The Machinations Of Music With SEBASTIEN GRAINGER From DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979

Interview by Kris Peters
Known for their raw and stripped-back sound, Death From Above 1979 have been described as everything from noise punk to dance punk, embodying a DIY ethos that Rolling Stone described as “noisy hardcore, gritty synths, and earnest screams.” The duo’s relentless beats, searing guitars, and ferocious energy practically summon you to the dance floor.
Death From Above 1979 return to Australia for a run of shows this April, marking the first time the band have visited this country in almost a decade and a half, first coming in 2005 and then again in 2011 for Parklife. Don’t miss your chance to experience the explosive energy and sheer power of Death From Above 1979 live on their 20th Anniversary tour for their debut album You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine. It promises to be an unforgettable salute to a record that still pulses with the same intensity as it did when it first detonated in 2004.
You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine contained edge-of-your-seat classics including Romantic Rights, Blood On Our Hands, Black History Month and Little Girls, but let’s face it, every track is killer. A perfect, 10 out of 10 review from back in the day via Drowned In Sound, stated "It’s not just music you’re hearing - sweat, blood, spunk and beer are all audible, splattering these 11 tracks like a Pollock…. It’s so simple, just two dudes making a right ol’ racket, done with such spirit and delivered with such a purity - magnificently filthy.”
HEAVY spoke with drummer/vocals Sebastien Grainger ahead of the tour to get the rundown, at one point asking what had changed with the band since they were here last 14 years ago.
"We had just started playing again after being broken up for five years or so," he recalled. "So that was like a reunion tour for us. And we didn't have a new record, we only had that first record - and we didn't make a new record until 2014. So in that time, in those 14 years, that's basically the… It's this whole second phase of the band, you know, the whole second period of the band was between 2011 and now. So, yeah, I mean, we made three LPs and toured around the world and, you know, had families and more children and all kinds of stuff."
In the full interview, Sebastien discussed the band's upcoming tour in Australia, emphasizing the importance of celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album You're a Woman, I'm a Machine. He reflected on the band's evolution, including the release of three additional LPs, and the challenges of adapting their music for live performances, highlighting the unique energy generated through audience interaction rather than a traditional frontman approach. The conversation included insights into the album title's origin, inspired by a misheard phrase from his girlfriend.
We also ran through the creative aspect of writing and recording You're A Woman, I'm a Machine free from expectation or pressures and how it set Death From Above 1979 on the path to which they find themselves today and more.

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