Dead Letter Circus
Encyclopedia
Dead Letter Circus are an alternative rock band from Brisbane
, Queensland
, Australia
, who have been compared to The Mars Volta
and Karnivool
and have become one of the more popular bands in Australian rock. Their debut album This Is the Warning
debuted at #2 on the Australian album charts and spawned a number of singles that were played heavily on radio.
, and the singles "Disconnect and Apply", "Next in Line" and "The Space on the Wall
". Disconnect and Apply received significant radio play on Triple J
, where it became one of their most played tracks. They performed at the Big Day Out
, Come Together Music Festival
in Sydney
and the Over-Cranked Music Festival in Brisbane
- performing with bands such as Judas Priest
, Cog
, Karnivool
, The Butterfly Effect
, Chevelle
and Helmet
. They also toured Australia extensively on their own headline tours. Despite the success of their EP and touring, the band still held down a number of 'day' jobs, with bassist Hill working as a baker, guitarist Maric a web designer drummer Davey taught drama and singer Benzie a seasoned staged performer continued in his role as lead in the "it's raining man" stage show at Brisbane's famous Wickham Hotel
In 2008, drummer Scott Davey left the group and was replaced by Luke Williams from Melodyssey. On 30 October 2008, Dead Letter Circus began their Next in Line tour to coincide with the release of the single, playing primarily with Australian bands Melodyssey (still featuring Williams) and Rook. On 29 November 2008, they performed at Coffs Harbour's Open Arms Festival in NSW.
On 4 September 2009, Dead Letter Circus released the single "The Space on the Wall", supported by a national tour with guest bands Sydonia
and Many Machines on Nine. Following a showcase at Musexpo
, Dead Letter Circus signed with Warner Bros. Records
in Australia and New Zealand and CAA for live bookings in North America, and toured the eastern states of Australia in late January through to early March 2010.
. It had its debut at Number 1 on the ARIA Album Chart. The band announced a This Is the Warning album launch tour, playing shows in most major capital cities in Australia through April - June 2010.
Dead Letter Circus supported Muse
at their Brisbane shows on 5 and 6 December 2010. They also supported Linkin Park
on their Sydney and Melbourne shows on their A Thousand Suns World Tour
In May 2011, it was announced that the band had signed a deal with Sumerian Records
to release This Is The Warning in North America. On the deal, the band stated that "the release of the record in the United States marks the next stage in our career and we can't wait to unleash This Is The Warning to the American rock fans." On the 9th of May 2011, This is the Warning was released in the US, with a short UK tour to take place over June and July to promote the release. The band will however will have an extended summer in the US, supporting Animals As Leaders
in a 24-city national tour from July to August. Dead Letter Circus will then return to Australia for a national tour to raise awareness about the dangers of coal seam gas titled the No Fracking Way Tour. The band will play 21 dates across the country with supports Closure in Moscow
, Wolves, I Am Giant
and Jerrico. Rob Maric spoke of the band's political angle and why they are doing a tour with a reference to coal seam gas mining; "it’s important to everyone. The planet is descending into complete self-destruction. Musicians have a fortunate position of influence so it’s a good opportunity to just say to a large amount of people “hey, check out this topic”. I respect artists more than politicians so when they speak, I tend to listen."
, Deftones
, Soundgarden
, Radiohead
and Pearl Jam
as influences on the band, while also crediting electronic artists such as Massive Attack
, Nine Inch Nails
and UNKLE
The band, however, acknowledges that "while we don't sound like a mash up of these bands, they have all definitely infused our minds with a love for writing epic, layered and high energy songs."
The creative process has been described as spontaneous and improvisational, with the band often finishing the structure of content of songs in the recording studio. According the Benzie, "the guys are very much improvisational players. If we have a basic structure, what we do generally is Rob and I create the seeds [of the songs], and we’ll take them with the band into the studio and just jam around it — record everything and then have a listen and then put the bits together. We developed this knack of finding out which songs are flowing. We don’t ever write whole songs before we go into the studio. We generally take the seeds of songs."
