and again.
How would you describe the music that you make?
Hypnotic, delirious, witty, and very loud. All our recordings are played together, live. So what you see is what you get.
To me, your sound resembles some of my favorite bands, in particular The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Are they an influence on you?
No, not directly. But Four Dead in Ohio do have a definite attachment to Americana. A lot of West Coast music from the 60's... The Doors,The Byrds, C,S,N & Y. I listen to a lot of The Beach Boys, The Stooges and Motown.
What do you feel’s going well for the band at the moment?
The response from fans after shows gives us a buzz. Our live show is a real experience, with the visuals and backdrop. The E.P. is getting good feedback and the new songs show a different side to the band.
You’ve been doing pretty well across Europe haven’t you?
Yeah, show's in Hamburg and Paris (where we supported The Charlatans) stand out. Met some interesting characters and made some new friends. We hope to visit europe again in 2011.
Anything frustrating you as a band at the moment?
The music industry should wake up. Too many hangers on and yes men. Have you seen the charts recently? Far to many people on the pay roll but not enough artist development.
Four Dead In Ohio would not exist were it not for?
Sexual Innuendo, alcohol and the hope another great song is just around the corner.
What’s next? I would love to see an album.
The new tracks we are demoing are a lot more immediate.
Plenty of harmonies and melodies. We hope to release an album in the near future. When the time is right.
You can buy their latest E.P right here
Liam
