We recently sat down with rock’ n roll singer, Davey Suicide, at his house to talk about the bands new single “Generation Fuck Star”, his clothing line, getting signed to Standby records, and more!
Interview by Nicole Lemberg
Your first music video and single just released a few days ago. Congrats on that! Tell us a little bit about the idea behind the video and how it related to the song.
The idea of “Generation Fuck Star” was about getting rid of years of baggage and becoming yourself, and second chances as well. It’s an empowering thing and that’s where it came about.
Some of the comments left on the video compared it to Marilyn Manson. I know you’re a fan of Manson so was the similarity something you did intentionally?
I think he’s obviously a big influence so I don’t think it’s a bad thing. You pull subtle things from things you grew up loving so I think it’s more flattering than anything.
You recently got signed to Standby Records and I read that you denied them a couple of times. Why?
I don’t think the time was right, and I think at the point when the Davey Suicide record was being made their ideas and everything that they wanted to do, it just… it was right. I think it was just a timing thing before, it just didn’t feel like the right time, but this time they came at me with a really good plan and idea. They seemed like they grasped what I wanted to do.
Well thankfully they kept coming after you! Now that you’re signed with them, has anything been easier?
I don’t sleep anymore. I have interviews every single day, multiple ones… press releases, you know. I’ve never been busier in my life, but it’s a good busy.
The record has been in the works for over two years, but it’s finally coming out this summer. What took so long?
We know where we wanna take it. You know, it’s like we have a very high expectation and we want to fill a void that has been missing for a while and we just wanted to make sure it was a complete home run before we shared it with the public.
If you weren’t in a band, what do you think you would most likely be doing?
Um, I’d be in a band! (Laughs) This is the only thing that I’d ever do. I’ve done art my whole life and I’ve had to run a clothing line, but this is the only thing that makes me feel complete, so there’s nothing second.
Did your parents support your decision to be in a band?
Oh no, that was a big thing growing up. They wanted me to live up to the social standards and go to college for four years and it was just not me, I just didn’t see life like that. I had so much anger as a kid and music made me feel… sane, I guess.
What did they think you would be doing?
I had offers to go to art school and stuff like that and I played baseball in high school and stuff but I think they just wanted anything. They just figured that I would become a drug addict and die in some gutter if I did music so… I haven’t died yet.
Have you had any formal music training?
Yeah! I took vocal lessons and guitar lessons. It’s always on and off and I’d bounce around from people to people and just take pieces from each instructor and stuff. I didn’t want to get stuck with one person for too long and just become their clone.
Do you just play guitar?
Yeah that’s it, just guitar.
So, I know you made some shorts, I believe for Ronnie Radke of Falling in Reverse…?
They have a new video coming out and I designed all of their wardrobe for them and when he came over he wanted me to mess up one of his pants, ’cause he saw a pair of pants that I had, that I made for myself and he was like, “Dude, take these pants. Do you have anything I can wear home?” So I gave him these raunchy horrible shorts and that were all bleached out and I was trying to get him to post them on his Twitter because he looked so ridiculous. He texted me later that night and he’s like, “Dude, I’m still wearing them! I’m going to Target with them!”
Yeah, I saw that on Twitter!
Yeah, Ronnie and I bond over stuff and I really believe in what he’s doing and I really like him as a person. He’s come around and I think that’s great. I think that’s something kids need to gravitate toward and notice.
Do you design most of the clothes that you wear?
I design everything, yeah.
Like all this? (Points to his outfit)
Yeah, I don’t like anything in the stores.
You also do tattoos. Did you teach yourself or, you said you did art?
I learned. I had some people showing me stuff. I didn’t do like a formal apprenticeship, but I had people that tattooed take me under their wing and show me a lot of stuff and I worked in their shop, so I probably didn’t do exactly what the typical artist does to learn, but I got the knowledge and the training that I needed to get going and obviously do everything.
And speaking of tattoos, what are some of your favorites?
I have my three favorite frontmen: I have Marilyn Manson, Eminem, and Axl Rose.
That’s very different with Eminem!
Yeah, but I think he’s absolutely fantastic and in his genre he owns it. And this is Killers Never Die, it’s from my clothing line and what I’m for and about, so that was the first design we ever did.
We are sitting in your house and you have a lot of interesting things. If there was a fire, what would be the first thing you would grab?
You know, it’s funny, when I was in Maryland I delivered pizza at the time and my room burnt down and I lost every single thing that I’ve ever owned except for my guitar, which was just laying underneath a table. I lost everything, all my paintings and that was the only thing that survived so I always thought that was really symbolic. But as far as…what was the question? (Laughter)
What would be the first thing you would take?
My Macbook. I could get other guitars, there’s just stuff on my computer that, you know…
That you can’t retrieve?
Yeah, I work so much on it, it’s the best thing ever.
Do you ever write at home?
I do everything here.
In high school did you stand out like you stand out today?
Yeah, I was kinda like the red neck kid who wore Pantera and Metallica shirts and I had flannels ltied around my waist and you know… I didn’t have friends! No one, I didn’t have clicks, at lunch there would be all these kids sitting together and I just didn’t- well I would sit with them every once in a while, but I was just like I’m not wanted here, so I would sneak off to the guitar room and play guitar and turn the lights off so no one would know I was in there and it was embarrassing and I thought there was something wrong with me because no clicks accepted me.
Did you ever want to change how you acted or looked to fit in?
I did a couple times and then I was just like, “this isn’t me.” I liked Metallica and Guns N’ Roses and Pantera and that was it. (Laughs)
And no one else did!?
No, I mean they did, but it was in a different way. You know? It was weird. I didn’t like the metal kids ’cause the girls weren’t cute enough. (Laughs)
Did you play any sports?
Yeah, I played baseball and I played football for a year and then I was too skinny.
Is there anything on your Ipod that people would be shocked to know you have?
Umm…
No Justin Bieber?
Oh no, no. I think my cougar crush is obviously Shania Twain and Haley from Paramore, I like Paramore too. Those are my two guilty pleasures.
No Nickelback?
No, I never got that bug, thank God. I’m trying to think of what else you guys could nail me for. Uh, Pretty Reckless is something I’ve been listening to recently, she’s good.
Check out the bands first single, Generation Fuck Star below:
[youtube]v=yIb4U7pH8Y4[/youtube]
After our interview, Davey was happy to pose for the camera