Allmusic has described the band's sound as "delay-based guitar textures...interlaced with subtle synth undercurrents, creating complex patterns out of a set of simple rhythms without cutting down on melody...executed with a surgical precision that recalls the incarnation of Krautrock
promoted by Maserati -- while the sheer intensity brings to mind God Is an Astronaut
more than My Chemical Romance
." The Sydney Morning Herald describes the band as "frenetic rock" but within it "lies a clarity and self-assuredness punctuated by Maric's undulating guitar work and Benzie's vocals. The songs also have a positive message, led by Benzie's state of mind."
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, who have been compared to The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is a Grammy award winning American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2001 by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the band incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, Latin American music, and...
and Karnivool
Karnivool
Karnivool are an Australian progressive rock band formed in Perth in 1997. The group currently consists of Ian Kenny on vocals, Drew Goddard and Mark Hosking on guitar, Jon Stockman on bass guitar, and Steve Judd on drums. Karnivool emerged from a band Kenny and Goddard formed during high school...
and have become one of the more popular bands in Australian rock. Their debut album This Is the Warning
This Is the Warning
This Is the Warning is the debut album by Australian alternative/progressive rock band Dead Letter Circus. It was released on Friday 14 May 2010 and distributed by Warner Music Australia...
debuted at #2 on the Australian album charts and spawned a number of singles that were played heavily on radio.
Dead Letter Circus and beginnings
Three members of the defunct Brisbane band Ochre formed Dead Letter Circus in 2005, releasing one self-titled EPDead Letter Circus (EP)
Dead Letter Circus is the first release by Australian alternative rock band Dead Letter Circus. It was released in 2007 and was distributed by MGM Distribution...
, and the singles "Disconnect and Apply", "Next in Line" and "The Space on the Wall
The Space on the Wall
"The Space on the Wall" is the first single by Australian alternative rock band Dead Letter Circus from their debut studio album This Is the Warning, and their fourth single overall...
". Disconnect and Apply received significant radio play on Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
, where it became one of their most played tracks. They performed at the Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
, Come Together Music Festival
Come Together Music Festival
Come Together is an all-ages Australian music festival performed at Luna Park Sydney. Beginning in 2005, it was originally two separate events, one in April and one in September. In 2006, a two-day festival was held in June , and the festival was again on the same long weekend in 2007...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and the Over-Cranked Music Festival in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
- performing with bands such as Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
, Cog
Cog (band)
Cog are an Australian progressive rock band that formed in 1998. Their debut album The New Normal was nominated for Triple J's 2005 J Award. The band's music draws influences from Tool, Isis, Nina Simone, Bob Marley, Leftfield, Deftones and Helmet...
, Karnivool
Karnivool
Karnivool are an Australian progressive rock band formed in Perth in 1997. The group currently consists of Ian Kenny on vocals, Drew Goddard and Mark Hosking on guitar, Jon Stockman on bass guitar, and Steve Judd on drums. Karnivool emerged from a band Kenny and Goddard formed during high school...
, The Butterfly Effect
The Butterfly Effect (band)
The Butterfly Effect are an alternative metal band from Brisbane, Australia, formed in 1999. The band consists of Clint Boge , Ben Hall , Glenn Esmond and Kurt "Puddles" Goedhart . Their debut album received high rotation play on influential radio station Triple J.-The Butterfly Effect EP:The band...
, Chevelle
Chevelle
Chevelle is an American alternative metal trio that formed in 1995 in Grayslake, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The band was originally composed of two brothers and a local friend: Pete Loeffler , Sam Loeffler , and Matt Scott . Matt was later replaced by brother Joe Loeffler...
and Helmet
Helmet (band)
Helmet is an alternative metal band from New York City formed in 1989. Founded by vocalist and lead guitarist Page Hamilton, Helmet has had numerous lineup changes, and Hamilton has been the only constant member....
