“We’ve come a long way since then. We’re just ever-evolving, we wouldn’t want to stand still,” says Demob Happy’s Matthew Marcantonio.
Things are hectic in the world of Demob Happy. After releasing their third album, Divine Machines, earlier this year, then embarking on a UK tour and also releasing their newest single, Sweet & Sour America, somewhere among the chaos I had the chance to sit down with lead vocalist and bass player, Matthew Marcantonio.
Released in May of this year, Demob Happy’s third album Divine Machines has underlying themes of dystopia and utopia, yet overall is a positive album. Planned for a much earlier release date, Marcantonio comments:
“We first started working on it in February 2020, before lockdown and we had gone away to Wales to write some songs together and obviously we had come with the plan of creating a new record pretty soon. When lockdown hit we were kind of pushed into a position where we were like, ‘oh well, we’ve created all these demos,’ so we started working on them at home and basically that’s what became the album.”
After a bit of tweaking and final embellishment the album was finished and ready to go. Thinking about the attitude and character of the album, Marcantonio adds, “Quite early on we realised that there’s this sort of dystopian, utopian, kind of sci-fi, bladerunner, retro-futuristic feel to a lot of it, especially in the song Tear It Down, which became the centrepiece of the record.” With the theme and general aesthetic of the album decided, it was only a matter of time until a title was needed. When reflecting on Divine Machines, Marcantonio notes that it actually isn’t dystopian at all and has a rather positive outlook on the future, “ So that was where we got Divine Machines from, we wanted it to have this sort of cosmic, sort of spiritual, but also very rounded and human and earthly title because that was how it felt. It’s a combination of both worlds. And that’s Divine Machines, that’s what felt right.”
Currently on tour, Demob Happy has been able to witness firsthand the impact and reactions the album has garnered, Marcantonio reflects on the tour thus far, “The reaction has been incredible. It’s been some of the best gigs we’ve ever done. Everyone has been so welcoming of the new songs and things, it’s been really cool for us because there are some softer, more brooding kinds of ballads and songs that aren’t just all high energy and riffs. But I think we’ve got the set and our music at a place where we’ve been striking a good balance. It doesn’t just have to be loud after loud after loud after loud and we can actually have some soft ones and our fans are on that journey with us.”
Since the release of Divine Machines, Demob Happy have kept themselves busy. Just before heading out on tour the band debuted their newest single, Sweet & Sour America. A powerful and driving force, the track seems to discuss the politics of America, the good and the bad and almost appears to be an extension of the Divine Machines album. “We wanted to put it on the record,” says Marcantonio, “There were few other songs that we wanted to put on the record but we simply couldn’t really. We knew that we’d recorded it and we knew that it was great, but the record just feels so cohesive and it’s such a beautiful thing. So we thought let’s keep this song back and release it as a single and that’s the best of both worlds. So now we get to release it in time for the tour and people are going absolutely crackers for it and that’s a win for us!”
As the band hurtle towards the end of the UK leg of the Divine Machines tour and onto the European shows, it seems like the perfect time to discuss what is coming in the not so distant future. “We’re playing Amsterdam and Paris, which are both already sold out and those are always amazing shows so we’re really looking forward to Amsterdam but I think they’re all going to be great,”exclaims Marcantonio. “We’re back down in Germany and doing things in Spain, it’s all good and it’s a pleasure to play in Europe.” However, in October, Demob Happy is going across the pond to play in America with the Canadian rock Duo, Death From Above 1979. “They’re heroes of ours. They were one of the first linchpin bands that we started jamming together to. They were one of the bands that we reference to be great and have a sound that we love playing.” states Marcantonio.
With so much on the horizon for Demob Happy, it only leaves us wondering what comes next? “I never want to retread old ground, and as long as it’s the three of us making it and writing lyrics or whatever it is, it’s always going to have the vein of Demob running through it.” Marcantonio continues, “ But it means that the phases of the band are more distinct and I think that’s more interesting and more pleasurable for people. It’s just like Pokèmon cards! And they can have their favourite one and that for me is far more interesting than just being like ‘Oh here comes another predictable Demob record’.”
“It’s always going to evolve and it’s always going to stay the same. Each one (phase) is always evolving,” states Matthew Marcantonio. And with so many unknowns as to what the next iteration of Demob Happy will be, I’m sure many fans are only left with one thought. How exciting!
