Devil Sold His Soul (UK) (June 2009)
The name Devil Sold His Soul seems to imply a double entendre in its description… The observant tannies in the Krugersdorp massive would initially cringe back at the abhorred mention of the beast, but after giving it some thought one could decide that if it’s the Devil selling his soul there’s only one fella up top who’d be buying. However, therein lays the potential of the entendre…
Read more, including the interview, below.
As everyone knows; if you find yourself at particular crossroads at the strike of twelve on certain wailing nights the Devil might barter with your mortal soul and grant possessed musical talent and sixth-finger fret dexterity after tuning and playing a few notes on your guitar, as in the well documented case of Robert Johnson. Robert Johnson, like so many after him ,managed to only last the mythical 27 years before burning out in Icarus style in 1938 and leaving ashes of legend, a rather elite Club with very specific entry requirements, and the avalanche of Rock and Roll.
This leaves one to wonder… Based on popular protest through these last decades of social frustrations; the Devil is to blame for anything with a decent beat, and with that in mind: he has got to be the ultimate shredder. And when the Devil, as timeless as the other guy upstairs, has the hunger for more – burning through fret boards and melting strings as the aeons pass (dealing out some of the suffering and temptation stuff too I’m sure), he grows frustrated by the restraints of his own skill. Admitting defeat, but not willing to compromise, he makes a decision, waits till midnight and heads down to the crossroads at the Dockery Farms himself… I imagine this is about when the guys from Devil Sold His Soul wake up sweating, before heading out to studio to try replicate the soundtrack to that nightmare.
Now you might be complaining about the timeless ‘it was all just a dream’ backpedal there, but it comes with reassurance: The atmospheric soundscape of Devil Sold His Soul, lifts and soars on melodies and orchestrated harmony before smashing on top of you like a collapsing amphitheatre in reminder that it’s not part of the reverie.
Hailing from the South of England Devil Sold His Soul are a six-piece that are anything but the expected. With most of the members having invested 7 years into the band Mahumodo, DSHS was formed in 2004 under high expectations. With the EP Darkness Prevails in 2005 laying down the initial intrigue in the band it was followed up with 2007 release A Fragile Hope, an album that can be described as nothing less than an epic forage into atmospheric / post hardcore boundaries. DSHS build walls of sound with details and subtlety that suddenly flare up in an explosion of intensity and raw, throat-lacerating passion.
Calibreed spoke to guitarist Richard Chapple and got to know the band a little better:
As a band, I have read that Performance takes preference on tour, trying to equal or better recorded offerings? Does this reflect the hard working ethos of the band?
Definitely. Since the very start of DSHS we have had a very specific goal in creating a complete live experience. In the early days, we would literally start the set and each song would flow into one another, with almost no talking between songs. We have always used lights, venue permitting, in our shows – something which really helped create a vibe – it was very much a case of having the house lights down low and Paul (samples) would do the work with the strobes. However, nowadays, when we get the privilege to play in larger venues with amazing lights, we really enjoy it when lighting guys go to town when we play. Sound-wise, for the most part, we do what we do and hope the sound-guy does a good job. Jonny (guitars) and I have a very specific sound and are pretty much synced in volume and tone, so as long as the sound guy gets his levels right, our sound pretty much always stays the same. Just gotta have loads of kick-drum, that’s the only thing we ask for!
Like It’s Your Last’ – The second single from DSHS’s debut EP ‘Darkness Prevails’
There are rumours circulating that South Africa is going to get to sample this experience firsthand? We were told there would be benefits of it being hosted here; does potential DSHS interest in SA have anything to do with the 2010 World Cup?
Well this is definitely something that we are pursuing at this moment in time. In the most part, the only real barrier is actually physically getting over to SA – once we can sort that out, we’ll be over. None of us have ever been to SA before and would love the experience. We are extremely keen to play in as many different countries as possible and to play in SA would be amazing. Of course we all know the World Cup 2010 is just around the corner and I know that myself and Paul (samples) are really excited about that, but this doesn’t really have any effect on our overall decision – we just want to come and play to you guys!
If those rumours are true, and you do manage to sort out the logistics and head out here, are there expectations or anticipations from South Africa as a country, as well as our local music scene?
Well I’ve heard great things about the scenery and the low cost of living (compared to Britain) – it would certainly be the chance of a lifetime to visit such a beautiful country and I’ve been told that beer is cheap too – so what more can you ask for! But we are definitely up for learning more about SA.
Musically, I have been sent links to a lot of SA bands and have been told that the scene is definitely growing over there. What is good about an emerging scene like SA is that there are no ground rules, so there is massive room for originality and experimenting with genres – so it will be great to play with a lot of diverse bands when we come over.
Refreshingly different and accessible from a variety of musical interests, does Devil Sold His Soul get to play more diverse line-ups / festivals – or are you kept within the ‘post-hardcore’ restraints? With all the hype behind the band, do you feel any kind of ambassadorial pressure from both the UK and also the underground scene where you earned your stripes?
