Interview: The Dead Science

Sam Mickens sounds inflated with conflicted emotions, contradictory impulses turning gaseous and exploding. He’s singing a song called ‘Wife You’ on The Dead Science’s third album, Villainaire, and we’re on the climactic third verse, his voice swooping to climaxes at the middle and end of each line: “I want my thoughts to ring throughout your BODY/I want my VI-O-LENCE to make you SAT-IS-FIED!”

The voice is singular, even as it evokes its distinguished rock heritage of white folk brave (or damaged) enough to tackle the power of soul to express hurt through ludicrous exaggerations – the way Bowie ripped off James Brown, for example – an affected holler that flies above a veritable slick of refined testosterone. The music of Jherek Bischoff (bass, electric and acoustic) and Nick Tamburro (drums): agile yet necessarily brutal rhythms, sure hacksaw guitar like choreographed epilepsy. The sound of people learning to control their bullshit.

“There’s a lot of trying to have mastery over your own violent energy. It spills out,” explains Mickens in much calmer, conversational tones. “I definitely feel a lot of violence. But I haven’t really exercised it since I was young. I made a conscious decision not to. I fought a whole lot when I was a little kid.”