Befitting their handle, Dead Posey is fascinated by what lies beyond—exploring the nature of mortality through both waking life and dreams.
But while the Los Angeles duo’s lyrics lean toward the metaphysical, their debut EP, Freak Show, is a raucous, key-slamming, fuzz-loaded collection of back-to-basics rock 'n' roll. Singer Danielle Souza’s soaring vocals blend seamlessly with guitarist Kyle Foster’s muddy, blown-out riffs in this vibrant, boot-stomping five-song collection.
“Anything weird and abnormal, that’s what lights a fire in us,” Souza says. “Lyrically, I find myself thinking about the morbid truth that we will all die one day and descend into the unknown—so you might as well grab life by the balls.” While the macabre is a persistent thread throughout the band’s debut, the idea of human connection also weaves its way into each song, unfolding like a story told over a late night of hard drinking among close friends.
The EP’s lead single “Don’t Stop the Devil” is no exception. “It's about that something or someone that isn't necessarily good for you but you can't help yourself because the danger is intoxicating," Souza explains. She continues, "The stories of ill-fated couples like Bonnie & Clyde or The Joker & Harley Quinn were the original inspiration for the lyrics—basically any toxic relationship in which one side corrupts the other." This dark, '90s grunge-channeling anthem is about the reality of how temptation can sink its teeth into the best of us.
The video for "Don't Stop The Devil," premiering exclusively today at right here on HuffPo, was directed by Chris Berkenkamp (Dionysus Co. Entertainment) and is at once dizzying, mystifying and deliciously creepy. “We told [our director] we wanted the video to have that American Horror Story/Blair Witch Project vibe, sort of an indie horror movie theme, emphasizing atmosphere over story," Souza recalls. "And the fact that the piano I'm sitting on in the video is over 100 years old helped us get into the spooky mood.”
The band spent most of 2016 working on Freak Show and credits producer/co-writer ALLIES (Tony Fagenson of Eve 6) with helping guide their vision and develop their sound. The EP was created almost entirely in the studio, starting from Souza and Foster’s bare-bones vocals-and-guitar demos. “We'd take our three-month old fetus of a song into the studio with Tony and then nurture and grow it into a snarling monster together,” Souza explains. From the anthemic “Don’t Stop the Devil” to the soulful swamp rock of “Boogeyman,” Dead Posey will leave you eager to let your freak flag fly.
The band will be bringing Freak Show to life at shows throughout 2017, chasing the darkness as deep as it will take them. Check out the haunting visual below, and see what Dead Posey's awe-inspiring brand of desert-pop/swamp-rock is all about...
WATCH “DON’T STOP THE DEVIL”: