With their mix of glam and punk rock, Northamptonshire’s Dead Frequency know how to produce a mix of upbeat, fun songs that are sharp and definitely catchy. Their latest EP, ‘Tough Tracks and Setbacks’, does just that as songs such as ‘Time for Saying Sorry’ and ‘Nobody’s Listening’ are carried with a rock ‘n’ roll swagger and punk rawness.
Having achieved an admirable blend of sounds, we spoke to the trio; singer and guitarist Matti Fantasi, bassist James Bourne and drummer Sam Thorne, about what bands have shaped Dead Frequency along the way. From hair metal to pop-punk to ska punk and beyond, it’s clear to say they have eclectic taste.
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Sum 41
Matti Fantasi: For many reasons including ‘Fat Lip’ being the first single I brought (it was actually an East 17 single but this is the first I admit to). They were the first band I saw live and really were the main reason I got into punk rock music and into wanting to be in a band. The first time I heard ‘All Killer No Filler’ I was hooked and I finally got the chance to thank Deryck in person in 2008 for giving me a reason to join a band and choose a career path.
Van Halen
This is a collective favourite from the musicianship of all members to the intense live performance and showmanship from Diamond Dave. Van Halen are pretty much everything you could want from a band: unbelievable guitar solos, superb drums and bass, catchy pop songs delivered in a blistering rock style and quite possibly the best frontman of all time (bar the great Freddie Mercury of course). If we had to pick a band we take stage show inspiration from, it would be these guys. You know you’re a good band when you can successfully repleace a frontman like David Lee Roth and still sell millions of records and sell out arena’s across the world.
KISS
Quite possibly the best live band in the world (just our opinion don’t message us as to why you don’t think they are). KISS are the perfect example of how you take a lifelong goal and turn it into not only the best job in the world, but a good business venture in the process. They have a unique identity that is instantly recognizable.
After all these years, they still have an explosive live show that would still be very hard to top and they refuse to listen to critics and have stuck to their convictions for over 40 years. When I (Matti) die, I want to be buried in a Kiss coffin with ‘God Gave Rock ‘N’ Roll To You’ playing as I’m carried in.
Green Day
This one explains itself. You can hear elements of Green Day in us and every pop-punk band from the last 15/20 years. Again, their live show and energy is of an festival headline quality, and they are really the reason why many bands have been so successful in the punk rock scene.
They have paved the way for generations of people to get into punk rock that would never have discovered it if it wasn’t for ‘Dookie’ or ‘American Idiot’. Speaking of which, we listened to ‘American Idiot’ in the van on the way back from a show the other week and were still blown away by how good the entire record is start to finish.
Less Than Jake
Matti: I remember going to see Less Than Jake for the first time in 2003 after hearing ‘Gainesville Rock City’ on a compilation CD. I had never quite seen a band with such high energy and songs that make you wanna go crazy. A few days before, I brought ‘Anthem’ and then spent three days learning the words to every song so I could singalong at the show. I left school to be first in line to get front row and even snuck in to the soundcheck, only for them to change the words to ‘Gainesville Rock City’, “politely” asking us to leave before security kicked us out.
All in all LTJ have been with me since I was 13 and after seeing them over 20 times, and collecting everything from Australian import CD’s to rare vinyl, and even having the tattoo, I can honestly say they have brought alot of happy and fun times to my life and will be with me forever.
Notable mentions that we couldn’t fit in: Manowar, Rush, Rancid, Led Zeppelin, Poison, Bad Religion, Misfits, The Offspring, Good Charlotte, Blink-182, Limp Bizkit, NOFX, New Found Glory, The Vandals, Shania Twain, Nerf Herder, Spunge, My Chemical Romance, ABBA, Def Leppard, AC/DC, Iron Maiden and The Wurzels.
‘Tough Tracks and Setbacks’ EP by Dead Frequency is out on now.
