The D.O.O.D. discusses their politically charged single "Subterfuge," blending serious themes with a lighthearted approach in their music and videos, while teasing upcoming projects and tours.
1. "Subterfuge"
has a strong message about governmental deception. What inspired you to delve
into such politically charged themes for this single?
Jonzey: We
do not have a political view that leans one way or another per se. We write
about real life, and in real life there is a fair amount of distrust going
around; especially when dealing with politics. Not everyone has our best
interest in mind and that is where the subterfuge comes in.
Monkeyboy:
Living in today’s society it’s a subject that is hard to avoid, people are so
concerned with political affiliations amongst the people that we forgot that at
the core of things the main goal is to improve the lives of all the people.
This single is a reminder that the government- the media, all the powers that
be, should be working for the people. A reminder that we should always question
authority. That sounds kind of heavy but the truth sometimes is. We don’t have
all the answers, but it is about time we stop being led by the nose and start
looking for the answers kinda thing.
2. The
music video for "Subterfuge" has a storyline involving a hit ordered
by a Governor running for president. Can you tell us more about the creative
process behind the video and how it ties into the song's message?
Monkeyboy:
I have always been a big fan of the old 70’s spy movies. This song obviously
has political connotations so I started thinking of a storyline that might be
in one of those old spy movies. With the song being called Subterfuge, which I
have always associated with spy culture, it seemed like a good place to start
having a politician doing something shady and covert operations cleaning up the
mess. As we progressed, we put a lot of our personalities into it, which aren’t
exactly serious all the time, and it just developed from there, then it was
just finding locations and people to help and filming it.
Jonzey: :
In the video, one of these politicians gets wind of the band calling him out
online. To silence the dissention, our fictional politician hires out a hit on
the band. In the end, the politician wins, the band is massacred, and Tootles
the cat turns 100!
3. How
do you balance the serious themes of your music with a lighthearted or campy
approach in your videos, as seen in "Subterfuge"?
Jonzey: We
make most of our own videos and that is really the answer. We love what we do,
and we have fun doing it, and therefore it shows in everything that we do.
Monkey Boy is the master mind behind most of the videos. He knows the shots
that he is looking for and does the editing of the video. We never take
ourselves or others too seriously and Brian is always willing to just be human.
People love that!
Monkeyboy:
We don’t feel our music all has to be serious, but we are serious about our
music. As a band we like to have fun- if there’s a message that’s great- but
people in general including us don’t want to be preached at nonstop about
anything, so in Subterfuge we took the serious topic of lies and corruption
from the media and government and used it as the core. As I said before big fan
of the spy movies of the 60’s and 70’s but the thought struck me that what if
we had all these spies who are doing all the covert tropes of those movies-
swapping briefcases around, meeting in dark places and public parks, but
dressed and acting in a way that there would be no chance that in today’s world
they could go unnoticed. The thought that a politician would care at all about
what some heavy metal band was saying about them is a bit ridiculous in itself.
It’s all subtle stuff but it usually give the song a more lighthearted feel,
serious as it may be.
4. Your
upcoming studio album is described as the next evolution of The D.O.O.D.'s
music. How would you say your sound has evolved over the years, and what can
fans expect from this new release?
Jonzey: We
have all been playing for a long time, but we have now all been playing
together for a long time. We are growing as musicians as we put in the hours,
days, weeks, months, and now years on our instruments. We bring a different
level of fluency to the game which has allowed our pieces to grow in
technicality when needed. The writing has taken a more collaborative approach
in this album with everyone pitching in to write and organize riffs into
pieces. We all love metal. Metal encompasses a lot of subgenres and each of us
has our own little niche in the metal world. We work to bring together the
elements and techniques of the music that we love, creating pieces that are
unique to us and convey a myriad of emotions. Our fans know that we are not tied
to any one subgenre and that we paint with all the colors on the pallet. They
will not be surprised by the variety of songs, sounds, and techniques but some
of our new fans might.
Monkeyboy:
For sure and each and every album we do we put together a new approach at what
we are doing, I don’t think we will ever stop trying to inject some different
elements into new albums.
5. With
influences like Lamb of God, Pantera, and Avatar, how do these bands impact
your music, and how do you ensure that you're paying homage while also forging
your own identity?
Jonzey: We
all listen to very different music and when you put it all in the blender and
give it a whirl, out comes something new and old, different yet familiar. We do
not have a certain intention for the songs when they are written. They just
kind of take on a life of their own as they go. Some make it, and some don’t.
