www.facebook.com/maybeweredeadalready
From: Glasgow, UK
Sounds like: Rock
1. How did you get started with music and how did you develop your sound? Who thought of the name “Maybe We're Dead Already” and is there any meaning behind it?
Paul – I started writing songs when I was about 14/15 and just sort of developed naturally sound-wise as my tastes changed and became heavier. In MWDA our sound has developed the way it has because we have tastes ranging from Paul Weller to the likes of Tool and Mastodon. As for the name it was Cree (Drums) that came up with it. The meaning behind it though, although it seems like a real downer, is that life is short, we don’t know when our number’s up. If we knew this and knew when our time was coming then we’d would live our life in exactly the way we wanted because “Maybe We’re Dead Already”.
2. What do you want listeners to take away from your "On The Way Down" EP?
Paul – Lyrically, I want them to feel like they can take control of their own destiny. That’s a common theme of a few of the tracks. But moreover I want them to have a good time listening to it, I want them to hear it and feel like they’re glad they did.
3. What can people expect from your live show?
Paul – Well we think if we’re not caked in sweat we haven’t played hard enough. You can expect an intense show from us but also a laugh as that’s the most important thing. If you’re not enjoying playing live you shouldn’t be in a band!
4. What's your favorite track to play live?
Paul – Personally it’s "On The Way Down", the lyrics mean a lot to me and it’s probably the heaviest song we do. It’s always amazing to play.
5. Who are three bands you’d like to tour with?
Paul – Smaller band-wise, personally I’d like to tour with the like of the Marmozets and Arcane Roots but as for all time greats it’s probably going to be Mastodon, Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age.
6. Any crazy show stories?
Paul – The only one that pops into mind was when we were playing away and a particularly heavy bit came up. Except this time, instead of the usual wall of sweet meaty heaviness that we usually get there was something missing. I put it down to the sound on stage until I saw out the corner of my eye, rolling on its edge, Cree’s cymbal as it went across the length of the stage and into the crowd. It made it about halfway across the venue before it stopped! And the time we got horrifically lost in Edinburgh, literally we went round in circles for about an hour, ironically after playing the Banshee Labyrinth!
7. What’s your take on the current state of rock?
Paul – I hate that everyone says it’s dead. It’s just that the focus has shifted to the live experience. There’s truly something special about seeing a band that does everything themselves, playing every instrument and giving it their all. That, to me, is what rock is (or at least should be). It’s the antithesis of the sterile and over-produced style of pop music which we get through the mainstream. I’m not saying I hate pop music but it is what it is you know?
8. What’s the current music scene like there in the UK both locally and country wide?
Paul – It’s pretty great, there’s an absolute ton of amazing rock bands out there at the moment, my personal favorites being Marmozets, Black Peaks and Arcane Roots. In Glasgow, there’s some insane bands too. You should check out Hershel’s Head, Megalomatic and Kentra Bay. The list goes on for the incredible rock music in Glasgow but I can’t remember any more off the top of my head.
9. What’s your take on legal/illegal music downloading?
Paul – To me piracy in music has mostly been dealt with as a result of streaming services. I absolutely love them. Anyone who still pirates your stuff these days was never going to pay for it anyway so you haven’t lost anything. There are so many legal channels of listening to music that can help get your stuff out there there’s really not a lot of downsides as far as I can see. I know people talk about the loss of record sales compared to “the good old days” but you just have to adapt you know? Artists and bands are slaves to market demand and the people seem to favor access over ownership with music. We just have to live with it and adapt accordingly.
10. What’s next for Maybe We're Dead Already?
Paul – The plan is to get another couple of songs out before the end of 2016. We’re always writing so we’ll see how many we get out there. Other than that we’re just going to be gigging as much as possible in as many places that will take us!
