Dead Meadow are in the country for the first time playing two dates. On the verge of releasing a new album, we managed to track down Steve Kille over email just before he hit the stage in Wellington last night for a quick interview.
Hey man, how’s everything going? So this is your first time in NZ right?
Yes, this is the first time we have been to New Zealand other than a stopover so we are really really really excited to play here. As I sit in my hotel room and look at beautiful Wellington I am in awe. Just wrote my girlfriend who happens to be from equally beautiful Stockholm that this is the best place ever. Gotta come back on a vacation!
Your playing with Pink Mountaintops, a band you’ve toured with before – looking forward to playing with them again?
It is really great to playing with our old friend Steve McBean. Very close friend(s) of ours and truly genius sing writer. Back in 2005 we had an epic tour with Black Mountain in Europe so hopefully those good vibes will continue today , 7 years later. Maybe we are older and wiser too?
Dead Meadow has been working on a new release; how’s that going? What can we expect from it?
Yes, we are making a new album. It's been great to play with Mark and get back to a direction we were on before he departed us back in 2003. I think the fans will dig the tunes. I know we are very excited about the back to basics approach.
Are you producing it yourself, or bringing someone else on board?
Yep, I am producing it again as is the other guys in the band as well. Since the last album I have been operating my own little indie studio working with a ton of varied artists. We will also be bringing Dave Schiffman back to mix who has been involved in the last few releases we have made.
You started your own label, Xemu, not long ago; how’s that going?
Label is going great. The label as with the studio started out of necessity and I think just an example of the times we live in and that to do the music game you need to build your own business. Luckily I was able to find a like minded partner who invited me to share in Xemu and really make a difference in the industry. Little by little the progress we make is exciting.
How hands on are you with the bands you’ve signed? They’re obviously on there because you like them…
The curating of the label too is really special and being able to work with amazing artists in a different capacity. We work with the morning after girls , an amazing pop psych shoegaze band from this part of the world. Also my dear friends Spindrift which are made of ex-members of Brian Jibestown Massacre. They are a spaghetti western band meets captain beefheart. Actually just signed a great psych pop band the Strangers Family Band which are a doors-esqe pop band that are very young and extremely talented. As the year goes on we are going to have a bunch more excited signings we have been working on.
You guys came out of D.C, at a time where it was heavily dominated by Hardcore/Emo; has any of that influenced the band? Musically or in ethos?
I think the biggest thing we and me personally got from the DC scene was DIY ethos. All of these projects and this tour for that matter were the results of us saying we have to do this and make it happen. Any artist can control their own destiny and shouldn't wait for some dude behind the desk to say they have worth. Be free, be strong and keep making inspiration happen.
Thank you for your time man
Not a problem man, thanks for yours!
