It’s always good to see, and hear from those allusondrugs lads, just after their recent show in Hull, we managed to catch Damian and Drey to chat about what’s been going down in drug town.
How are you doing today?
Drey] Really good thanks. It’s been a day of playing around with amplifiers, modifying guitars and re-arranging pedalboards. Fun fun fun.
How was the Hull show?
Drey: Sweaty, lively and very unexpected for a Thursday night. We had a great time. The New Adelphi is ace.
What’s keeping you passionate about music, outside of music – think films, or people for example?
Damian] All kinds of stuff. Musically it’s more about how you feel. It’s getting closer to summer now so the weather is improving and I’m feeling a bit less trapped, more room to flex, that’s good for writing music. Also We’ve been changing our equipment a little bit and there’s some new and interesting sounds happening which is influencing a lot of new ideas.
I’m watching a lot of films recently which is colouring the lyrics a bit, mostly real life stuff about people, The new Louis Theroux documentaries are good. I recently watched documentaries about Craig Cobb and the West Memphis 3. I probably won’t write about any of those things but it’s good to be mindful of the differences in the way people think and the nature of the human mind, I find it fascinating.
Talk us through the inspirations behind ‘Handicapped’?
Damian] That song was written a long time ago. My friend lent me a cheap Les Paul copy and I put really thick strings on it and tuned it down to Drop A and came up with that riff. It was originally much slower and sludgier because I was listening to The Melvins a lot, but over time it got faster. Lyrically it’s about there being two opposing sides of an argument and not finding much truth in either so you crawl around in the dark trying to find your own truth.
How has the mission statement of the band changed over the years, as you’ve managed to achieve a lot in a relatively short space of time?
Drey] We’ve just kept on doing what we always do.. working hard and always trying to be a better band.
With so much pressure on bands moving to London for exposure, why have you guys chosen to stay in Yorkshire?
Drey] Travelling to London as and when is appropriate seems to benefit us more in the long run because we save money by not actually living there. It’s so expensive and crowded and you can lose your mind in the slowly crawling traffic. None of us could really imagine ourselves living in the thick of all that, but we do enjoy going down there for stuff when when we really need to.
What are some of the biggest challenges for AUOD right now?
Drey] Right now? I’m not too sure to be honest. We take everything as it comes and try to deal with it in the best way we can.
Which of the band’s songs has the most meaning to you personally, and why?
Damian] All of the songs are personal, they all come from feelings, beliefs, personal experiences, dreams. Some of the newer stuff we’re working on is very personal. Right now I’m digging deep into how I feel about about a lot of things and why I feel the way I do, facing a lot of demons and exploring some wounds that are still very much open. I’m not saying it’s all going to be completely harrowing or even specific to my personal experiences, I think it will be a lot more relatable than the older stuff.
AUOD are kind of a constant on the Sphere office stereo, with Thingio being played a bunch – what experiences/ideas inspired that one?
Damian] Thingio’s full name is actually Thingio Serbije, it was written quite a few years ago. Lyrically it’s kind of jumbled but is generally about feeling like everyone is lying to you, feeling like the world is constantly trying to tell you what’s best for you and starting to realise that they’re actually trying to control you.
If you could soundtrack an existing film with the band’s music, which film would it be and why?
Damian] Alien, Aliens, or Alien 3. Most of our music wouldn’t fit with any of those films but the Alien franchise is unarguably the greatest film franchise of all time and Sigourney Weaver is my hero.
What are your major plans for the rest of the year?
Drey] Lots of touring. We have some new tunes that we’re gonna be playing live too. Exciting stuff.
What’s been the highlight of your career thus far?
Drey] Playing all the amazing shows we’ve been lucky enough to play and meeting some really lovely people. It really has been ace. We’re looking forward to whatever comes next.
What’s your advice to emerging acts from smaller cities and towns in getting exposure and making a splash as you guys have managed to.
Drey] You have to keep working hard, stay on top of your game and try play as many shows as you possibly can.. and you have to try and be a really good live band too – that always helps.
