Lo-fi garage rock stalwarts Bass Drum of Death have a new album—and a bigger, brighter sound.
By Ryan Ricks
Last year, John Barrett—frontman of distinguished shred machine Bass Drum of Death—packed up his things in Oxford, Mississippi, moved to New York City, and recorded a new album in a ritzy studio overlooking Times Square. This record, aptly titled Just Business, is as grand and sweeping as The Big Apple itself, filled with chant-along hooks and crystalline production that marks a departure from the gritty, lo-fi recordings of Bass Drum of Death's previous songbook.
This is not to say that Just Business does not rip—rest assured, it does—but Barrett seems more eager to take risks, more confident in his abilities as both songwriter and showman. While Bass Drum of Death may have hit the scene as a tag team of scruffy slackers obsessed with tape decks and fuzz pedals, Just Business signifies something greater and far more sophisticated. There's just something about New York...
With an upcoming show at Barracuda on November 7th, we spoke with Bass Drum of Death about their new album, the art of aging gracefully as a band, skateboarding, Halloween costumes, and more.
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Before you released GB City in 2011, you spent a semester at college. What ultimately caused the push to leave school and pursue music full-time?
Bass Drum of Death: I think I realized there wasn't anything for me at school. I was there for a year and a half and I switched majors every semester. It reached a certain point and then I just said, "Fuck it. I don't want to do any of this shit." And from there I realized a career in music was really the only thing I wanted to do.
GB City established Bass Drum of Death as an eminent figure in the lo-fi garage rock revival that flourished in the early 2010s. Did you go into developing the band with a particular sound in mind?
Bass Drum of Death: Garage rock mostly just kind of came naturally. I had been recording stuff for a long time—I think about four years—before releasing GB City. From the very beginning, I had a ton of songs recorded and they were all very garagey and bluesy. The sound of GB City and Bass Drum of Death just kind of came naturally. I didn't really go into the project with a set plan in mind. I was just really into garage rock and lo-fi so it just sort of happened I guess.
Your newest record, Just Business, retains Bass Drum of Death's signature rock n' roll energy but sounds more muscular and polished than anything before. What inspired the pristine production of this album?
Bass Drum of Death: I wanted to just step it up and highlight some of the stuff I do vocally that people might have overlooked in the previous records because of their lo-fi and raw production. I mostly wanted to make sure that my voice stood out, but I also wanted to try new things and get out of my element and see if it worked. I think that, in the past, I've tried to make my songs sound dirty and lo-fi because I've always just enjoyed that sound and thought it was cool. But sometimes that type of production can mask the quality of the songs and the songwriter. There's no hiding with this new record.
Photo Credit: Culture Creature
You've said that "Just Business is definitely more of a New York record than a Mississippi record." What role did New York play in the production and writing process of the album?
Bass Drum of Death: Well some of the songs were written in Mississippi before I moved to New York. But I never really finalize my lyrics until right before I head to the studio. So most of the lyrics on Just Business are pretty New York-centric. The thing about New York is there's never a shortage of shit to write about. You can get into wild situations just by living in the city. Going out, relationships, etc. are all more exciting and just different when you're in New York. There's a lot of stuff on this new record inspired by living in the city.
Also, the dudes who produced it—a production duo called The Heavy—have a studio in Times Square. There was something pretty funny about recording a record in Times Square. It's a pretty wild place to do a record. But having them there and being able to take my time with the record–it took about two months to finish recording—was extremely nice. The whole process was way different than the last record.
The video for "Heavy" is very cryptic. It seems to be a collage of personal suffering and sacrifice filled with religious undertones. What's the story behind that video?
Bass Drum of Death: It's actually based on a true story that happened to one of the director's friends. One of his relatives was basically murdered by border patrol. The director had a homage written out in honor of the person, and I thought it was super powerful. We try not to make Bass Drum of Death overly political or anything—that's just not my forte—but at the same time I was gripped by the story and the concept for the video. I wanted to do something more thoughtful than just throwing out a video of us playing live or whatever.
Just Business is certainly a big step forward. How do bands age gracefully without becoming boring or hackneyed?
Bass Drum of Death: Hmmm. I don't know. I think it's kind of different for everyone. For me, I try to incorporate new elements or sounds that I'm stoked about. But it's also a balance. I try to take risks while retaining the stuff that people seem to like as well. I think it's a healthy mix of trying out new shit while still using the best tools in your wheelhouse.
Photo Credit: Culture Creature
You recently posted a video of you landing a pretty gnarly kickflip on your Instagram, and Bass Drum of Death has lent many songs to Thrasher. Has skateboarding, or at least the culture of skateboarding, played any part in developing either the sound or aesthetic of Bass Drum of Death?
Bass Drum of Death: Oh totally, I used to skate myself. And I think skating demos really helped me get into music as a whole. I discovered a lot of my favorite bands through skate videos. We've had a bunch of our songs used for skate stuff and we love it. Thrasher's used a few, and we've played some Thrasher parties as well and we always have a good time. Skateboarding and skateboarding culture have definitely played a role in Bass Drum of Death. It's fun seeing our songs in a Thrasher video series that, as a kid, I'd watch all the time.
Your music appears throughout a wide variety of soundtracks from Grand Theft Auto 5 to The Vampire Diaries. What do you think makes the perfect soundtrack and what are some of your favorites?
Bass Drum of Death: Favorite soundtracks? Hmmmm. Shit, that's a tough one. As a kid, I think my favorite was the Godzilla 2000 soundtrack. It has a Green Day song and that "No Shelter" song by Rage Against The Machine. Oh, and it has a really weird Jamiroquai song as well. That's a crazy soundtrack. It even has that Puff Daddy and Jimmy Page reworking of Kashmir. Yeah, I'll go with Godzilla 2000.
You're currently in the thick of a lengthy tour throughout the East Coast and the South. What's next in the Bass Drum of Death agenda?
Bass Drum of Death: More touring. We'll be on the road for a while. We've got a couple of things lined up into the new year. But once we're done I'm going to get started on some new music.
Lastly, what are you going to be for Halloween?
Bass Drum of Death: I actually just bought my costume. I'm going to be a king. I found this crazy crown. I got a crown, a cape, and a scepter and I'm going to walk around being a mo'fuckin king.
Tickets for Bass Drum of Death at Barracuda
