DEADMANSWAKE has been referred to as "female-fronted Chicago metal with a whole lotta balls" and that certainly seems accurate. JP Soule and Josh Barker join forces to deliver slashing guitar tradeoffs. "Troll" - delivering rock-solid basslines that bring bass from the shadows to which its so often relegated - and new addition Kip Kiebles - pounding passion into drums - provide a solid rhythmic backbone. And through it all, vocalist Kryssie Ridolfi's edgy, blues-tinted voice weaves in and out with lyrics that actually mean something. Together, this group brings something refreshing to the table - an actual band. These talented performers are more than just "a female frontperson and some guys that play instruments" - they're a true unit, as I got to see when I sat down to chat with these guys via phone to learn a bit more about the people that make up DEADMANSWAKE.
((Note: Some answers were paraphrased out of necessity involved with having interviewed over the phone, but all has been verified with the band.))
Q: So, sorry to ask the totally boring question, but I have to. How'd you guys meet and start playing together?
A: JP - I joined an existing band, and we broke up after about six months. Then I heard from two of the former members separately and we started anew. We were kinda come-and-go with members for a while, and then in 2006 the name was officially changed to DEADMANSWAKE. It was actually the suggestion of one of a former member's friends. I fronted for a while but I didn't really like my voice, and then we got a new vocalist; he was with us for about a year. There were just different problems, you know, he could scream well but we were lacking that melodic vocal. We let him go and held auditions for a new singer. I wasn't necessarily looking for a female vocalist, but I was open to it, and then Kryssie knocked the audition out of the park. Since then, we've had a lot of personnel changes... Kryssie's been in for almost three years, Josh has been here for a year and a half, with Dan about the same, and Kip's been with us since December. Now, this is IT. No more changes, or the first thing they'll see is a red dot on their chest from the hitman I hired!
Q: Wait, Dan? Is that Troll? Why that name?
A: "If you met Troll, everything would fall right into place."
Troll - I was actually called that in a mean way in high school because I was annoying a girl, and it kinda just stuck. I use it for everything now.
Kryssie - We've had comments about it on Facebook saying that you aren't truly a metal band until you have a guy named Troll.
Q: I guess I’ll ask this – I didn’t really intend to, but I thought about it when Troll started talking. What’s the deal with all this stuff about beer and cheese? Isn’t cheese supposed to go with wine?
A: There’s much, much more variety with beer than wine. I urge you to look that up.
Kryssie - He’s an incredibly picky eater, and with me being one of the cooks in the band it makes me absolutely bananas. He’s impossible to feed. Mostly I see him eat cheese, and fries, and nachos.
The chips are a cheese conveyance.
I heard a rumor that Dan once ate a doughnut.
Kryssie - It’s true, I witnessed said doughnut! To be perfectly honest, it’s nice that someone else noticed he doesn’t eat a damn thing. I told him we show love by feeding people!
He’ll eat ice cream cake in the shape of a beer.
True; for his birthday we got him a Dairy Queen ice cream cake in the shape of a beer. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.
Q: What is it that provides the inspiration for your lyrics?
A: Kryssie - I'm a huge fan of really poetic lyrics, and a lot of it was already written when I joined. But when they gave it to me it was all instrumental - I wasn't allowed to hear the vocals - and it kinda blossomed into me drawing from personal experiences. I was at a huge renaissance in my life. I'd just gotten out of a two and a half year relationship, and I was growing up. I wrote about things that pissed me off in the past or messages I hoped to convey to people in my life. I draw on everything that ever happened to me, because the only thing in life is what you know.
Q: So, of the songs on your album, what do you connect with most on a personal level?
A: Kryssie – It’s tough to choose. “Back to Blood” is a lot of fun. I’m a huge fan of horror films and that genre but our former drummer really didn’t want to incorporate that into the music. But if you really listen, “Back to Blood” is about being turned into a zombie, and your feelings for the person who bit you. It was kind of an underhanded way of getting the horror them onto the album. But I think I relate the most to “Homeless” which wasn’t originally going to be on the album. It speaks volumes about my whole existence with this band.
Troll - Well, I have a harder time connecting because most of it was written before I came along. So I relate to the newer stuff that I had a hand creatively writing from the ground up. I do agree that “Back to Blood” is fun.
Kip - I’m the same – everything was written by the time I got here. I connect because I dig it all. “Selfish” was the first in which I pulled together with these guys. It’s heavy, with an edge and angst and it really just says “Sit down, hush up, and listen because we’ve got something to say.”
