Dead Leaf Echo recently played the New Way Bar in Ferndale. They have a new EP out: true.deep.sleeper and you can catch them on tour- everywhere. They tour a lot.
CV-I've noticed you've been to Detroit a handful of times. Magic Stick, Hanging at Space Camp Studios and now New Way Bar. What are your observations of the Motor City? Do you think you've captured a real feel for the city from what you may read, see or hear?
DLE-Yes…we've been thru a few times now…and really glad to have made it thru Detroit….we always have a blast coming to Motor City. Our friends Sean, Eric, Rick and Wayne are the best, Jason and Melissa Kolb, George and Ron Gibbs are so cool and we have know them for years. …Nardo has always been good to us and have made it very comfortable being in Detroit. Definitely have caught the vibe that Detroit throws out there…I would love to spend more time there…because having 1 or 2 days is never enough to get a real look around but it's the people that make any city what it is (like talking to you!) We also played Ann Arbor which has a whole different feel than Detroit but also has a rich history of rock music. Also everytime we come to Detroit it has been in the month of February and there is always snow on the ground and bitter conditions. Would like to return in the summer of fall and enjoy of bit of the area and have a walk around. Perhaps Echo Fest will be a chance for us to return to the area and also check out new venue Loving Touch.
CV-You stay quite busy with recording and touring. Can you elaborate on the some of the multimedia art you're involved with (videos).
DLE- Yes. After our debut LP finally came out last year after 3 years of deliberation and troubles…we toured heavily behind it and notched 80 shows under our belt for 2013. We immediately started the year by going right back into the city and cranking out another EP which just came out (true.deep.sleeper) and have started our 25+ date tour that we are in the middle of now to go to SXSW. Regarding the video multimedia work….that took a backseat to all the touring that was done in 2013…so only 1 video was completed (Kingmaker) 2 other videos went into production (Birth and Etiolated) but have not been completed due to production delays…but they will be finished one day and it will be nice to have them as retrospectives to the LP. Hoping to start work on a new video once we get back from tour.
CV-At times it may be a small world, but some of the bands you've shared bills with happen to be some of my favorites. Ringo Deathstar, Heaven and Nightmare Air. As well as supporting some very big names like The Psychedelic Furs and Chapterhouse. Is there a band you find works unbelievably well for a show with DLE or do you like the mix and discovery of new and keep it fresh?
DLE-As a music lover I love playing with bands that I personally like and have a thread of similarity influence wise. All the bands that you mentioned above we're fans and also friends with…so playing with them is a double thrill. Chapterhouse definitely made a lot of sense for a bill.
CV-Finally, I'm not sure if you know this, but Dead Leaf Echo is the title of a song by Faith and the Muse. Is there a connection in the meaning of that song or something else? I read a CMJ article about bands with "death" in their title and the writer seemed to not have noticed that FatM connection or any other when listing you. With that do you find some writers or articles to be so far from grasping what you're doing it evokes any odd feeling ?
DLE-Yes, I know that that is a song by this band thanks to Google. It has no connection at all what so ever to this group. I have never heard of them before. Dead Leaf Echo is a literary reference to the novel "Lolita" by Vladamir Nabokov. I had read the book as a young teenager but once I heard Jeremy Irons say those worlds my 19 year old self was really taken by it.
Yes sure sometimes some people are way off base….that's fine because every one comes from a different perspective and hears things in different ways. Don't take the reviews too seriously…because their only opinions.