A couple of dates into their month long UK tour, we catch up with Grog from Die So Fluid.
1. So you're back in the UK for a month long tour. What thoughts tend to go through your head on the eve of a tour?
For this tour we’re excited to be playing our own headline shows, which we haven’t done in the UK for some time having been supporting bands like Prong. I wonder what the crowds and our reception will be like in towns we haven’t played before and ones we’re revisiting. It’s the very beginning of the promotional campaign for the new album, so we hope the buzz that’s already begun continues to build so we can storm the UK with ‘The World Is Too Big for One Lifetime’
2. Are there any places you're looking forward to playing slightly more so than others, and if so, where and why?
I’m looking forward to London because even though I now live in Hollywood, that’s our hometown and I still love it. Southampton will be great too as we’ve a strong fanbase there.
3. Do you make time for exploring the towns and cities you are playing in between gigs?
Yes, just this morning we visited Terror Tower on Scarborough seafront.
4. What can the people reading this yet to see you live expect from one of your shows?
We’re a powerful live band who love to play and they can expect to have their heads filled with infectious tunes for many months to come! And of course they will be wowed by my catsuit and Mr. Drew's fancy mohawk.
5. The jaunt is to support the release of your new album, "The World Is Too Big For One Lifetime". What can you tell us about it?
It’s by far our most accomplished album and will be released on our brand new label DR2.
6. How does the new material differ from your previous work?
The new material carries on expanding our sound sideways in a much more confident fashion. It really comes across like a band who own their sound.
7. Are there any common themes running through the record?
Yes. Like previous albums the title dictates a theme to explore. This one deals with imagining alternative paths in life.
8. Which are your two favourite tracks on there and why?
We’ve all got different favourite tracks. I really like ‘Raven’ which goes down really well live, and Drew likes ‘Themis’ and the title track because they’re unusual for us.
9. Tell us about your new single "Mercury". What is the track about?
It’s about how you carry wounds with you from relationships that don’t work out, but you still forge bonds and learn from each other as you go.
10. You showcased some of the new songs at a couple of low-key shows last month. What has the general reaction from fans been like so far?
Tremendous. You often expect people to want to hear songs they’re familiar with, but whenever a new song was announced cheers went up.
11. How, if at all, have your musical influences changed/progressed since the release of "Not Everybody Gets a Happy Ending" two years ago?
With NEGAHE we broke out of the metal pigeon hole on some songs but that was more down to the sporadic recording sessions. With the new album eclecticism was planned from the start.
12. Tell us a little about your song writing process, who does what and in what order.
A typical DSF song will start as a guitar riff, be jammed as a band, then vocal melody and lyrics will be added which dictate changes to the arrangement. Then Drew sticks on a big solo and ta daaa! And sometimes not….
13. How do you go about picking which songs get included on an album and in what order they feature?
We come up with a title really early and that creates a framework, the songs fit into that quite like building a house.
14. You recently signed a two album deal with Global Music. How did that come about?
They had been checking us out for a while, and we’d been checking out various labels but we really wanted to meet David Lee Roth so that swung it.
15. The label is also home to The Glitterati, W.A.S.P, Twisted Sister and The Quireboys. Did the other bands on their roster influence your decision to sign with the label in any way?
It meant we’d be the youngest prettiest things on there ha
16. We're about to enter the festival season. Do you have any in the pipeline other than the Wakefield Rock Festival this weekend?
Not this year because the album’s coming too late. We’re playing a festival in Lichenstein and some stuff to be announced later in the year.
17. Are there any other acts playing at the Wakefield Rock Festival you're going to make a point of checking out at the weekend?
Panic cell and KOKane, they’re mates!
18. Do you prefer playing big festival shows or gigs at smaller venues? Why?
Festivals are fun but small shows are great from a meet and greet point of view.
19. How do you go about winning over a crown unfamiliar with your work?
We play to a high standard no matter what the show. Everyone respects a good performance whatever their taste.
20. What do you have planned for the rest of the year once this tour is out of the way?
We’re going to Finland for some shows, Estonia, Lichenstein, Switzerland, XFM session, Scuzz TV takeover, basically a lot of touring and promotion, including in the USA where the album is released in Autumn, plus we’ll start writing the next album.
Die So Fluid play Stereo in York tomorrow night (May 14th).