In mainland Europe, we have mostly been put on Hardcore Festivals – playing with bands such as Agnostic Front, Terror, Rise & Fall and we went out on the road with Bury Your Dead, Emmure and Full Blown Chaos. All were fun to do, but probably not the most ideal shows for our music. We did a few shows with Genghis Tron and they were awesome. Last year we played In The Park in Scotland with bands such as Rage Against The Machine, The Verve, Kate Nash and lots more mainstream acts. And of course we played Download Festival in 2008 to a packed tent and that was the best show of our lives so far. So yeah, we’ve been put on some very diverse bills. We don’t see ourselves as a typical ‘post-hardcore’ band. We just do what we do, we don’t write music to fit into a particular scene, it just happens that people find it hard to pigeon-hole us and so we get on shows that seem odd at times, but are always fun. We have seen our fanbase grow and grow over the past couple of years, it has been hard work, as for the most part we have been going against the grain and haven’t had as many opportunities to tour with bigger bands as many of our contemporaries have, but we have stuck with our own style and that is what we want to do. One day it will pay off we hope. Of course we have bands that we feel would be perfect to tour with, it’s just getting the opportunity to do it – something that is harder than it seems.
With budget restraints, DSHS chose to record your album A Fragile Hope within the band, keeping the process hands on. Do you think having creative freedom / comfort is reflected in the end product of the album?
For sure, we spent ages on that album – I think we took about 9 months to record it – not constantly, but with no deadline, we took our time. We were very happy with the result, but would like to condense the process next time, as it is not always beneficial – and there were plenty of disagreements. We know that AFH was a very special album and means a lot to many people, something which we think is amazing. We just want to write another good album, but not AFH part2 by any means. The same basic elements are there, but we want to show a broader side to DSHS. To emulate AFH wouldn’t show any progression. We just hope you dig it.
Having cycled through a few drummers, any fears of picking up the Spinal Tap curse? Drums on A Fragile Hope were done by Dave Robinson of Fireapple Red. Was he featured as a session musician for the album, or was he part of the DSHS line-up?
Hehehe – yeah it does seem a bit Spinal Tap, given that we’re on our 4th drummer! Dave was amazing. He helped us out so much before and during the album and is as much a part of AFH as any of us – he put in so much hard work and time for that album, we will forever be indebted to him. But, unfortunately he couldn’t commit to the touring schedule we had and we had to look for a permanent member. This proved to be a very difficult and lengthy process. But we eventually found Leks and we’re so stoked to have finally completed the line-up. However, we wouldn’t be where we are today without the help of all our friends and families, especially Dave – so we thank them all for that.
With the number of us there, and our colonial history, many South African bands regard the UK and Europe as the next big step in the careers, and consider heading over to try and get a foot in the door of the scene. Any candid insight into the underground scene in the UK? Any tips or suggestions for South African bands considering the option?
The only thing you can do is write quality music and then try and get it out to as many people as possible using whatever means possible. We all know that there are thousands of bands out there and competition is fierce. But if you have quality tunes and can garner support from your local scene, then that is the best way to start. The internet provides an instant insight into your band – people want to click on your page and see cool live vids and see pictures of awesome shows – so if your local scene is going crazy at your shows, let everyone see it.
A lot of bands make it on ‘hype’ alone – but be aware that although perhaps easy to emulate your favourite bands, you will get far more respect if you try to have your own unique flavour. I think the UK has quite an accepting audience and if you can create a buzz online, then it would help a lot in getting shows over here. Just try to offer something people haven’t heard a million times before – every band needs a different angle. If you are more of a hardcore band, then really try and hit mainland Europe as there is a far bigger hardcore following there and they treat you really well over there too.
Devil Sold His Soul are working on new material at the moment. Any surprises in these new creative sessions?
Yes, lots. We’ve really gone to town on these new songs. It’s the first time we’ve recorded an album with our new drummer, Leks, so it has been great to add his style to the mix. There are lots of textures to the new stuff, whilst still maintaining the heaviness and melody. We can’t wait to record the songs properly and get them out for you to hear. Not long now!
Lastly, any specific input as to the choice of name Devil Sold His Soul?
I liked your interpretation. We like it when people interpret our name and music differently, as we feel that music should spark different feelings in each individual, we have our own thoughts of course, but I guess if a song makes you feel a certain way, then one persons opinion is no more/less important than the next. The main thing is that the music makes you feel something, that alone is the best part.
The name refers to dealing with change and the consequences of others. ‘The Devil sold his soul. Who to and for how much?’ This was the theme from which the name came from. It’s all about thinking about a situation and how that situation affects other people. Have you ever been in a situation where all was well and good until one person did something and in turn that affected your whole life forever? How did you feel? What happened next? How did you deal with it? This is where we are coming from – where we are headed, who knows? Hopefully to bigger and better things (and a trip to SA!!). Who knows? But there is hope.
Check out more from Devil Sold His Soul from their website: www.devilsoldhissoul.com
Also, check out Betraydan’s (Betray the Emissary) designs for a couple of Devil Sold His Soul T-shirts, approved by the band. You can catch these, and other awesome artworks, on his blog here.
