INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST SAM KING BY GEN HANDLEY
W
hen Sam King wrote the song “Pepperspray” more than two years ago, he had no idea how prophetic the song would be.
sonic and lyrical areas that Get Dead has never ventured before. In the case of the album’s title, the “curse” is a reference to self-destructive behavior—both individually and “I swear we’re not psychics,” as a society. says the Get Dead vocalist. “But, it is a little strange. The whole “You’ve got to navigate this teralbum is like that, and it’s this rain the best that you can and trippy thing. But, people have dance with it,” King explains. been feeling this way for a very “You do what you can to make long time, and we could kind yourself happy and help those of see it coming—we were just you care about. I hope this retapping into that. That's the cord gets people through these only way I can explain it.” rough times, but I also hope it pisses people off enough to go Pause. out there and stand up against this shit.” “Or, maybe I should start reading palms or something,” he adds The surprising album kicks off with a sad chuckle. with the surreal, hip-hop-punk track “Disruption.” This song sets The now-poignant song is from the bar for the rest of the album, the band’s latest release, Danc- opening the door for other moing with the Curse, is coming out ments like genre-challenging October 9 on Fat Wreck Chords. electronic elements on “Glitch,” “Confrontation,” and “Take It.” It’s the caliber of music that While it's a fitting opener for the is needed right now—urgent, rest of the album, “Disruption” rallying, and optimistic. King wasn’t originally intended to be steps up his game and sto- the first song. rytelling, elevating his raspy vocals to new cadences and “I grew up in the ’90s; skateheights while the rest of the boarding and hip-hop has althree band members play ways been a big influence on with an intense, different en- me,” King says. “From when I ergy, pushing themselves in was 16 until about 20, I would
44 NEW NOISE
