In the midst of a tour with Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie, we chat to Antoine Lamothe (programming), and Alex Martel (vocals) of Deadly Apples.
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S] What were the direct moments that led to the reformation of the band?
Antoine] Alex and me were still friends and we knew that at some point we would get back to it. It was juste a question of time. After a long wait, we thought that opening for Rammstein would be a good way to kick things off. Since then we’ve been to Japan with Korn, to South America with Deftones, to Mexico with Scorpions and Ozzy, etc. And now we’re embarking on the big tour with Zombie and Manson. Good things come to those who wait!
Alex] The reason why we went on hiatus is because I’m also a promoter in Canada and my festival really took off big time, so I had to focus my time and energy. It was never because we didn’t get along or anything like that. After a few years, the festival kind of ran itself so I had more time. The exact moment when we decided the time had come was in the summer of 2016. I was getting out of a very painful relationship and spent a week with Antoine trying to get back on track, put my life back together. We rebuilt the band from scratch and took almost a year to prepare our comeback.
S] How would you advice other bands who are perhaps struggling for motivation to keep going?
Antoine] If you really feel that you have something to say and you’re ready to do whatever it takes to get somewhere, then go for it. Don’t hesitate a second ’cause it’s a pretty scary and tough business when you start thinking about it.
Alex] My advice is the same that I give people who ask me how to succeed as a promoter: just don’t do it. The chances are so slim, it’s one in a million. The planets need to be aligned.
S] Talk to us about the progression of the sound, why move away from the heavier industrial sound?
Antoine] I guess it’s the natural progression of how I write songs. I love moving forward, I don’t like to repeat things. The new album will be even more different, but the Deadly Apples intensity will always remain.
Alex] We also don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves in a genre that’s too specific, we both enjoy diversity.
S] What inspires the band outside of writing, think specific people, places?
Antoine] Movies are always a big source of inspiration for me. Horror movies. Being a director myself, I love to see what other directors have to say. Horror books and horror soundtracks too.
Alex] The way we feel also inspires us. Whether it’s heartbreak, anxiety, fear, etc. The lyrics are very personal and often dark. I’m much happier that I was when most of these songs were written years and years ago, but that dark place still exists in both of us in different ways.
S] How do you feel about touring, pros and cons?
Antoine] I love the moment that I’m on stage, it’s the best feeling in the world. Interacting with fans, seeing their reactions, etc. But on the other side, I really hate airplanes so…I have to deal with it. Everything comes with a price I guess.
Alex] I can’t complain, the fact that we’ve been playing these massive shows all around the world in the past year, with no album out yet is quite a miracle, so the cons don’t matter.
S] How has your attitude to success changed and developed over the years?
Antoine] Success? When I’ll be driving a Ferrari, then we’ll talk about success haha.
Alex] Right, we have to define success. But joking aside, having experienced success with my festival, I feel like it’s easy to become jaded and sit on your laurels. That’s part of the reason why I wanted to reactivate the band, to feel that hunger again, build something from scratch again.
