Meet: Cute Cute Death interview

We were quite taken by the visceral post hardcore of Kingston Upon Thames five piece Cute Cute Death when we featured them recently and their new record, Pockets. Ahead of the release of their forthcoming album, Vessels, we spoke to the band.

You’ve got a mini-album coming out in August, can you tell us a little bit about that?
It’s a real mixed bag of energy, lots of light and shade, chops and changes…There aren’t too many verse chorus wonders lets put it that way…a couple, but we’re mainly very sporadic. We like to surprise people a little and do things a little different from the normal post hardcore. So I guess it is a conscious effort to stand out and be a bit different, even though we have all the indicators and call signs of a rock / metal band.

What was influencing your songwriting, lyrically when you were writing the record– real life, or things in the news?
A mixture of everything, we’ve all been on our own separate journeys and struggles. So the album reflects what we are all feeling and our frustrations with the way things are, whether it be social, financial or governmental and environmental issues. We like to shout a few gripes and ask what for. It’s not aimed at individuals and although mostly factual, there is some fantasy in their too. I have a pretty vivid imagination when it comes to lyrics…so we hope that comes across…

Is there an overall theme to the record? In terms of linking the songs together lyrically or even sonically?
The theme of the record is very much a let down vibe and full of feels for the emotional dreamers out there. There are many themes of greed, honour, union and threat… They all come together in minor discourse and hopefully have you screaming along. Sonically, we have stuck with the same engineering / mixing team. We were very lucky to have some talented people on board to create our first record. So we are very thankful for that… Massive shout out to the legend that is Justin Hill (Sikth / Wellerhill / Minutes / Basick Records) and Joe Grouse (Freelance Producer / Shy Of The Depth / Basick Records)

Were the songs on the album written specifically for it, or had they been burning away in your set/rehearsals for some time?
These songs have quite literally been burning holes in our pockets for the last few years and months. putting all our money into writing / gigging / practising and recording to make this record. The songs have been a journey just as much as the logistics of getting it all together. Looking back on all the things we’ve done over the past few years and bringing some of it to life in the record.

Its often quite complicated music that you make, listening to Pockets for example, there seem to be different strands all over the place – is that by design, or just the way that things form together in the practise room?
Yes designed, we like it frantic…even though we have lots of sing along elements, we are actually influenced by loads of djent, post hardcore and tech metal, while at the same time liking the anthemic styles of finch and glassjaw in our plateaus…choruses.

We like Pockets a lot – how and when was that written?
Ah thank you! We actually wrote that one last summer and first played it at the Croydon Scream Lounge supporting Lit Like Vegas some friends of ours. The audience took to it quickly and we had a few people come up and talk after the gig singing it’s praises. So we were quite pleased with that response. It’s wicked to actually hear it on record now though, it lets the band get into the track more too!

And you’re touring over the summer – is it important for you to get out there and play the songs live?
We love gigging and have a great time driving around the country pretty much just ripping banter at each other the whole time. We take our life performance seriously, but not too seriously…we like to have fun, cause these days it’s less about the money I’m sure most bands would agree.