Devil's Gate Music
Related Articles
Dead Karma is a modern hard rock band with classic rock and roll sensibilities, from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Founding member Andrew Cannell (vocals/guitars) talks us through the background of the band:
What are the origins of Dead Karma, how long have you been playing together?
Sean, Jacob, and I (Andrew) jammed together on and off probably 5+ years ago before Dead Karma got together. The other original member Raman had written The Purge and most of Space Camaro with me before I reached out to bring Sean and Jacob into the band sometime in early 2022.
What should people expect when they check the band out? How would you describe Dead Karma?
If you check us out live, I think you can expect a fun, high-energy show where we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We’re really just interested in having fun and putting on a good show with music people can enjoy and mosh, headbang, dance to – whatever they want as long as it gets them moving. Jacob tends to run our live shows at a bit higher tempo than our recorded stuff so that definitely contributes to our energy live. In terms of our EP and the songs we’ve written and recorded, there’s a lot of early 2000s influence in our music so if you like that era then we might be something you’re into. But, we’re trying to take different approaches to writing and bring in different ideas, so I think our goal is to not have a single catchall term be applicable to all of our songs.
How did you feel performing your first gig as a band, and how was it?!
The first gig as a band was definitely a bit of nerves, but a lot of excitement. It was at a small venue aptly called “Dive Bar”, which just recently closed. The place was absolutely packed and the atmosphere was fantastic for such a little place. Some of the best shows are in these small venues where you can pack the building and the crowd is right in your face. You can feed off their energy and really get into it. I hadn’t done a live show in a few years at that point so it was just really nice to be getting back out there. The response from the crowd was really positive and we met a lot of great people that night who have kept in touch since then so it was definitely a really successful first gig. It also helps when no one knows your songs yet, so no one can tell if you make a mistake.
What are you working on at the minute that people can check out?
We just recently finished up our debut EP, The Space Camaro, which is being released on August 23rd. We had our first single, Space Camaro, released on May 31st that people can check out on any streaming platform, with our next single, The Purge, released June 28th.
In terms of a similar audience, which band out there at the minute do you feel Dead Karma would be best suited to open for?
Maybe Cancer Bats. It’s hard to say who we have a similar audience to, and it feels weird to try and place ourselves opening for someone like that, but they’re another Canadian band that we’re all fans of. I don’t think we’d be out of place at a Cancer Bats gig. We’ve also had some very flattering comparisons from people who’ve heard the debut single. From Every Time I Die to Thornley or Big Wreck.
Excluding yourself, which new band would you like to see break out and become a success?
Another local band in the Kitchener scene that I would like to see get some success is Kroka. Saw them live a little while ago and they put on a great show, are super talented, and really have a great sound. Would definitely love to see them take off.
What frustrates you about the music business?
Not so much as a musician, but as a fan, I’m frustrated with how hard it is for me to find new music. Yes, it’s everywhere, but it’s so “everywhere” that a lot of stuff gets lost in the mix. Or when I do come across something new that catches my ear it sometimes disappears into the algorithm and never comes back. My Spotify playlists for example recycle the same stuff to me all the time and you just get comfortable listening to the same music. I have to really put the effort in to go find new stuff. So if that’s my experience as a music listener, it has to be difficult for a lot of people to get their music heard in the first place.
What are your first musical memories? And what was the lightbulb moment that made you go “I want to do that”?
My earliest musical memory is probably listening to Black Sabbath and Alice Cooper in the car with my dad during our long drives to the cottage when I was young. Definitely helped to shape some of my musical tastes at a young age. I can’t remember an exact moment where I suddenly wanted to make music. I’ve always been drawn to art and creative endeavors, whether it was writing fiction/poetry or art. Unfortunately, my brother inherited all of the artistic talent that my mother had and I have none of that. For music, I kind of fell into it gradually. My friends needed a bass player for their punk band so I started that to just help them out, then I eventually did vocals in two separate metal bands who needed a vocalist. Again, I was just filling a need that my friends had at the time. I eventually started to take guitar seriously when one of our guitarists quit and we couldn’t find a replacement. It doesn’t feel like there was an “I want to do that” moment, it seems like I fell into it in my early teens and I’ve just kept doing it.
What was the last gig that you attended as a fan?
A lot of my free time lately is for my kids and family. The last “big” gig I went to was probably to see Mastodon, or The Halo Effect, which was probably way too long ago because I’m not sure which one was the last. But I’ve been to some local gigs to try and support the local bands, seeing bands like Kroka (who I mentioned earlier) or a band of a friend of mine called Snailspace. Both great bands you should check out.
What current social issue are you particularly passionate about?
As a band, I don’t think we really focus a whole lot on this side of things. We have differing opinions on a lot of issues, but one that I think takes the forefront for all of us right now is just the cost of living and affordability where it is becoming harder and harder to just get by these days. The point of frustration for me is knowing that we’re not going to solve any issues with simple slogans and bite-sized ideas, but it feels like that’s all anyone is offering – or has the attention span for.
The album that you have in your album collection/Spotify playlist that would surprise most people?
Duran Duran. Don’t know what it is about them, but their first three albums in the 80s I really enjoy.
Everybody is a fan of something, who or what are you a fan of?
Music or in general? I don’t think I’d ever be satisfied with a list because there are so many things I like, which may be ironic to people who know me well because I tend to act like a cynic who hates everything… We’ve talked a lot about music so far, so I guess I’ll go elsewhere. I’m a huge Star Trek fan. Particularly 90s Star Trek with The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. Two of my favorite shows that I still routinely rewatch.
What new music have you been enjoying so far this year?
As I’m getting older I’ve been trying to not just be content with listening to familiar music, as I mentioned earlier, it’s really easy to just let the algorithm keep me in familiar territory. A couple off the top of my head are Greyhaven’s new EP, Darkest Hour’s new album, and The Halo Effect’s latest single.
What does 2024 hold for Dead Karma?
We have written quite a few new songs since we recorded the EP so our hope is to get back into the studio before the end of the year to record. Not sure if it will be some singles, another EP, or a full album, but we’re definitely going to be recording more. We’re also getting ready to put together a music video for one of the songs from the EP.
How active are you on social media and where can people connect with you?
We try to stay active, particularly Instagram where you can find us “deadkarmaband”. We’re also on Facebook and TikTok (deadkarmamusic and @deadkarma).