(Kryssie - Wow, Kip, we need to get you a cheerleader outfit!)
Josh - Ah, well, I’m the other new guy. I think I connect most with “Back to Blood” because it was the first one I heard. Kryssie started singing and she pretty much kicked my butt with it. I love the lyrics, especially the line “When I said I wanted to bury the hatchet I didn’t want to bury it in my back.” I walked into the first practice with about half of it learned. JP started playing and I was just like, “Oh, so that must mean I play this part.”
JP - Musically speaking, I’m most proud of “Far Be It From Me” because it came out of nowhere and it was really written on the fly; all of it just fell into place. Lyrically, “Selfish” resonates really well with me, plus I did a lot of the backing vocals. The chorus was actually one of the first we wrote together. When we put out the EP, our producer put it last because it was the strongest chorus to close with. (“Fun fact – if you wait isolate JP’s vocals, he sounds like Michael Bolton.”)
Q: Ignoring Twilight (“Ah, that won’t be hard.”) – vampires or werewolves?
A: “Uh oh. You just asked that question to a bunch of big horror nerds, big dorks.”
Kryssie - If we’re talking Lon Cheney, I’d say werewolves. Leslie Nielsen – vampires. But really, I’m Italian, I couldn’t stay away from garlic if you paid me!”
JP - Vampires are super cool but I don’t know that I could deal with the living indefinitely. I like werewolves because you get to change, and because if you’re careful nobody’ll ever know. You’ll just go around and be a werewolf and we safe. But if I were a werewolf I’d change completely, I wouldn’t be that man-wolf thing.
Troll - Eddie Murphey made a pretty awesome vampire.
Kip - I just like cheerleaders. Band colors are black and red.. The only time I’m serious is when I’m behind the kit with my sticks.
Josh - I’m actually going to give a serious answer. Werewolves, only because I like the idea of dichotomy. And what if you don’t want to transform, don’t like the monster you are? I just like the whole dichotomy of the situation.
Q: What band do you guys look up to the most?
A: Iron Maiden. We’re all super passionate about our counterparts with this band.
Kryssie - I’d like to be Bruce Dickinson when I grow up.
JP - I’m a huge Zakk Wylde fan, but I take my inspiration from a lot of bands. I’m an all-around metal snob.
Josh - Slash, John Petrucci from Dream Theatre, David Gilmour from Pink Floyd, Satriani. I started because of Metallica. I really take inspiration from wherever I can.
Kryssie - Well, I grew up as a guitar player – the vocalist thing didn’t happen until this band; I’m a tenor 1m which is like the highest dude in a choir – so I think there are just some really iconic frontmen who made me who I am onstage. Alice Cooper is big – I’ve got his face tattooed on my bicep. Lzzy Hale from Halestorm is really cool and knows what she’s doing.
Troll – (Kryssie – You know I inspire you.) Damn right, Kryssie inspires me. Really, I don’t know. I listen to a lot of Jazz on the side. Yeah, Iron Maiden. And Alex Webster from Cannibal Corpse – he is so damn fast.
Q: You guys shared the stage with In This Moment and Eyes Set to Kill earlier this year. What was that like?
A: That was actually two separate shows, so we’ll take them separately. ESTK came first; the promoter sent us an email saying they had this band they thought we’d fit really well with, and it was at a venue we’d played before. JP jumped for it. The band was kinda quiet, you know, they didn’t really talk us much, but they put on a good show.
ITM was incredibly gracious, they’re super nice people. It was cool because Jeff actually watched the show, and Chris, and Blake was in and out. They really put on one hell of a show.
Kryssie: I was right up in the front against the bar while they were onstage. It was the same promoter as before, and when he came to us I pretty much peed my pants. I told the guys, “We’re taking this show; I don’t care if you’re busy or if you’re out of town – we’re taking this show.” Hopefully we’ll be able to get on the road with them at some point, for more than one show.
It was really, really interesting to see the difference in the crowds and how differently they reacted to us. At the end of ESTK someone in the front was like “Aw, no breakdowns?” and I was like “No, numbnuts, we’re not that kind of band.” Honestly, they really DIDN’T react to us. There’s a picture and you can see this girl in the front row texting while we were playing. They were kinda into that kind and that kind only. With ITM, the crowd was all about us. Obviously they still weren’t there to see us… but there were a lot more fists in the air. A lot of CDs were signed that night.
