Fuzzy Headphones 2/23/13

A Beyond the (fuzzy) Headphones Interview: Dead Sara – A Machine of Awesome

A Beyond the (fuzzy) Headphones Interview: Dead Sara – A Machine of Awesome

02/23/2013 · by Angel J Melendez · in Beyond The Headphones, Interviews

With a debut album featuring both power ballads and ferocious, unfiltered rock ‘n’ roll, the female fronted Dead Sara are poised to dominate the alternative scene, and perhaps, much more. Founded by vocalist Emily Armstrong, sporting a ridiculously powerful voice, and guitarist Siouxsie Medley, who shreds mean riffs like movie madmen hack through oversexed teenagers, Dead Sara are a band that people, the right people, are quickly taking notice of.

Born from the same city that spawned the likes of Guns ‘N’ Roses, Rage Against the Machine, and Metallica, Dead Sara are the heir apparent to the crown of Next Great L.A. Rock Band. Several rock veterans, including Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane, Dexter Holland of The Offspring, and two of the remaining band members of The Doors, Robbie Krieger and Ray Manzarek, already think very highly of them – a sure sign that such a title isn’t unrealistic. When asked their thoughts on why these legends dig Dead Sara so much, lead singer Emily Armstrong responds simply: “because we’re a rock band.”

Far from being obtuse, Armstrong is making a statement about the music industry in general. She explains her comment further.

“There are a lot of bands, people say they’re rock ‘n’ roll but…I think we’re a bit more of a throwback. Raw energy, it’s not as common as it used to be. I think that can be respected in some people’s eyes and especially if we do it all right.”

Perhaps then it is their rare, “throwback” quality that landed Dead Sara such a cherry job; that and some serendipitous luck. Dominic Howard, drummer for the BRIT award winning band, Muse, praised Dead Sara by name on an L.A. radio station. Using that fortuitous mention, the band now find themselves mentally preparing on a tour bus in sunny south Florida.

And they are surprisingly calm mere hours before embarking on the biggest gig of their careers.

Their offstage demeanor stands in stark contrast to their onstage persona. Once underneath the bright lights, Dead Sara is rabid, unhinged; however at present, they couldn’t be more laid back and casual. Their down-to-earth nature shines through as does their sense of humor. The band cracks jokes during nearly every question before responding earnestly. It’s in this loose, relaxed state that the band’s chemistry and the nuances of Dead Sara are discussed.

For example, having a female lead duo, like Armstrong and Medley, in a rock band is a unique situation. It’s a subject that arises almost immediately. During the conversation of whether or not it will ever be a tiresome issue, what gender fronts the band, drummer Sean Friday weighs in.

“No, I mean I think it’s a package. A lead singer has a great deal of responsibility. I mean, it’s the truth. And it’s really cool to listen to a band that has an amazing lead singer. And of course you have a strong back band; it’s like a machine that’s fucking awesome. Everyone accounts for one another.”

“It’s well balanced,” Armstrong chimes in. “Everything compliments each other. It’s sturdy.”

The balance that Armstrong speaks of wasn’t easily attained.

The first few years of her partnership with Medley saw several drummers and bassists come and go. It wasn’t until Sean and bassist Chris Null joined, that the magic happened.

What was it exactly that made Sean and Chris the right match for Dead Sara?

“Because they’re hot.” Medley responds teasingly. She smiles as if to say that’s her final answer, but everyone else picks up on the joke and Friday playfully shouts in the background, “H A W T! Hawt!”

“Not only are they incredible musicians,” she explains, “they’re genuinely great people. And aesthetically, we work well together, there’s no effort involved. We wrote ‘Weatherman’ the first time we worked together in the rehearsal room.” A good omen considering that “Weatherman” has been their most popular single to date, garnering ever increasing exposure.

So, when asked what brings them the most pride in regard to their eponymous debut album, Armstrong states honestly:

“That we did one.”

Her comment stems from the knowledge that it’s been a long journey to get to this point, at least an eight year process according Armstrong herself. In the here and now however, armed with that record that was finally made, looms the Muse tour. What does Dead Sara want to learn from their venerable tour partners?

“How to be more rich.” Armstrong jokes before adding, “Just [how to be better] as performers, you know? I learned a lot just from watching one show.” Medley and Null tack on an all encompassing answer simultaneously: “Everything.”

“Their production is insane; their performance is insane; their sound is so good,” Null adds emphatically. “They’re great musicians.”

Additionally, Dead Sara is thankful to be touring, not just with Muse, but indoors as well. Just the day before, they’d performed a show with Buckcherry in El Paso, Texas. At a water park. With hot air balloons.

Very rock ‘n’ roll.

Although the show went well, the group agreed that it was one of the more interesting experiences they’ve ever had. Armstrong starts the bizarre tale, with Medley and Nulls fleshing out the details. “It was a concrete stage so you couldn’t feel a thing. Usually with these stages you can feel it. Oh my God it was absolutely horrendous. The stage was about this high,” she positions her hand about waist high. “So I jumped off and trying to get back on it was just like…I felt like I had no connection with the band. ‘Sing it!’ and nobody knows the words.”

“It was so dry out. El Paso, in the summer.”

“It was like breathing metal shards at a certain point. And it was sort of in the middle of the dirty woods. A dirty, dusty, wooded area.”

The band collectively nods their head and laughs at these thoughts, but humbly, almost immediately, they close their story by appreciating the crowd, even if the setting was a nightmare.

“They were awesome though.”

“The people were nuts.”

“Yeah, they were so cool.”

There is a modesty that runs true within Dead Sara. It’s even exemplified in the elevation of Armstrong to lead vocalist, a position she never aspired to.

“I was definitely not one of those you hear singing and someone asks, ‘How old are you?’ and your 8 singing the ‘Star Spangled Banner.’ I don’t understand that. I started off writing songs, it was my thing. I just wanted to be in a band so bad. I never really cared to be the front person; I just wanted to be the person behind the scenes. Basically just putting a band together, having singers come, and I always wanted a dude singer, but nobody could sing the way I could hear.”

It’s ironic that Armstrong’s voice only came to light as a necessity and a last resort seeing as how it’s one of the driving forces in the band and a focal point for adoring critics. As our time winds down, we drift momentarily into a nexus where past meets future. Null and Friday are friends and former band mates of an artist much flashier than Dead Sara: Skrillex.

A question comes up half-seriously: Is there going to be a Skrillex remix of any Dead Sara songs?

“That would be cool.” Friday ponders the possibility. Null takes it a step further. “Hopefully. If he reads this article.”

There you go Skrillex. Call Dead Sara. Work out something amazing for the people.

Until then though, Dead Sara are tasked with making the most of the opportunity at hand. To their credit, there seems to be a sense of relief instead of any anxiety. The band is reveling in this recent career breakthrough instead of shying away or cowering from the spotlight – an attitude that will, in the end, attract not only those who know how to craft a saucy rock tune, but, perhaps more importantly, those who know a damn good music when they hear it.