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lostandfoundmagazine · 3 years

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DEADLETTER talk ‘Fit For Work’

South London band DEADLETTER are vetrans of the scene, playing regularly at local venues such as The Windmill before the pandemic threw live music into a world of uncertainty. We caught up with lead singer Zac from the band to see how they’ve been coping with the latest restrictions, as well as talk about releasing new music under the new name.

How did you arrive at the name DEADLETTER?

We decided a while ago that a name change was due. We regard DEADLETTER as a whole new entity, not associated with our previous incarnation. Of course, there’s no need to erase history, but we weren’t happy with what we had to show with the previous name, and because of a year’s worth of dissatisfaction in tracks we’d recorded, and producers we’d worked with who maybe hadn’t quite clicked with our “sound”, it ended up seeming a good idea to release a fresh single to the world as a phoenix from the ashes rather than tailing on from an EP which, on the whole, no longer represented us as a band. The name change was an incredibly stressful process - inevitably so when there are 5 other people to please with each pitch. However, one night in a pub in Brixton, DEADLETTER was spoken, written down on a napkin alongside 4 or 5 other names, to which we then spoke about each one, crossing them off until DEADLETTER remained.

With the name change and new music you’re bringing out, did you view this as an opportunity to start fresh?

As previously mentioned, I think it was time for a new start. Not only musically but, I suppose, stylistically. We’d gone for a fairly DIY approach both in sound and visuals back with Mice, which is fun up to a point, however, there’s only so long that you can make stencils in your living room before feeling the urge to “clean up” if you like. You look around you, and yes, it’s wonderful to think that the members of the band are the ones behind the “style” but I think a fresh set of eyes and ears is what’s really needed to create an atmosphere that works like clockwork and has just enough elementally to be eclectically appealing. I think we’ve also learnt how to play our instruments (at least everyone else has, I prefer to just hold a microphone these days- much better after a show too- I’m on my second post-performance-pint whilst the others are still arguing about 9 volt adapters). All in all, it was seen as an opportunity to sort of say, fuck you, we’re going to sound like a well-produced band whilst still playing our raunchy mix up of Post-Punk and garage tunes, and it’s going to work.

Do you guys hang out together outside of the band?

Myself and Alfie (Drums) were born and brought up (for a few years) within a 20-minute walk of one another. The same goes for myself and George (Bass) who both attended (two different) schools together until the age of 16. It started out just George and I going busking on weekends, with the addition of Alfie, and was decided fairly early on that due to the lack of musical potential where we came from (small towns in the North of England), that perhaps moving to London together one day would be an attainable and wholesome venture. I’m not sure about the latter, but we made it happen (the struggle was definitely the word of the day for our first few months together). Of course upon moving here an expansion of sound was decided on, and we now regularly wake up to one (or both) of the guitarists lounging about our abode. Since COVID-19, we’re all in different places, but no doubt will all convene as one again when London starts to open up musically.

Can you tell us a story about ‘Good Old Days’? What does it mean to you?

‘Good Old Days’ was and is my way of expressing regards for an issue that I felt shouldn’t be explored in too explicit a manner - so as to maintain an air of both dignity and sensitivity in an implicit way. The song’s title is a phrase taken directly from one of the many perpetrators of reminiscing about the history of the USA for the most shamefully deplorable reasons. I find it disgraceful that you have these people in positions of power, trying to leverage the historical hatred and discrimination against minorities for personal/political gain (and that isn’t to say it isn’t the same here in our own country). Prejudice in any way is and always will be something I, and, I can easily speak on behalf of the others for this, completely despise. I think if progress is desirable and worth striving for, then prejudice is synonymous with regression.

Are there any bands you’ve been obsessed with over the last few weeks?

I know that Alfie’s been getting stuck right into those new Massive Attack singles that they’ve released on Youtube. Alfred’s always been an avid Massive Attack head- maybe that even rings through in his drumming at times- hard to say without an outsider’s perspective. The others are funny because one day they’ll be indulging in Don Juan’s reckless daughter, and the next I’ll have George sending me some South London drill, absolutely enamoured with it. I suppose I’m similar in the sense of diversity, but my phases tend to be a little more pigeonholed. If I’m listening to Dylan, it’ll be Dylan, The Band, Neil Young, Townes Van Zandt, likewise if I’m listening to The Fall, it’ll be The Fall, The Bad Seeds, Young Marble Ginats. Ebbs and flows, but in a more coordinated way. We’ve also unanimously shared our love for Fixer-Upper, the new single from fellow Northerners Yard Act, and look forward to seeing what else they’ve got up their sleeve for the coming months.

How would your most recent single ‘Fit For Work’?

‘Fit For Work’ in itself, is far more than a statement about the DWP. I gathered all these ideas of writing this long, drawn-out tune about the brutality of British society and government, and realised that perhaps it was a case of “the less words, the better”. It’s supposed to put all these outrageous ideas on the table, but is unfortunately also heavily rooted in reality. Imagine something as absurd as seeing someone in a wheelchair and saying “well at least you have strong arms”. Now imagine a member of our beloved ruling class doing the same… What comes across as extreme and overemphasised actually doesn’t rub off all that far from the truth, and that’s the whole idea encapsulated within the song.

When did you record the track? Was it difficult to work on music collaboratively given the current climate?

When lockdown hit we all sort of headed our separate ways- got out of London as quickly as possible before it was off the table as an option (we all just made it pre the 23rd March Lockdown announcement. It was definitely 23rd March by the way- before any of those cretins start trying to claim otherwise. Obviously, we had this single ‘Good Old Days’ ready to go, but upon its release quite quickly realised that if we didn’t come up with some sort of plan of action, it may be months and months before being able to share anything else with the world. Luckily, we were able to use the same producer, Rhys Downing, again, and were able to get to London and get the track done just as Lockdown had started to ease.

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