Q: Who’d last longest in a zombie invasion? Who’d need to be protected?
A: Josh – At least three of us have done this on Facebook, and we all survived pretty much the entire apocalypse.
Kryssie - We’d be smart enough to find high ground and post guns at every entrance, and I’d be sitting back sunbathing.
JP – Kip and I both have guns. I think we’d all protect each other.
Kip - If DMW’s a cake, Kryssie’s the frosting. We’d all protect her.
Q: A lot of bands refer to themselves as family. So does that include the sibling-esque shouting matches?
A: Yeah, it happens sometimes but fortunately our screaming matches have been restrained to kinda emphatic talking matches. There hasn’t been like screaming and fingers in people’s faces and slamming the door.
Kryssie - There’ve been a lot of changes, but in the current lineup we’re all good friends. They’re my best friends, I wouldn’t trade them for the world, but yeah we absolutely have those family discussions. I end up being mom a lot of the time, but it’s not a problem because we’ve found ways to not make it a big deal.
We seem to get through it most quickly when we’re mature. We’re in this as a career and we’re all grownup enough not to let petty little BS get between things.
Kip - I might be the new guy, but I don’t feel like the new guy. I feel like family.
JP - You’re gonna scream in each other’s faces sometimes. If all you’re doing is smiling in people’s faces, there’s shit going on behind the scenes. I’d rather have it out than disintegrate because we can’t talk.
Kip - Of course. We’re all 20% and we wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Kryssie - In all the different incarnations of the band, we were never this close. Everybody just gets it. We’re in it because we want to be a band 24/7.
Josh - I just hate all of you.
JP - Eh, Josh only showers like once a month. We’re thinking about getting rid of him.
Q: Does it ever floor you, hearing from fans overseas? Do you ever get used to it?
A: I don’t think you DO get used to that.
Josh: - When Troll was saying he was shipping overseas, I was like that technically makes us international recording artists, but I mean we’re unsigned local Chicago bands, but the fact that we’re out there and may one day get out there… Trying to actually grasp that in your head, I’m not sure we’ll be able to until we’re out in front of Big Ben and maybe not even then we’ll be like “Duhhh.” I work at Noodles&Co and I had a girl walk in last week with a DMW button. I was just completely playing along with her and it took her a few minutes to figure it out but I mean getting recognized…
Troll - It’s actually very frustrating because we can’t afford to go do that now. We must have this image as being bigger than we are. Any one of us would get over there and play if we could, but we’re not rich.
Kryssie - We’re making leaps and bounds as far as popularity is concerned, for an unsigned band. The closest we came to an investor was Troll’s mom giving us money to duplicate CD’s and we had to pay her back! We try to put up videos and stuff to still connect and stuff. It’s really cool, though. We’re actually going to be on a female-fronted metal compilation by Femme Metal records. It’s very exciting to have fans so far away but it’s also very sad to know you can’t go and meet them face to face.
Kip - I’ll play for free, just get me there.
JP - One of the coolest things that has happened since this band has become what it has become is we signed a CD from this guy in France and he displayed it in his house and he has pictures of it on his facebook and it’s like “My signature’s on the other side of the PLANET.”
Kryssie - It is very strange though. I mean I work at a crappy diner and I’ll go to table and kids’ll be like “OMG you’re the singer from DMW” and I’m like “How the hell do you know that?”
JP - Here’s the best getting recognized story. Opening for ESTK, one of the other bands on the bill Dreaming of Eden, they ah, we were hanging out by our merch table after the show and they were giving away or selling these posters of them, and this kid comes up to me and he’s like “Will you sign this for me?” and this member who’s no longer in the band was bald and had a goatee. Two minutes later another kid comes up to me and he’s like “Good show will you sign my poster?” and I’m like “hang on, let me get you one of MY band’s posters.”
Kryssie - Let me finish it!!! Okay, so our photographer Jeff – painter and roommate – and the second kid was sitting outside the bathroom and Jeff heard him say “Man, I got the wrong bald guy!” We always joke around that he looks like the guy from Anthrax.
Q: What else do you guys do, hobby-wise?
A: Kip – I like to hunt, I like to ride motorcycles, I like my boys. My boys are everything: they like motorcycles, dirt, and drums. They’re all guy things. (“And he’s into cheerleading too.”)
