Interview The Death Set

, or rather TheMotherFuckingDeathSet as they’d probably rather be known, are about to unleash their manic live shows on to the UK audience, with a string of dates confirmed for later this month. EP ‘MFDS’ will follow on 11th February, and album ‘Worldwide’ is due for release on 7th April.

You’re about to head over to the UK for your first ever British dates. Nervous? Excited?
Psyched. It’s going to be fucking rad.

You have a reputation for putting on a great live show. What can we expect from the tour?
A fat guy and a skinny guy jumping around a lot. Master Blaster from Mad Max impersonations.

What’s the oddest on-stage injury you’ve suffered?
A well, well bruised ego.

You’re due to release your album this Spring, go on - sell it to us. Why is it worth our hard- (and not so hard-) earned cash?
Well its a bunch of short, fast, (hopefully) catchy and sing along friendly punk rock songs with weird lo-fi electronic production. That would sell me? Hopefully the record can convey the energy and positivity of the scene and shows.

You’ve been described as ‘hip hop kids playing punk music. Is this true?
Well its not really sideways hat ‘The Wire’ West side of B’more or Bushwick kids. Just kids listening to hip hop and electronic music probably more than punk rock and letting that side, especially the production influence the whole scenario. I super love hip hop drums but foremost punk rock energy is the key.

Which artists from these areas have influenced you. Or, if it’s total bullshit, who *would* you cite as an influence from any area of music?
The biggest influence on me has really been of an aesthetic rather than an influence of artists in particular. Coming from Australia and seeing bands tour for thirty dates plus in a row and being totally envious. Crazy footage of bands playing on floors to inhibition free kids was amazingly inspiring and then taking a project on tour and letting it sculpt its progression as well. No stage, no separation from the crowd stylee.

You’ve had a fair amount of people remix your work, putting acapellas out there on the internet - have there been any reworkings you’ve really not liked?
Of course but it’s always rad to receive a remix from anyone and realise someone was psyched enough to put their time and energy into it. But I like to treat this band, even though its foremost a punk band in its energy and ethos of DIY touring etc, as an electronic band. So having friends remix us is super rad and is an awesome way to collaborate.

You’re currently based in Baltimore. Us Brits are mostly quite lazy and don’t really know much about the place. Tell us something about it.
Dangerous and cheap! But honestly there is a really rad community of bands there and its super fun and it’s great some are doing well. Props out to Ponytail, Double Dagger, Video Hippos, Smarts, Ecstatic Sunshine, Dan Deacon, Wzt Hearts, Blood Baby and Celebration. Kind of like the whole bombsite of a city situation that has nothing else to do than make its own scene.