I had the chance to sit down with Kevin Saunders, drummer of the Ottawa psych-rock band, The Deadseers, as they rev up for their upcoming show. The band is rounded out with bassist Mart Malenfant and lead singer/guitarist Al Hébert. They also credit Al Carré, locally-based music photographer, as their fourth member. All the photos in this article are his work – check him out on instagram at @1upcloud. The Deadseers released their first full-length album “River Sky Night” this past May and continue to play shows in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. Things are only looking up for this talented group.
Her Campus uOttawa: How would you describe your sound?
Kevin Saunders: We like to incorporate a lot of different styles and genres into our music so it can be kind of tough to nail down, but I’d say the one unifying theme to it all is psychedelia.
HCuO: Who are your musical inspirations?
KS: Personally, I can speak to the influence of many drummers on how I approach the drums, but I think that for the most part our music is a mixture of the classic psych rock bands of the 60s and 70s and more modern psych like The Black Angels, My Morning Jacket, and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. It’s hard to pinpoint one inspiration because we all listen to such a wide range of music, and between us we all have our individual preferences. On any given day I’ll be jamming to my favorite punk, psych, metal, folk, and afrobeat records one after the other. It’s kind of eclectic.
HCuO: How did The Deadseers form?
KS: Long story. Broad strokes, we all met and were aware of each other in high school, but only Al and I ever played with each other at the time, and that was kind of a one-off. By the time I graduated, Al was in a band that needed a drummer, so he got in touch and I pretty much immediately joined them. We were looking for a bassist for a while and later solidified with Mart in the mix. After that project fell apart, we were jamming in my mom’s basement, looked at each other, and agreed that we sounded much better as a three-piece. Again, that’s the much shorter, less messy version.
HCuO: What has been one of the coolest moments you’ve experienced as a band thus far?
KS: Probably the first time anyone played our music on the radio. A station in France picked up our EP and liked it so much they played the entire thing to close their show. It was a big confidence boost, to say the least.
HCuO: What’s a fun fact about The Deadseers?
KS: Fun fact: everything we have recorded so far has been recorded in my mom’s basement while my parents were out of town. Love you mom.
HCuO: What kind of advice do you have for someone hoping to pursue music?
KS: The one thing I’ve learned is to embrace the suck and just go with it. Always try to look on the bright side. And learn from your mistakes. Honestly still looking for advice myself (laughs).
HCuO: When and where can we see you next?
KS: This Thursday (February 7th) we are opening for Black Galaxy and King Buffalo at House of TARG. Be sure to catch us at 8pm.
Make sure to get your tickets for Thursday’s show at:
https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1783201
And listen to “River Sky Night” on Spotify: