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Deadsea

Local Gold

By Adam Smith with Reyan Ali

By Adam Smith (with Reyan Ali)

Our members are... Jeremy Spears (drums and percussion), Alex Conley (bass, guitar and vocals), and Adam Smith (guitars, keyboards and vocals).

We formed in... 2003. I became inspired to write some metal with arrangements that I liked [like] arranging the music around the lyrics, "scoring" the atmospheres and visuals of the lyrics with the musical passages [in] the way a soundtrack supports a film. Also, I wanted more contrasts in the song forms: some to be epic, long, and engulfing; some short, violent and to the point; and others that are journeys in sound [where] style takes a backseat to feelings in the music. Also, I'd never really heard of metal bands that infuse extensive improvisations (not just jam-outs), rearranging parts and playing for the moment, taking risks and responding to the environment. Finally, the main reason was that I really wanted to write and play music with my longtime friend Alex Conley. No one writes or thinks about music the same way. I'm grateful to make art with true musical brethren. When Jeremy came into the group, he was the perfect polarity and fit: a wide range of ability on his drums and a wider range of musical influences.

Our most recent release is... in the process of being recorded as we speak. We have been recording it at a private studio in the mountains of West Virginia. We are very excited about the music and production of this album. We are working again with Scott Robinson and Brian Simakis with whom we did our last record and [we] want to have a chance to stretch the things we learned, challenge that extension, and have the trust and freedom to make a really cool epic metal record. This will show evidence of the past year of touring, performing, and arranging and improvising we have done. It's been a fun journey; [we're] working to have it ready this fall.

Our primary musical influences are... life, really. Nature, the people at our performances, geology, great artists and musicians, the unseen, questions, erotica, occultist Mysterium, fear, the spirit, the fantasy impression the undead have on the way we live in society in contrast to our amazing earth, celebrating life, releasing inner deaths, astral projection, commitment to kicking your ass, good food, micro-brews, coffee, our awesome pets, our friends and people who are really into the power of music. It all fuels the music and the changes we strive to infuse.

Our music is best described as... [being] about impact. Passion and vibe is law; styles of music are just there to project the vision of the song we are trying to express. Sometimes we are way progressive and sometimes we are violently raw. We like dynamics in all aspects. We put everything we have into every direction we take and are not afraid to be honest about how we want to make our music. We love to have a good time and get wild on stage.

I would describe our live show as... [being] about high energy, good vibes, and interacting with the crowd. We're all about bringing the musical intensity and vibe to the maximum.

Our band's name... just kind of appeared. It's vast, full of life and death all at the same time. Our music moves and develops like waves. It's dark, yet at times pastoral. I have always had a strange fascination with waterways and the idea of there being tombs hidden beneath them, like crypts that lie dormant under rivers, streams, the ocean, old country ponds. They're out there. I believe that there are streams in the thick of the woods that are filled with ghosts. If you gaze into them long enough, you can see them and even hear their echoes. All streams flow to the sea at some point so to me that place is the "Deadsea," hence why it's also one word.

It may be amusing to learn that we... will be playing a friend's/musical colleague's wedding this year. As a matter of fact, he used to write for UWeekly! We're excited about it. Maybe we will bust out a cover of "White Wedding." Also, last year we played a backyard birthday party for the editor of Ultra Violent Magazine. We had the whole backyard filled with fog machine smoke and loud volume at 7 p.m. in the August heat. Of course, the cops came, but they let us finish! It was a blast.

One essential element to our music is... intensity, suspense, and contrast. Also, this is a trio: everyone gets to be featured and has to support that intensity within the music.

The best thing about Columbus is... the support and the type of feedback we get from the listeners here. We are grateful to attract a wide range of people at shows. I like for music and shows to be less exclusive. One of my favorite things people will say is "I don't really listen to metal music but I was blown away by your set!" Columbus has also included and invited us to many different shows and fests. It means a lot to us to have the freedom to be ourselves with the music and be so welcomed in our hometown. You never really know how people are going to respond to what you're doing. Do something a little different each time but always find a way to bring people into the music.

The greatest show we've ever had was... so many! In Columbus, Comfest and Surly Girl Parking Lot Blowout last year were really awesome shows. People at Deadsea shows always represent so it's always fun and we try to mix it up. Playing with Obituary and Napalm Death a few years back was mayhem. It was fun to really "use" that room and crowd [to] really see if they're listening. They joined in with us. It was pure metal. All the different clubs and show spaces bring a different aesthetic to how we play and orchestrate the evening.

The best thing about playing live music is... the resonance of the synergy between the audience and the band. That really gets us playing harder and bringing the crowd into the music. I love playing with these guys. They're amazing musicians and true brothers. The freedom to play this type of "progressive" music to people and still have the level of fun with them is awesome and rare.

The worst thing about it is... only when you have to stop!

Originally Published: July 1, 2009

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