For many a Punk Rock fan, Get Dead’s fifth album Dancing With the Curse was the record they’d been waiting for years, knowingly or not. As the end-of-year lists season rolls in, the record catches quite a spotlight and it is fully deserved. The band’s always been furiously unbound by conventions, but this new batch of songs brings their special blend to new heights. Swiftly moving from acoustic Folk Punk, to Ska parts, and back to straight melodic Punk Rock, Get Dead is in the simple business of creating gritty anthems. One can’t help but wonder what influences drive such a band and this is precisely why we enjoy bringing you these interviews. Let’s see what Sam King, their raspy-voiced singer has for us.
Dancing With The Curse is out on Fat Wreck Chords.
Name five songs that you consider “perfect songs” and explain why or what they mean to you.
No Order
AGAINST ME!: Borne On The FM Waves Of The Heart
WILLIE NELSON: Crazy
AMERICAN STEEL: Hurtlin’
DEAD TO ME: Little Brother
SHOVELS AND ROPE: LAY LOW
Which music genre do you listen to the most? List your five favorite albums in that genre.
It’s hard to say. Definitely it would be in the Rock/Punk zone. No Order
BRONX: V
TOY GUITAR: In This Mess
DEAD TO ME: Cuban Ballerina
OPERATION IVY: Self Titled
HOT WATER MUSIC: No Division
DEVIL MAKES THREE: Self Titled
SWINGIN’ UTTERS: A Juvenile Product Of The Working Class
What’s the album you’ve listened to the most in your life? Do you still listen to it?
OPERATION IVY Self Titled. Yes, listening to it right now.
What are some of your favorite song lyrics? Lyrics that have been important to you or that had an impact on you?
I got really into TONY SLY’s acoustic albums right before he passed. He’s such a great writer. 12 Song Program was the one that got me hooked. Sad Bear was great as well, and of course the Tony Sly/Joey Cape splits. Even though I was not personally close to Tony, I felt like I was, through his lyrics. They spoke to me and they still speak to me now. I was going through a rough patch at the time and when he passed, it hit home. We got to do a song on the Tribute Album which meant a lot to me.
Do you have an absolute all time favorite band or musical artist? What makes them so special to you?
Not really. I’m always jumping around with new artists.
What are your ten favourite albums of all time (all genres)? Name a standout track on each of these albums.
Not in any order.
NWA: Straight Outta Compton – Straight Outta Compton
JIMMY CLIFF: Wonderful World Beautiful People – Many Rivers To Cross
OPERATION IVY: Operation Ivy – Sound System
MÖTLEY CRÜE: Shout At The Devil – Shout At The Devil
RANCID: And Out Come The Wolves – Journey To The End Of The East Bay
AMERICAN STEEL: Destroy Their Future – Mean Streak
NOFX: Punk In Drublic – Leave It Alone
TONY SLY: 12 Song Program – Toaster In The Bathtub
THE POSTAL SERVICE: Give up – We Will Become Silhouettes
AGAINST ME: Eternal Cowboy – T.S.R.
Do you remember the first time music had an impact on you?
We didn’t grow up listening to much music in our house. I remember when my folks joined a tape club. You know the 10 tapes for penny club. We used to take these long family trips from Vermont to New Hampshire (well it seemed long back then) and they would play Graceland by PAUL SIMON over and over and over and over. I was pretty young. It could have been worse I guess. It’s pretty good.
What were you listening to in elementary school? Then in high school? How much of that music is still a part of your playlists today? How have your musical tastes evolved since?
Elementary school was mostly like Hip Hop/Rap/Pop. RUN DMC, NWA, TONE LOC… I guess then I started getting into Rock. MÖTLEY CRÜE’s Shout At The Devil was the first tape I ever owned. I remember buying it for 50 cents from some kid in the back of the school bus. I was pretty young. I had no idea what Metal was all about at that point. I remember thinking that I was for sure listening to some devil worship music. But wow, I loved it!
What are some of the most memorable shows you’ve ever seen? What makes them stand out?
One show that comes to mind is a BRONX show at Slims (R.I.P) in San Francisco. It was a christmas show and Matt was in full form decked to walls in his santa suit. He was out in the crowd the whole fucking show (when he wasnt on top of the crowd) and I was right up in that mix swaying around with him (and about 500 other sweaty Bronx fans). He must have glued his santa hat to his head. That music has so much energy. Matt’s one hell of a front man. I can easily say he’s one of the best frontman I have ever seen. In both The Bronx and Mariachi El Bronx.
Is there any band that you’ve always wanted to see live but never had the chance to catch them? Any classic show that you wish you could have experienced?
THE CLASH, PRINCE, JOHNNY CASH.
What is the most impressive band you’ve toured with? The one that you just had to watch every night? Did you learn anything from them/by watching them?
We did a run with the BOUNCING SOULS. That was pretty Epic. Not only am I a huge Souls fan but also a huge HOT WATER MUSIC fan so I pretty much just sat behind the kit and watched Goerge Rebelo play drums every night.
Is there any classic / universally acclaimed artist that you missed out on when they first came out and discovered way later? Any artist that you didn’t like at first and learned to appreciate over time?
So they may not be “universally acclaimed” but one artist that I was late to the game on for years was THE LAWRENCE ARMS. Let me tell you… that has changed. Their latest release Skeleton Closet rips!
Do you have an artist that you love in a genre that you don’t usually listen to? What makes them stand out?
Ok, so one band that I’ve been really into lately is SHOVELS AND ROPE. They opened for WILLIE NELSON at the Greek Theater years ago and I was an instant fan. They’re a bit outside of my box, but they are sooo good. It’s a two piece husband and wife duo considered to be American Folk. Great all around. Killer harmonies. I can feel how close they are in their music. It’s cheesy but true.
Do you enjoy live albums? What are some of your favorites? Can you think of a few examples where the live version of a song is better than the studio version?
I used to listed to the SWINGIN’ UTTERS Live In A Dive. That’s about it. I’ve been meaning to check out the NOFX Live At Red Rocks. I lived in CO for a couple years back in the day. We used to hang out on the stage at Red Rocks when it was open to the public. Now that’s a place I’d like to play!
What albums have been on heavy rotation lately?
JAYA THE CAT: A Good Day for the Damned.
What are some up and coming artists that you would recommend?
JAYA THE CAT. They’ve been around for a bit, but not so much in the US.
Is there a band that you’ve discovered live recently that blew you away?
SHANNON AND THE CLAMS
Final thoughts?
We just put out Dancing with the Curse on Fat. I would say it’s our best work yet. Check it out and please let us know what you think.
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