Josh - Well… I play guitar. I’m either in some form of writing or I’m playing guitar. I go running a lot, I guess that counts. (Kryssie – Skinny bastard.) I like to cook. My hobby would be, I guess along with Dan, I’m kind of a rum snob. Dan’s not a beer snob he’s a beer connoisseur. (Troll – I prefer the term beer advocate.) Oh, okay, he’s a beer advocate, I’m a rum advocate.
JP – I’m starting to become quite the tattoo enthusiast. I just got my fourth (“That’s not a tattoo it’s a mural!” Kryssie – Ladies, I have more tattoos than any of you.) You started years ago! (Kryssie – you’re like NINE years older than me!) But I just started last summer! Anyway, I’m planning on an Iron Maiden half sleeve, and a JAWS half sleeve or full sleeve – that’s my favorite movie. I have a pretty extensive t-shirt collection. Video games, lots of horror movies, and of course guitar. You never reach the end of it – there’s always something more to learn. I enjoy shooting - (Kryssie – That’s a terrifying way to end that!) – shooting paper targets in a range. One of Kryssie’s hobbies is tearing me down.
Kryssie – I wait tables, which I can hardly call a hobby. I’d like to quit. But I teach horror makeup application, and I collect Nightmare on Elm Street memorabilia. I like web design, flyers and stuff. If you see anything that looks good, I probably did it.
Q: Top movie of all time?
A: Kryssie – Nightmare on Elm Street
JP – JAWS
Troll – Office Space
Kip – Pee Wee Herman’s Big Adventure. Naked Gun – the slapstick comedy just gets me. I laugh at the same parts every time.
Josh – The Dark Knight, Thank You For Smoking, the Lion King
Q: What are your thoughts on reality TV? What about insta-fame a la American Idol?
A: Kip - Kip hates reality TV. The closest I want to get is the news. Other than that, music and sports.
JP – What I think is funny about “reality” TV is that it really isn’t. One of the only shows I watched was the Osbournes of course because it’s Ozzy. But that shuffling, giddy old man you see on that TV show, that’s not Ozzy. There’s nothing realistic about having a camera follow you around all the time. If someone offered, would we do it? Um, yeah. (In a heartbeat.) It’s just another way for people to get their fifteen minutes. You either stretch it out or you disappear.
Josh: Going on the last end of the question, American Idol, some of those people, when they come off that show, to me it’s just like “okay, you guys did great having songs handed to you, but a lot of those artists yeah they right some of their own when they’re by themselves, but any pop artist out there might right their own lyrics but half the time they don’t right half of it.” Yeah, our producer has input but we choose what we do, we do what WE do. Sucks for them, but a lot of what they do is not as genuine as this.
Kryssie: Here’s a secret: Many years ago, I auditioned for American Idol. I got dared to by someone I worked with to go out there and sing “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You?” but what they don’t tell you that those giant shots are actually just the first day of two or three. They weed through all those people and you go through so many. I made it past the first two rounds of my audition but the producer told me that with how I looked no one would vote for me. At that time, I had multicolor hair, one facial piercing, and very visible tattoos. And then that year Bo Bice and Daughtry were on. I find it interesting that now stuff like that has become mainstream and all of a sudden it’s okay but they wouldn’t take me because of my appearance.
Kip: It’s no longer about a singer, it’s guitar and piano, and…
Kryssie: They’re no longer auditioning singers, they’re casting a show. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of it. If I auditioned now, they’d probably have a totally different response. Though it should be noted that Kelly Clarkson can sing. She’s phenomenal, really awesome and insanely humble. You know, I wait tables for a living, I can’t afford TV. I’d probably totally want to be on a reality show. I think it’d be hilarious for someone to follow me around. But can you imagine being a fly on the wall for that?
Troll: It’d be pretty horrific to see me, sitting around in my underwear, playing Call of Duty all day.
Q: What’s the deal with the online voting going on right now? Is that for this year’s Warped? How’s it work?
A: That’s this year’s voting. Top one hundred for every venue will get reviewed and they’ll choose four per opening slot per date. So the odds are actually better than they look. The problem is you know some people will cheat, so they actually listen to you before they decide no matter what the votes say.
Q: Are there any stereotypes you’d like to contradict?
A: Kryssie - One email that I get all the time is “Your band is really great but I wish you would scream” and that drives me absolutely bananas because one, I suck, I can’t scream. There’s a science to it and I don’t get it. I mean, I realize that I have a gift but I don’t want to screw that up because I can’t scream just because it’s the trend. That’s not saying I don’t like screaming bands, but it’s just not us.
Kip - To support Kryssie, we all play instruments but Kryssie happens to wear hers. She has to take care of it.
