At Louder Than War we pride ourselves on uncovering new bands ahead of the pack and I believe we’ve done it again with Dead Pioneers. They topped our Album Of The Year list hands down with votes from most of our Editors after witnessing the power of second album Po$t American. They hit our shores next year for an anticipated UK tour after lighting up The Dome in London on their debut UK gig. Wayne AF Carey speaks to frontperson Gregg Deal about the state of the world and what the future holds…

LTW: Hi Greg. Congratulations on hitting Louder Than War’s Album Of The Year number one spot! How do you feel about that?

 

Gregg Deal: Hi! Thanks! Overwhelmed, to be sure. So much of what we’re doing is rooted in the art of it, so finding this kind of validation is always surprising. We appreciate it, for sure! I can honestly say that we are so caught up in the art of this, that making music for the purpose of accolades doesn’t compute sometimes. If it’s a byproduct of making something worthwhile, we accept it. Also recognizing that art dies without its lovers, so we appreciate you all so so much!

 

Your subject matter runs deep in today’s climate. Your band are the perfect way to get this across. How does it differ from your spoken word seminars?

 

I don’t know that much of it differs. So much of the subject matter lives in the way we think, with issues that are important to us. Currently in the US our political, social and cultural leanings are at the forefront of everything just for survival. The Indigenous subject matter is wholeheartedly me and really is much of my every day. I don’t think much difference exists. Our hope is the subject matter is important, so it doesn’t show up when it’s convenient to us, but exists always. We live by our word with as much integrity as can muster.

 

Although your songs are reflecting the Native American they have clearly resonated with people beyond those communities. Why do you think this has happened?

 

The connection is a human connection. Folks being on the receiving end of any oppressive system, or even simply feeling different is a shared experience rooted in our shared experiences. I think the connection might be surprising, but also it isn’t. My Indigenous experience is a human experience and we’re finding folks connect to that more now than ever as our eyes open to the possibility of truth, freedom and equality… something I think we all want in our heart of hearts. I can say, though, there is a younger version of me who had a tough go as a kid for a lot of reasons that is reeling that anything I say connects with others. What a wildly humbling thing to have happen. It’s emotional, to be sure.

 

Many bands have tackled racism in the past yet you’ve created a whole new genre, writing songs about the cruelty dealt to your people and giving us a history lesson regarding land being taken and unnecessary genocide. How does this past affect you?

 

The past affects because it’s part of the DNA of our experiences in the great experiment of the United States of America. For us, we see little difference between the old and the new. The past exists in the present and holds the same level of importance. So many western eyes dismiss the past, or have some kind of colonial amnesia because of the inconvenience of colonial truth. The past I a tool Native people use, if not most all People of Color, for survival. Understanding context, reason and purpose behind the things of the past proves to be helpful in not just understanding our place in this great experiment, but also dismantling the views given to us through the lens of white supremacy and dehumanization. Whites in America aren’t so good at this.

If I’m honest, though, for everyone in Dead Pioneers, we are of the age where music we grew up with in both punk rock and hip hop, we have been primed to understand why these concepts aren’t just important, but at the ready to fight for. What is it that Henry Rollins said? “This isn’t the time to be dismayed. This is punk rock time. This is what Joe Strummer trained you for.” And god bless Joe Strummer. Let’s do this.

 

With the rise of the far right around the globe, our manipulation through politics and the media to demonise the ‘other’ your lyrics speak universally. Wouldn’t you agree?

 

I would agree. The importance of saying the quite things out loud, while educating ourselves with the historical truths that sustain change for the people is important right now. I am not surprised at the rise of the far right. The writing on the wall in the US was pretty obvious in the 80’s under Reagan and the rise of the evangelical christian right. Arguably Nixon set the stage, but Reagan took it. Everything we see now here stems from that moment, and the spineless democrats are complicit. This means it’s up to us, the individual, the communities we belong to, to enact change. Maybe we get to help contribute to that. I have an entire career of thinking many of these things through my visual art, saying them out loud in keynotes, TEDx talks, protests and rallies, or even in my own home to my kids. If this platform allows me to speak out loud in a new way that is heard by new ears? Hell, I’ll take it, with the weight and responsibility of standing by words. Our words. Dead Pioneers is a group effort. We’re all on board with it, come what may.

 

We’re all fucked off with the orange joker Trump getting a made up Fifa Peace Prize. Did this annoy you?

 

The current president of the United States is a reality game show host. Nothing he does surprises me. You get what you get. The number one things I know about people is that if they show you who they are, believe them. That man is an open book, and anyone paying attention knows exactly what kind of person he is. Annoyed? Who has the time? If I reacted to every ridiculous thing this man and his administration has done, I’d never get anything done. The algorithm wants me to react, but we need to organize, work with community, make art, speak out…seriously, who has the time to react to this narcissistic elder child?

The truth is, Trump and his band of merry thieves are a symptom of a greater problem. Do you think when he dies, it changes? A stage has been erected built on an ideology, no matter how shaky, has enough people supporting it that we must rally. Not just Americans, but folks around the world. I mean, if we’re honest, the empire is falling and this clown has singlehandedly undone any so-called greatness America may have, while saying that we are great. The desperate effort to convince the world that the piece of shit on a silver platter isn’t a piece of shit, but a gift to the world. The world knows it’s a piece of shit. We’re in big trouble.

 

On a lighter note, how did the Pearl Jam tour go? 

 

Pearl Jam was surreal. The crowd, the band Pearl Jam, the opportunity? It was overwhelming to be sure. Oddly enough, trump folks reared their heads at this too. It was so interesting because Pearl Jam is such a universally loved band, and despite the politics they put out, especially Eddie Vedder, that universal appeal is in full force. That and we played with them in Florida (very conservative) and Georgia (also conservative). We heard and saw some wild things on that end. To be fair, folks were there to see Pearl Jam, not Dead Pioneers, but we sincerely appreciated the love we did get, and got a good chuckle at the love we didn’t. It’s a different universe the Pearl Jam dudes live in and we are grateful to have gotten a chance to experience it the way we did. Also of note, the Florida shows were at the Seminole Hard Rock & Casino, which is the Indigenous land of the Seminole tribe. To open for one of the biggest bands on the planet on Native land? Pretty amazing moment, and was sincerely humbled by it. We’d do it again in a heartbeat.

 

Are you excited to be touring the UK next year?

 

Absolutely we are. We love the UK and the love we’ve gotten there. Excited about Bristol selling out and moving to a larger venue as well. To have any open arms is pretty fantastic, but UK has been a growing love and we’re here for it. Also, fish and chips. We legit love that shit!

 

How’s work on the new album going?

 

Honestly, it is going smashingly. We are beyond excited to share what we’ve been working on, and the progression of our music and writing is exactly where it needs to be. We have some exciting collaborations, but we’ve also doubled down on the unapologetic political commentary. We have to, don’t we?

 

Any bands you reckon deserved to be our number one rather than Dead Pioneers?

 

Oh man, this is tough. Asking me this is like asking me my favorite band, and I feel like that need some context of some kind. What genre? What season? Ha, ha, ha. Listen, we are blown away to be given this honor. Truly blown away. To have this while amidst Lambrini Girls, OSEES, Viagra Boys and especially Wet Leg?! And Public Enemy?! I have such a long history with Public Enemy, from then being my first concert, to them being my soundtrack to my own radicalization as a youngin. Wild. I certainly would have loved to see our friends Jools with their Violent Delights record on this list, along with False Reality’s Faded Intentions, but that’s not what you asked, is it? Number one? Wet Leg: Moisturizer. Damn you for making me choose, but I stand by it.