For our next decidedly epic Introducing Spotlight, we wanted to chat to Norwegian mentalcases Deathcrush. The band’s frontwoman Åse Røyset chats about their music and inspirations. What a fu**ing band. Dig this.
S] Outside of music, what’s inspiring your material now in 2013?
Åse Røyset] “There really hasn’t been time for much more than music this year. It’s embarrassing really. I’m proud to say I just read a book, but can’t say I feel much inspired by it. In the words of my favourite bookshop owner, “It’s dreadful but it’s quite short’.”
S] Talk us through the inspiration behind your new track, ‘Lesson #4 for Wharton Tiers / Strauss’
Å] “It’s hard to pinpoint an exact inspiration for that one track, for any track, really. ‘…Strauss’ was initially two separate songs, of which I played bass on one, guitar on the other. Our old drummer was very amused as me and Linn taught each other the riffs. We’ve never cared to learn those things you’re supposed to know, names of chords and stuff. So there was a lot of ‘Do like this, and then move your hand one fret further up. No, I mean…the other up’ It’s one of the tracks we’ve played live since our first show, and this recording is the first time it includes vocals. They’re actually from a song we wrote years ago, for our first band. So the track really is a puzzle of inspirations, going from 2006 or ‘07 when the lyrics were first sung, up until they were picked up again in the studio last summer.”
S] Is there another track from ‘Skool’s In’ that you’re proud of, and for what reasons – ideas, meaning or just the sound, for example?
Å] “Ehm…we’re proud of them all..? Or we wouldn’t have released them now, duh! We’ve referred to ‘You Now’, the first track, as ‘the hit’ since before anyone heard it. I guess we should be terrified now, when we actually unleash it upon the world. I really love Linn’s lyrics to this song. And about a third of it is her chanting ‘You. Now.’ The first time she sang it made me go, ‘why didn’t I think of that!’. We’re thrilled to be putting ‘Fire’ out on proper vinyl. I think it deserves that. Although we’ve also released it on flexi disc with our Deathcrush Magazine – which is of course a great medium. But maybe not so…sustainable. And we can’t wait to show you James Njies’s remix of it! We’ve been secretly playing it at after parties and DJ sets for months now. He’s signed to deadmau5’ label Mau5trap, and what can I say? It drops like it’s hot. ‘Cause it is hot. I couldn’t stop listening to it when we first received it. It still makes me giggle.”
S] How are you looking forward to your forthcoming UK shows?
Å] “It’s been too long! Linn and I lived in Liverpool for three years, and it’s where our musical lives really started, so we always love coming back. Playing Club NME at Koko will be great, we’ve heard so much about the venue and club night and can’t wait to see it with our own eyes.”
S] If you could come up with a Frankenstein’s monster for the Deathcrush sound, what would it be? The head of Sonic Youth and the arms of Helmet?
Å] “Well, it’d more likely be one of SY’s forefathers, DNA, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, or James Chance maybe? Yeah, let’s go for the head of James Chance, the drumming arms of Helmet sound good to us, and Dave Lombardo’s double pedalling feet… The torso of Yolandi [Die Antword], that includes her ass, right? Missing any vital parts then? Who need hands and legs with a ass like this?”