Kryssie - Something I learned from an interview with Lzzy Hale: If it hurts you, don’t do it; I’d like someone to listen in ten years and have it still be relevant. It’s a lofty goal, but I want to be one of those bands that you can listen to things they recorded 25 years ago and have it still work. We’re a completely different take. I mean, I’m not a size two I’m not blonde, I don’t look like this, but it does work when we’re with other female-fronted bands and there are some groups of people that just listen to things because they have female singers. We don’t really play up the fact that I’m a girl, you know? It’s a double-edged sword.
JP - A lot of female-fronted bands are a female front-person and some guys that play instruments. We are a band. So she’s the frosting, so? You eat the whole damn cake! She may be the main focus a lot of the time, but it’s because she’s a front-person not because she’s a girl. Nobody here is more important than anyone else. We all lay an equal amount of cards on the table.
Kryssie - It’s ridiculous because a lot of the charm in a lot of bands is that chemistry. I don’t deserve any more attention than them just because I have a set of boobs. I want us to stay accessible. They wipe their rear end too I guarantee it. We’re all people and just because I do this for a living doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be able to sit down at the end of the day and have a normal conversation with someone. I live with my sister and my eight year old nephew. He was with a friend and he made her be the drummer and he played guitar and sang. She started to sing along and he stopped and “I’m the star not you.” Then he looked at me and said, “Just like you, right, Aunt Kryssie?” And I told him, “Honey, if you don’t have people behind you, you’re nobody.”
Kip - I’ve been in a lot, but this is the best act that I’ve landed and I’ve never gotten phone calls saying “this stuff is fantastic, when are you doing all ages?” I’m very proud of DMW.
We are all clean and don’t use any drugs. There’s nothing you can pack into a needle that can get you higher than running out onstage and playing for people who love what you do. There’s no greater feeling than hearing a crowd singing lyrics back to you. The first time I heard it I dropped my pick. If you put five drugs, five drinks, and the stage on a bar, we’ll run out to the stage. And that kind of high doesn’t kill you in your sleep when you’re 48 years old. (“Well, Troll might take his drink with him.”)
Q: How have you guys been affected by the media exposure and attention?
A: Kryssie: Again, it’s a double edged sword, for serious. On one hand, it’s really cool because people I haven’t talked to in ten years are coming out of the woodwork. On the other hand, I get a lot of creepy guys on the internet who’d have no idea of who I was if they didn’t see a picture of me in a nurse’s dress being chased by zombies. But you know you’ve gotta take the good with the bad. There are some scary people out there, but it is really cool. I don’t know that it’s affected me personally in a negative way.
Josh: One thing we’ve noticed since the album came out, one thing that’s been popping up with former members of the band, is that they’ll quote us in their press and on their media where they’re like “formerly in DEADMANSWAKE” and it’s getting our name out but it’s like, “Wait, you quit for a reason,” and it’s kinda frustrating having someone ride our coattails.
Troll: I think it puts us on a little bit of a higher level. Even though they left they think we’re good enough that they can do that. But you know, seeing your name out there and hearing people talk about you – it’s obviously an ego boost, but since it’s mostly been on the internet and in print and it hasn’t really gotten crazy so people come out and are like “Oh, you’re so-and-so, can I have your autograph?” I can understand when celebrities don’t want to deal, but I’m not really social so it’s nice to not have people coming up all the time. (“It is insanely flattering though.”) To use Josh’s word, that’s kinda the dichotomy of it. I can understand, but…
Kip: I don’t like cameras in my face, you know, famous or otherwise get those cameras out of my face or I might knock you down... I hope people hate us, or love us, but nothing in the middle. I mean, I’ll take what I can get when I can get it but I think we’re only half as good and half as bad as they say .
Kryssie: Almost three years ago when I walked into the garage for my audition, I never thought we’d get this big. We’ve got regular radio play and you know that’s huge for an unsigned band. It makes me really proud that people actually care what we’re doing. (“It validates the hard work we’re doing.”) I just hope it continues to be as good for us.
I had a great time interviewing these guys, and I learned a lot at the same time. If you like what you've read, check out the websites!
http://www.deadmanswake.com/
www.myspace.com/deadmanswakechicago
So, tell me, what did you think about what you read? Did you check 'em out? What did you think? Have a favorite song? Let me know!
Love you guys!
Mari
marissa.billiet@hotmail.com
www.twitter.com/musiccrit
