AM I DEAD YET? is an all new musical project from a variety of individuals, who decided to come together to create a sound that is wide in size and retro in style. They go on to discuss about this whole project and what it has going for it.
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Noko: My band Apollo 440 has been my main contribution to the world of sound, but also guitar with Magazine and some other stuff stretching all the way back to the ‘80's.
Mary: I was in Gaye Bykers on Acid, Pigface and Apollo 440 alongside Noko. I also play with Pop Will Eat Itself. We started Am I Dead Yet? about a year and a half ago when Noko and I decided it was time to get together again to make some noise. I was visiting from Brazil and we found time to write the track called ‘Loneliness’. We found we'd stumbled on a musical aesthetic we both wanted to pursue and carried on writing until we had an album’s worth of material. Initially it was difficult as I was living in Brazil, so we were working remotely. I decided to move back to the UK and the process became much easier.
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
Noko: …from a painting, of the same name, by Deborah Griffin (2015). It forms the basis of our album cover.
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
Noko: I’m in London and there’s so much here, but my fave at the mo from here is Snapped Ankles. They deserve to be enormous. The last great thing I experienced in London was a pitch black playback of Seattle band Sunn((o))’s new album ‘Life Metal’ at high volume over a PA in the dark. Utterly magical and transportive.
Mary: I'm living in Brighton and I've only just moved there so am not really part of any scene musically although I like Royal Blood, who hail from here.
4. How would you describe your style?
Noko: Our soundscape is widescreen retro-cinematic; our mood is distinctly noir. It showcases Mary's lived-in baritone croon over a lush David Lynchian laptop orchestra, replete with the sumptuous twang of my vintage Gretsch "white falcon", buried deep in a canyon of spring reverb.
We’re all about sonic self-sufficiency : from Joe Meek to "Spiral Scratch" and into the void of the 21st Century.
Mary: Dark Symphonic Pop
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
Noko: Our new album "Am I Dead Yet?" is out this week. April 26th on Wire-Sound. If you bought it during our crowd funding month, you’ll have also heard our exclusive 5 track instrumental remix EP "6Never Mind The Bolex. Am I Dead Yet? Reimagined on 35mm’.
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
Noko: We’ve most of album #2 in our heads.
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
Noko: We’re playing a special album launch show on May 10th in London at The Islington and are in the process of lining up some more UK dates. We’ll be joined this time with our new rhythm section of Cliff Hewitt from Apollo 440 dubbing it up on drums and Derek ’Hoodlum Priest’ on bass.
In addition to this, as part of our crowd-fund, we’ll be taking an intimate scaled-down version of our show to living rooms in Hamburg and St. Leonard’s, which promises to be an interesting experience.
Mary: Also on May 18th we are playing at the Donkey in Leicester. Both Noko and I are very keen to get the "live thing" going, there is talk of a more comprehensive tour in September / October.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
Noko: To continue in the trajectory that we’ve started on and produce work of quality and magnificence, without compromise or interference. We’ve only just begun really.
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
The usual outlets: iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, in local record stores and direct at www.wire-sound.com.
You can keep up with us on www.amideadyet.co.uk or on our Facebook page (amideadyetband).
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
Noko: What’s killing you is also making you stronger.
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