. They also toured Australia extensively on their own headline tours. Despite the success of their EP and touring, the band still held down a number of 'day' jobs, with bassist Hill working as a baker, guitarist Maric a web designer drummer Davey taught drama and singer Benzie a seasoned staged performer continued in his role as lead in the "it's raining man" stage show at Brisbane's famous Wickham Hotel
In 2008, drummer Scott Davey left the group and was replaced by Luke Williams from Melodyssey. On 30 October 2008, Dead Letter Circus began their Next in Line tour to coincide with the release of the single, playing primarily with Australian bands Melodyssey (still featuring Williams) and Rook. On 29 November 2008, they performed at Coffs Harbour's Open Arms Festival in NSW.
On 4 September 2009, Dead Letter Circus released the single "The Space on the Wall", supported by a national tour with guest bands Sydonia
Sydonia
Sydonia is an alternative rock band formed in 1997 in Melbourne, Victoria. The band consists of Dana Roskvist, Adam Murray, Sean Bailey and Sam Haycroft....
and Many Machines on Nine. Following a showcase at Musexpo
Musexpo
MUSEXPO is an international music, media & technology conference based in Los Angeles. Since its inception in 2005, MUSEXPO has played host to thousands of executives from all around the world and showcased 100+ artists from dozens of countries, many of which left with substantial outcomes...
, Dead Letter Circus signed with Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
in Australia and New Zealand and CAA for live bookings in North America, and toured the eastern states of Australia in late January through to early March 2010.
This Is The Warning
On 16 February 2010, Dead Letter Circus revealed via MySpace that their debut album was complete. The album was launched on 14 May 2010, titled This Is the WarningThis Is the Warning
This Is the Warning is the debut album by Australian alternative/progressive rock band Dead Letter Circus. It was released on Friday 14 May 2010 and distributed by Warner Music Australia...
. It had its debut at Number 1 on the ARIA Album Chart. The band announced a This Is the Warning album launch tour, playing shows in most major capital cities in Australia through April - June 2010.
Dead Letter Circus supported Muse
Muse (band)
Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
at their Brisbane shows on 5 and 6 December 2010. They also supported Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
on their Sydney and Melbourne shows on their A Thousand Suns World Tour
A Thousand Suns World Tour
A Thousand Suns World Tour was a worldwide concert tour by American rock band Linkin Park. The tour supported the band's fourth studio album A Thousand Suns. The tour ranked 35th in Pollstar's "Top 50 Worldwide Tour ", earning over 20 million dollars.-Background:Linkin Park announced their upcoming...
In May 2011, it was announced that the band had signed a deal with Sumerian Records
Sumerian Records
Sumerian Records is an American independent record label based in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles. The label was founded in 2006 by Ash Avildsen, who is also a booking agent, and is managed by Shawn Keith. Fellsilent became the first non-US band to be signed to the label, in 2008. The label made a...
to release This Is The Warning in North America. On the deal, the band stated that "the release of the record in the United States marks the next stage in our career and we can't wait to unleash This Is The Warning to the American rock fans." On the 9th of May 2011, This is the Warning was released in the US, with a short UK tour to take place over June and July to promote the release. The band will however will have an extended summer in the US, supporting Animals As Leaders
Animals as Leaders
Animals as Leaders is an American, Washington, D.C.–based instrumental progressive metal band, formed by guitarist Tosin Abasi in 2007 which now includes guitarist Javier Reyes and drummer Navene Koperweis. The self-titled debut album was released in April 2009 by Prosthetic Records...
in a 24-city national tour from July to August. Dead Letter Circus will then return to Australia for a national tour to raise awareness about the dangers of coal seam gas titled the No Fracking Way Tour. The band will play 21 dates across the country with supports Closure in Moscow
Closure In Moscow
Closure in Moscow are an Australian progressive rock band that formed in Melbourne, Victoria in 2006. The group is currently composed of guitarist-singer Mansur Zennelli, lead guitarist Michael Barrett, drummer Salvatore Aidone and lead singer Christopher de Cinque...
, Wolves, I Am Giant
I Am Giant
I Am Giant is a New Zealand Alternative rock band based in London. They formed in 2009 and released their debut studio album, The Horrifying Truth on 1 August 2011....
and Jerrico. Rob Maric spoke of the band's political angle and why they are doing a tour with a reference to coal seam gas mining; "it’s important to everyone. The planet is descending into complete self-destruction. Musicians have a fortunate position of influence so it’s a good opportunity to just say to a large amount of people “hey, check out this topic”. I respect artists more than politicians so when they speak, I tend to listen."
