GEORGE CLARKE – DEAFHEAVEN

Every now and then, you come across a band that completely bends the stereotypical definitions of a musical genre. Merging the blissful extremities of black metal with the eerie, soothing elements of shoe-gaze and the like to create some of the most captivating and intense music you’ve ever heard, Deafheaven is one of those bands. Consistently defying the odds since they began in 2010, the San Fransisco metallers have been the subject of much debate among metalhead  elitists and people that don’t mind their metal with a side of something else. Following the success of one of the most breathtaking albums of 2013, ‘Sunbather’, this five piece outfit have returned in 2016 once again to spark further emotion, discussion and rattle ear drums with their latest offering, ‘New Bermuda’. Metal Obsession had the pleasure and honour of speaking with George Clarke, one of the masterminnds behind this band to talk about the new album, what it’s like being the subject of heated discussion in the world of music, the importance of friendship and much more.

Deafheaven’s first ever Australian tour was in 2014, right after they released ‘Sunbather’ and they’re really looking forward to their return to our shores. ” I am absolutely thrilled”, George said excitedly, “It’s actually crazy that we’re coming back – we’ve known it for a while and I have been looking forward to it for a long time. Now with the new album out we can’t wait to play the new music live for our Australian fans – the last time we were there we had a lot of fun. Such a great place with a good crowd and lovely people.” What was George’s favourite memory from the last tour? It’s a ‘bloody’ good one. ” As far as the shows go, probably Brisbane. I jumped into the crowd – well somersaulted actually and I got dropped. I fell down near one of the front monitors which had a metal grate on it and that cut my ear; into half pretty much. There was a lot of blood everywhere but it was fine. I got some medical attention and the show went on.” Well it doesn’t get any more metal than that now does it!

Renowned for the intensity of their live shows, the vocalist of Deafheaven shared what Australian fans could expect this time around. “ We’ll definitely be playing a lot of music from the new album and I’m really excited about this because the new material translates really well in a live setting. It’ll be loud, intense and a very emotional experience – one that will leave people drained.”

‘New Bermuda’ is undeniably one of the best releases of 2015 and the response was massive yet mixed. ” At this point, people know what to expect from us, so people we don’t really cater to just don’t listen to it. The polarizing thing is not new to us and we don’t view it as strongly as we used to, or give it as much importance but it is obviously still there. People do have mixed feelings about our music but that’s just how it is. But other than that, we’ve had a really great response overall so there’s really nothing we can complain about.”

Deafheaven’s latest offering has stepped into heavier realms this time yet simultaneously maintains an addictive and soothing melodic soundscape throughout the entire length of the album. The complex structures and sheer intricacy of ‘New Bermuda’ is what appealed to me most, and in some aspects is more accessible than ‘Sunbather’. “The direction we wanted to go in in terms of sound is something we did have an idea about from the start but also developed as we we writing the album – so it’s a little bit of both. It was definitely something we kept talking about, we wanted to take away the bassyness and replace it with strong catchy melodies and kind of beef up the heavier parts. We wanted a record that was a little more focused and intense. From a production standpoint we wanted something that sounded a bit larger – definitely natural, like louder drums and vocals but for the most part it was the same. We recorded live with the same engineer at the same studio.” Deafheaven did indeed head back to Atomic Garden to work with Jack Shirley, who had produced Sunbather and the band’s debut album as well. “It’s just so easy to work with him – it was like working with a really good friend who’s an excellent sound engineer. We felt comfortable and at this point he understands us and what we wanted.”

The title and title tracks are simple, subtle yet quite meaningful and the music, undoubtedly reflects the theme of this album as it’s soaring moments of upbeat heaviness and brutality perfectly compliment the more sombre and calming soundscapes. “The whole album feels like we’re moving to a new area” George reckons, ‘The changes that your life takes, especially that transition into becoming an adult and all those new, sometimes mundane experience you go through as part of becoming an adult. I thought ‘New Bermuda’ sounded like that and I think we’ve always aimed for something that is simple yet meaningful and hopefully intriguing.”

Being the creators of such an unorthodox style of music, George also shared his thoughts on how different people’s views are on the band. ” I mean I kind of expect the very mixed reactions now – I never used to though. None of us were used to it. People at times, called us the pioneers of  the sound, that is merging the likes of black metal, shoegaze etc. But the truth is, we’re influenced by so many different bands who were doing this way before us. Whatever people call us I’m just like’ that’s fine’ whether they think we’re metal or not. What kind of metal – who knows but I think we’re definitely a metal band and we can hold our own against other metal bands. People can think what they want. I think that’s why on the new album, we’ve sort of moved away from that kind of sound and made it more focused and tighter. ”

Guitarist Kerry McCoy and co-founder of the band has a long history with George, the two having been friends for a long time. On asking the impact and influence this friendship has on their band, George immediately replies, ” It definitely has a big influence. We  know each other well and  know how to communicate with each other which to me, is the strongest part. So if someone has an idea  that the other doesn’t feel strongly about, we can talk about it with ease and not make it a big deal. We also like the same music and so things make  sense to us in the same way and it definitely makes the whole process a lot easier.”

Describe your music in a few words. “Emotional weird metal! It depends on who the person is I guess. If the person is into metal, it’s easier to get into detail.“

Deafheaven don’t just create music, they create a massive experience, one that any open-minded music enthusiast must indulge in. Show up in numbers Australia. Catch Deafheaven live on the following dates:

Deafheaven 2016 Australian Tour

Thursday, 2nd June  -Sydney Opera House, Sydney (as part of VIVID Live!) Tickets: Handsome Tours

Friday, 3rd June Corner Hotel, Melbourne Tickets: Handsome Tours

Saturday, 4th June Crowbar, Brisbane Tickets: Handsome Tours

Monday, 6th June Rosemount Hotel, Perth Tickets: Handsome Tours

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