November 2017 - Turn it Up: DED
DED, a band proving they are more than your average “rock” band, made a stop in Albuquerque back in September and left an impression with fans. We had the opportunity to sit down with lead singer Joe Cotela to talk about how the band came together and what they’re adding to the music scene.
How did the band come together?
It all started with us having coffee talking about how we aren't hearing a lot of newer heavy bands with good universal songwriting mixed with brutally heavy parts. We wanted to start a band that we weren't hearing. We came together and made music we wanted to hear.
Who are your influences?
There are a lot, but to name a few: Bring Me the Horizon, Slipknot, Gojira, A Day to Remember, Nin, Pantera, Run the Jewels, Korn, Marylin Manson, White Zombie, Linkin Park, Kanye West, Black Breath, Limp Bizkit. We’re influenced by a lot of different sounds, and that has evolved over time.
Rock is such a vague genre nowadays. How would you explain your sound?
Fresh Metal. It's everything and anything we want to put into a song. Metal, punk, nu-metal, hardcore, metal-core, pop, industrial, hip-hop, rock n’ roll... It’s all blended together.
You go from a rap/rock infusion to speed metal in a snap. Is the sound a team effort? How do you handle your collaborations?
It is a team effort, there are so many things we are influenced by. We are all different individuals, with different ideas and tastes. Whatever feels the coolest to us, we go with. There are no rules except, does this sound like Ded or not? Everyone brings ideas to the table, and then we go with what works for all.
We have to ask - why the name Ded?
It was honestly a working title that we gave the project when we started out working together. It was a studio only band at its inception. We liked the name as time went on. It's bold, simple and abbreviation for Dedicated or dedication. It's also obviously like the word dead, which we play off of a lot of horror themes.
What was it that you felt was missing in the music scene that Ded can bring?
There are a lot newer bands that are awesome that we are fans of. We just don't feel there are enough in the heavy genre being aggressive and still writing huge songs with universal appeal without compromising integrity. That is the goal, whether we actually accomplished that or not – is up to the listener.
What can people expect with a Ded show?
Energy in all its myriad forms: Negative energy. Positive energy. Moshing. Sing-alongs. Bouncing. Community. Everything a heavy show should have – we want people to walk away feeling like they were part of something.
To learn more about DED, their upcoming gig and music, visit https://www.facebook.com/dedofficial