Quick-fire Questions: 10 minutes with Deadletter
Drawn from Yorkshire to the current booming scene in South London, the gang of childhood friends that make up Deadletter are doing their measured best to have a ball amid the current permacrisis. “Life imitates art,” they sing, and their jagged Gang of Youth-like chops implies an acerbic society.
Set to support Placebo on their forthcoming European tour, Deadletter’s star is rising. With a slurry of new singles under their belt too, they’re ticking the live and studio box as they go along and gather up a following and fine-tune their sound.
“We wanted to make something that had elements of humour and danceability, trying to explore a genuinely terrifying idea in a manner which mirrors our cultural fascination with it,” frontman Zac Lawrence said of their latest EP, Heat. “Our tendency to work around the drumbeat and bassline is highly evident here, with the song climaxing in a cacophony of primal ecstasy.”
With all that in mind, we caught up with Zac to get to know the post-punk outfit a little bit better. We hooked up with the charming frontman for a round of quick-fire questions. After all, if you don’t have long to get to know someone, then it’s best to pick their brain on big issues and trifling insignificance in rapid succession.
Quick-fire Questions: 10 minutes with Deadletter:
1. What song do you want played at your funeral?
“‘Perfect Day’ by Lou Reed. I’d like to think it’d be a beautiful send-off and hopefully keep spirits high.”
2. Who is the greatest songwriter of all time?
“It’s a really hard question to answer. There’s a handful of artists I could say dependent on what I’m listening to, but today, as it stands right now, it’s Leonard Cohen.”
3. Could you rewire a plug?
“I’d not be able to explain how to do so; however, I reckon I’d have a good crack at it if I were faced with having to do so.”
4. Who the fuck is Mark E. Smith?
“An enigma, a genius, a pioneer. The most unique creative to have ever existed.”
5. What’s the most memorable show you’ve played to date?
“It’s a very close tie between the culmination of our first UK tour at the 100 club – it being a significant marker of where we are as a band, and our late-night show at Left Of The Dial just the other week; the Dutch know how to lose it.”
6. Favourite podcast?
“I’m not an avid podcast listener. However, I love working with Bob Mortimer and Andy Dawson’s Athletico Mince podcast on in the background. I’m not even a football fan, but it’s absurdly hilarious.”
7. Dream five-piece supergroup?
“Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, George Harrison, Roy Orbison… hang on…”
8. What was the last book you read? And what school grade would you give it?
“Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol. I’d give it a 6/10. It started strong, but I didn’t so much enjoy the ending. Only read it because so many other Russian novelists reference it.”
9. Who was your first celebrity crush?
“I think the first celebrity who caught my eye was Kira Knightley when I was about 7 years old. In the role of Elizabeth Swan, of course. Either her or the pink one in Tweenies.”
10. How often do you practice?
“We get at least one practice (writing session) in per week. That is if we’re not busy with our touring schedule.”
11. If you could have made the soundtrack for a film, what would it be?
“I’d love to do something moving and emotional, with an orchestra. Maybe Pursuit Of Happiness?”
12. One strange food quirk you think everyone should try?
“Marmite on toast with banana. It’s surprisingly incredible.”
13. What is your go-to takeaway?
“I love a curry with paneer and aubergine or butternut squash.”
14. What is your most controversial arts-based opinion?
“I find Jeff Buckley’s voice grating. I’ve tried, but I just cannot bare to listen to him.”
15. Are The Beatles overrated?
“Absolutely not. They worked really fucking hard to get to the place they were at. They got to know one another so firmly, personally and creatively, and that’s why almost everything they did worked and is still viewed with awe today.”
