www.facebook.com/topdedcenterwnc
From: North Carolina
Sounds like: Rock
1. How did you get started with music and how did you develop your sound? Who thought of the name “Top Ded Center" and is there any meaning behind it?
We all come from varying musical backgrounds. Playing music since we were kids. Most of this group was in heavy thrash or death metal type bands. But we all came together and started jamming a few years ago and what came out was a very bluesy gritty rock and roll. The name came from the warped mind of our guitarist founding member Chuck Blazer, it’s a mechanics term. He felt it leant it self well to fast muscle cars and hot women lol.
2. What do you want people to take away from your music?
We would like for people take from our music that this is fun. Rock and roll needs to be fun, it’s being lost. The world is forgetting to have fun. We ain’t getting out of life alive, we need to enjoy it from time to time. This is badass and this is not your normal cookie cutter Rock and Roll.
3. How would you describe your sound to the average listener?
Our sound is very bluesy and will move you. A lot of our influences bleed out in our music and it’s gonna hook you.
4. Who are three bands you’d like to tour with?
Clutch, COC (Corrosion of Conformity), Kings X, Stevie Ray, VH …
5. How has Covid affected what you do as a band?
It’s pretty much brought things to a screeching halt for well over a year. We’ve started playing again and looking at recording some more.
6. What’s your take on the current state of Rock?
It's hard to get a foot hold these days. Between inflation and the business model of todays music industry a hard thing to navigate. It’s good you can have control over your music but funding tours and getting your music out to masses is a lot harder than most can imagine. Plus it’s still a very dog eat dog, and not based on the music. The work ethic in music is so different in the current state of rock. Practicing until you get a part down to play is being replaced by copy and paste, sitting down with your instrument to learn everything that you can about it is being replaced by YouTube videos. That loss of work ethic shows in the music of today.
7. What’s the current music scene like locally there in North Carolina?
North and South Carolina have some absolutely great bands. Some competitive, but most are very supportive of one another. Venues as all over the country because of Covid are at a scarce premium.
8. What’s your take on the royalties that streaming services pay out to artists?
Streaming services are a necessary evil but the payout are an absolute slap in the face to the artists.
9. What’s next for Top Ded Center?
Finish this record. Start touring and getting it out there to the masses. Push this music to Uranus and beyond. Make enough to open an Alpaca farm. Climb Kilimanjaro. Play at the Cavern Club. Have a song that is a wrestlers theme music in AEW. And retire comfortable.
10. Any shoutouts?
Shout outs to our Manager Jenny Davis, Bojangles, Elliot Mcguff, Neil Fallon, Pepper Keenan, Phil Anselmo, Doug Pinnick, Mr. Jim Beam and Wild Turkey, Gibson, Peavey, Schector, Heil, Orange, Marshall, Waffle House, Dime Bag and Vinnie Abott, Zakk, ZZ Top, and of course the mighty Edward Van Halen and many many more.
