Matthew Marcantonio talks to us about Demob Happy’s return, and creativity.
Hi guys, how are you??
Alright, ups and downs, been better, been worse, just like everyone I think. Thanks for asking.
How are you looking forward to getting back out on the road?
Very much so. We’re rehearsing our fingers raw, getting back on top form, ready to whip everybody up into a storm of joy like no other. I really am [looking forward]. Performance is a huge part of not just my life, but my soul and character. To not sing and play and dance and perform for this long has hurt me deeply.
What is motivating you right now outside of music, think people, places and games for example?
I read a lot about esoteric and occult sciences, different theories on the origins of man and consciousness, the mechanisms behind our perceptions of reality, UFOs, all the stuff they don’t tell you about in school – anything which questions our paradigm and accepted world views, what people have decided is “real” and “normal” – anything we hold to be “true” should be questioned every day. there’s incredible mystery to be found in the world if you look for it, so I look for it.
What does success mean to you as artists, at this point?
I’d like to keep creating music that sparks joy in me, and I’d like to open people’s eyes to different things, and unite them if I can, that’s all.
How do you look back at ‘Dream Soda’ at this point?
Fondly, it’s a wonderful album. I can hear where I’ve developed as a songwriter and singer since, but I still love it, like I did then.
What direct experiences prompted the writing of ‘Sympathy Boy’?
Feeling like people can be too quick to judge others for what they believe, not the quality of their character. Ideas are transient and should be seen as such. A bad idea does not a bad person make. I believe if we’re going to progress consciously and positively, through times where our differences are going to be used as ammunition to create divide, we need an empathetic and sympathetic revolution.
How has the Demob Happy band mission statement evolved and changed over the years, if at all?
Perhaps we started originally with more singular ideas on what we wanted to rebel against, which was just a culture of fairly soulless empty pop-rock, things like that, and I think that has morphed into, for me at least, developing my own songwriting and character, and highlighting universal themes in my words.
Thanks for your time!!
Check out the band’s forthcoming tour dates…
Demob Happy live dates TICKETS HERE
25th August – Cavern, Exeter
26th August – Thekla, Bristol
27th August – Reading Festival
28th August – Leeds Festival
31st August – O2 Academy, Oxford
1st September – Club Academy, Manchester
2nd September – O2 Academy, Liverpool
3rd September – Newcastle, Northumbria Uni
4th September – Broadcast, Glasgow
6th September – Bodega, Nottingham
7th September – O2 Institute 3, Birmingham
9th September – Scala, London
10th September – Patterns, Brighton
11th September – Patterns, Brighton