Untitled Sophomore Album and Current Events
The band have stated several times that the writing process for the album has started. According to Benzie, the album may take a more electronic approach than This is the Warning; "I think we’re kind of in a cyborg half-human, half-robot stage at the moment. Yeah, I definitely think we could (be going in an electronic direction). We’re leaning toward a bigger, fatter sound, rather than just the guitars." Benzie also stated that thematically, the album would explore the issues of the first album, but build on those as if it were a second chapter in a first person narrative; "Most of the next one’s going to be a bit of the after-effect: "how can you combat things like that (not feeling in control of your own life)? How can small people deceive world bankers? The answer will actually be everyone — what everyone does within their individual bubble, how we choose to act, and if that will butterfly effect out." Benzie also suggested that the album could be out by 2012, saying "the plan would be to have it out one year from its (This is the Warning) release date in America. We’ll be trying to do a worldwide release next time, so it’ll be Australia, America, and the world at the same time, rather than just Australia."Musical Style and Influences
The band have cited rock acts such as ToolTool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
, Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
, Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
, Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
and Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
as influences on the band, while also crediting electronic artists such as Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
, Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
and UNKLE
UNKLE
Unkle are a British musical outfit founded in 1994 by school friends James Lavelle and Tim Goldsworthy. Originally categorized as trip-hop, the group once included producer DJ Shadow and have employed a variety of guest artists and producers.-First incarnation :Lavelle and Goldsworthy were joined...
The band, however, acknowledges that "while we don't sound like a mash up of these bands, they have all definitely infused our minds with a love for writing epic, layered and high energy songs."
The creative process has been described as spontaneous and improvisational, with the band often finishing the structure of content of songs in the recording studio. According the Benzie, "the guys are very much improvisational players. If we have a basic structure, what we do generally is Rob and I create the seeds [of the songs], and we’ll take them with the band into the studio and just jam around it — record everything and then have a listen and then put the bits together. We developed this knack of finding out which songs are flowing. We don’t ever write whole songs before we go into the studio. We generally take the seeds of songs."
Allmusic has described the band's sound as "delay-based guitar textures...interlaced with subtle synth undercurrents, creating complex patterns out of a set of simple rhythms without cutting down on melody...executed with a surgical precision that recalls the incarnation of Krautrock
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
promoted by Maserati -- while the sheer intensity brings to mind God Is an Astronaut
God Is an Astronaut
God Is an Astronaut are an instrumental/post-rock band from the Glen of the Downs, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.-History:After forming in 2002, God is an Astronaut took the inspiration for its name from a famous quote in the movie Nightbreed...
more than My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance is an American alternative rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way and have a diverse sound incorporating elements of punk, emo, glam metal, and progressive rock...
." The Sydney Morning Herald describes the band as "frenetic rock" but within it "lies a clarity and self-assuredness punctuated by Maric's undulating guitar work and Benzie's vocals. The songs also have a positive message, led by Benzie's state of mind."
Members
- Kim Benzie – vocals (2005 – present)
- Rob Maric – guitar (2005 – present)
- Stewart Hill – bass (2005 – present)
- Luke Williams – drums, vocals (2008 – present)
- Tom Skerlj - guitar, keyboard and percussion (2010 – present)
Singles
- "Disconnect and Apply" (2005, re-release in 2010 for UK)
- "Reaction" (2008)
- "Next in Line" (2008) AUS #63
- "The Space on the WallThe Space on the Wall"The Space on the Wall" is the first single by Australian alternative rock band Dead Letter Circus from their debut studio album This Is the Warning, and their fourth single overall...
" (2009) - "BigBig (song)"Big" is the first single by Australian rock band Dead Letter Circus from their debut studio album This Is the Warning. It is the band's fifth single overall, following "The Space on the Wall", "Next in Line", "Reaction", and "Disconnect and Apply"...
" (2010) - "One Step" (2010)
- "Cage" (2010)
- ""Reaction" (2011)