Californian rock band Dead Poet Society are by no means your average rock band. Their brand of Jack Underkofler‘s raw vocals and lyricism that is honest, no matter how painful the truth is, combined with bruising heavy rock instrumentals has projected the bands into the ears of a lot of excited music fans. Having released their debut record -!- in March of this year to critical success, the band have carried this momentum into their UK tour. We got the chance to speak to Jack Underkofler and guitarist Jack Collins after their huge Leeds Festival performance.
So you guys are in the middle of a UK tour, how are you finding the UK?
Jack U: Fucking love it, yeah, it’s great. I mean we live in California, where it’s kinda like the twilight zone where it’s the same weather all year round, and like yeah I miss the weather and stuff. The foods really good, which I was told the food was shit but it’s actually amazing.
Hmm prices are a bit shit but the foods pretty good.
JU: Ahaha yeah, especially when compared to America!
So for readers who haven’t heard of your band, how would you describe your sound to them?
Jack C: Umm it’s like kind of a cosmic gumbo aha.
Aha I don’t really know what that is in English.
JU: You know what, I don’t really know either but what would you say?
JC: Umm it’s like Queens of the Stone Age, Muse, plus a little bit of like wobbly, sloppy kinda guitars.
JU: Yea, yeah, it’s just like I don’t know, because we write really heavy music, and then we write like calm music but of course for this set we wanted to keep the energy up so we did big ones. Yeah I mean it’s like a heavier Nothing but Thieves or a heavier Royal Blood kinda thing.
So how would you say UK gigs and fests compare to the United States?
JU: We don’t have much reference because this is our first festival ever, if you check in in three weeks we have a couple in the US and we’ll let you know but we’ve got off to a great start here in Leeds.
Before coming to Leeds fest, was there any thoughts of pulling out because of the quarantine rules? As we’ve seen the likes of Machine Gun Kelly pull out due to these restrictions.
JU: We’ve taken like a million covid tests and for every single one we’ve taken we’ve just held our breath like ughh, this is it, this is it, we’re going home, like the hardest part of getting into the country was getting in line after the flight but thankfully we had all our paperwork in order.
So you guys have also dropped your debut record, how would you guys say the reception for that has been?
JC: Pretty great so far like we had no idea what to expect so I mean the feedback we’ve got has been exceptional. It’s our first album and we’re already thinking about the next, I think it’s exceeded our expectations so far.
JU: Yea, yeah, especially with our song .CoDa. which has been charting in the US for us right now, it’s weird because we released that song like three years ago and now it’s like *explosion noise*, it’s really hit off.
Speaking of the new record, is there any particular songs that are going down well live.
JU: Oh .CoDa. always goes down well, .intoodeep.,Lo Air. Our song Lo Air, everyone always gets really hyped on that one, all the weird sounds in that get everyone going.
Yeah, I thought .intoodeep. was my personal favourite you played live, so what’s the next 12 months look like for you guys? Have you got any tours planned, any writing?
JU: Thanks man. Yeah, got tours, just picked up a tour but can’t say with who yet.
Aw, can we get a Bring The Noise exclusive?
JU: Aha we can’t say but to give you a little hint, they are a band from Canada. But yeah, just touring as much as possible and when we’ve had downtime, we’ve just been writing none stop, especially through the summer. We just have quite a few ideas for the new album already you know, so yeah, we’re coming back here in June to play Download, probably do another tour around then, and then we have – what’s next august?
JC: We’re gonna be in Poland I think.
JU: Pol’and’Rock yeah.
Oh wow so you guys are all over the shop.
JC: Yeah, we’re gonna be completely all over the shop. So yeah, the next year is pretty much completely booked at this point, it’s going to be madness.
Interview by: Joe Loughran
-!- is out now via Spinefarm Records/UMG, available to stream or purchase HERE.