We save all the songs that don’t make it on the album, and all the cool riffs
that we didn’t use, and revisit them when writing new material. We write
constantly and always have new songs in the works.
Monkeyboy:
As far as forging our own identity, I think it happens naturally. We may cross
over into different territories at times but as a listener I think a signature
sound is apparent.
6. The
D.O.O.D. has a theatrical stage presence. How does this theatricality enhance
your live shows, and what do you aim to convey to your audience through your
performances?
Jonzey: We
added in the theatrical element for a CD release party for Playtime in the
Apocalypse, and some of it has carried over into our current sets. The visuals
add context to the songs that we play and keep the show entertaining and fun.
We are a very interactive band; willing to break through that fourth wall. We
are cordless and not bound to the stage. We will come interact with you. Fans
have been known to get sprayed with silly string, to participate in a paper
ball fight, and even let out a little of their pint up energy with a pool
noodle bash!
Monkeyboy:
Honestly the main goal is to put on the best show we can and make sure that the
audience is happy that they paid their money, and they took their ride so to
speak. The show changes up, sometimes even nightly, but no matter what the main
goal of anything we do is to make sure everyone has a good time.
7. You've
received praise for your live performances and video production. How important
is the visual aspect of your music, and how does it contribute to the overall
experience for your fans?
Monkeyboy:
The visual aspect has always been important. We have always liked to do
something that is at the very least interesting and I think it has worked well
for us and our fans over the years. Having said that, it is important to point
out that the visual aspect is only one side of the coin, if the music isn’t
there then visuals alone will not carry a show or a video or an album. I think
we have become a bit more music centric as of late, but we don’t forsake the
visual aspect of what we do, its fun for us and fun for fans, and it gives each
album/tour its own distinct feel.
8. Could
you share some insights into your songwriting process? How do you approach
crafting lyrics and music that resonates with listeners?
Jonzey: The
song writing process is different for each song. Some songs start as a riff and
are a song in a day’s time and others take months. Sone are just riffs that we
hang on to until the right moment presents itself to use it. The song Chaos For
The Fly started as Indy’s riffs, and we worked through them instrumentally
until we had all the parts down and a structure that we liked. Then Monkeyboy
added vocals and we adjusted the parts as needed. Other times Monkeyboy will
write a song and then we each add our own spin on it, like Back of Hell. Either
way, we play it a million times and make sure that it has the flow and the
feeling we like. Then we play it at a few live shows to see how it’s hitting
and what the reaction is from the audience. If all goes well, it becomes a new
song. Even having said that, not all our songs end up on the album.
Monkeyboy:
As far as lyrics are concerned sometimes the song will strike me a certain way
and it becomes obvious from the music what the song should be about- but on a
lot of them it could be Jonzey, Indy, Ray, or Rudy coming up with ideas for the
content of a song, there have been many times when I have written lyrics and
Jonzey will tell me, “hey you know what would sound good instead of that…” and
then give me something brilliant to work with. Overall, I think we all write
music that we want to hear as listeners, and we have been very lucky that
others have the same taste in music.
9. As a
band that has been active since 2004, what have been some of the highlights and
challenges of your musical journey so far?
Jonzey: We
have had the pleasure of seeing a great deal of our beautiful country and we
have played with many of our favorite bands. We opened for bands that we grew
up listening to, met people that were our heroes, and made friends all over the
world. We were very fortunate to cut our teeth at the State Theatre in St. Pete
with JRock and Patty and Rock-Solid Pressure. They put us and many of our
fellow bands on the big stage and taught us the ropes. We participated in
Industry Showcases, learning from the judges what the labels want and are
looking for. Being a band for so long means that life is going to make changes
and that can be a challenge. We are very much like one big family, and we spend
a lot of time together. We try to stand by each other in the band and in life,
we are brothers. Our only real obstacle is that we are not filthy rich, just in
case any of you want to adopt a band.
Monkeyboy:
Yes, please send money and foodstuffs to the Save The Musicians Fund.
10. Looking
ahead, what are your aspirations for The D.O.O.D.? Are there any upcoming
tours, collaborations, or projects that you're excited about sharing with your
fans?
Jonzey: We
are heading back to Reno in May! This will be a return visit and we are always
glad to get a chance to get out there and see them. Upon our return, we will be
in the studio for the rest of the month finishing up our album at the one and
only Morrissound in Tampa, Florida. We will be out on the road this summer in
support of our new album, and in June we will be headlining Skull Fest in
Kentucky, and we will be touring that area of the country in June as well. Our
album will drop in the fall, and we will see what happens from there. We
have plans for touring Europe by next year.
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