Upfront and Extremely Personal
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z z u b DIIV Upfront and Extremely Personal PHOTO BY COLEY BROWN by Katherine Yeske Taylor because the lyrics have never been [sic] “#soberville #day12 #killme thanks where it’s like, if I picked up a guitar Caulfield says it was an easy decision During a call from Los Angeles, where important in the past—I think people to everyone for all the support. send and started playing “Human” [from to work on songs this way, due to DIIV’s the members of DIIV all live, zone out and listen along musically. your #soberstories to me they're so Oshin ] right now, I would think of a special nature. “There is something singer/guitarist Zachary Cole Smith, But this is a vocal-driven record, where inspiring.” Then, in August, he posted, festival we playe d in Europe—the songs really specific about this band, guitarist Andrew Bailey, and bassist the core of every song is like a singer- “6 months clean/sober --- time (doesn't) remind me of the experiences that I’ve especially live, where we can play the Colin Caulfield, are open and honest songwriter type [of] song, rather than fly but in all reality my life is so much shared with them, rather than what same song for the two-thousandth time about the potentially sensitive subject just guitar layers or cool effects.” better for it.” they’re actually about.” and still, there’s something there that matter on their third album, Deceiver , This upfront approach is in keeping Through it all, Smith’s bandmates As the one band member who can’t feels new. It’s just fundamentally which was just released on October 4. with the way Smith has publicly have remained steadfastly supportive, escape the songs’ meaning, though, different than most gigging or show With this album, they’ve kept the intense addressed his situation: for years, he keeping the band going during his time Smith says that singing them is not as experiences that most musicians have, and atmospheric blend of post-punk, has used the band’s official social media away and encouraging him to use the hard for him as people seem to assume. where they play the same song and shoegaze, and dream pop that they it’s like, ‘This one again…’ But when first displayed on their evocative 2012 we do it, it always feels fresh and it’s debut, Oshin , and their equally affecting just good energy on the stage. You’ve 2016 follow-up album, Is The Is Are , “There is something really specific about this got to be thankful for that kind of thing, but the lyrical approach is markedly because we could all stop this and go different this time around. Deceiver start new bands and be like, ‘We really documents the fallout from Smith’s drug band, especially live, where we can play the messed this up by not holding onto addiction and the resulting damage that thing that felt really special.’” done to his personal relationships, as same song for the two-thousandth time and DIIV songs have always had a very well as the redemption that came after evocative quality, but on this album, his successful stint in rehab. His still, there’s something there that feels new.” fans will notice that the band’s songs confessional approach is clear right have taken on a slower, more serious from the opening track, “Horsehead,” vibe, perhaps as a result of the more when he sings: “ I sat in a slump so my solemn subject matter. This, too, is shadow sat slumped too/I laid among outlets to document his ups and downs. lyrics on Deceiver as an outlet for his “I am on board with those things that another reason for the band’s decision the rocks and stones/Fuck it all .” As he wrote in a February 7, 2017 thoughts on the situation. They say they we’re talking about and the ideas feel to road-test the material before “It’s not like the themes to the record Facebook post, [sic] “so i guess now have no trouble playing these songs, like they’ve already been digested,” recording it, according to Smith. are obscure or the lyrics are difficult— is the time for me to stop kidding myself, even though the lyrics are removed he says firmly. “There’s a distance. It’s “There was a lot of decisions we they’re not super-abstract. They are and everybody else. checking in now from their own personal experiences. not like this immediate struggle. It’s wanted to make on the record that felt important,” Smith says. However, he for a long-haul inpatient treatment... “Somebody asked me, ‘What is it like more talking about stuff that happened scary to us. We wanted our crowds to acknowledges that DIIV fans, who are i've taken this road way past the point playing these songs that are about in the past, and I can’t change that, so be really energetic, but now we’re accustomed to hearing his vocals buried of sanity and fucked with way too many this?’” says Bailey, “and I don’t think I’m completely happy to talk about it.” writing all these really slow, heavier deep in the mix on previous albums, people. see you all on the other side.” about that at all—it never crosses my Many of Deceiver ’s songs were fine- songs. I think we had to try them out may be startled by how clear and Fans responded with messages of mind.” He adds that this has always tuned while DIIV went on tour with live, and see what it felt like in real prominent they are this time. “I think encouragement and stories of their been the case: “For me, the songs have post-metal band Deafheaven after time, rather than just writing the record, it’s difficult for listeners of our band own similar struggles. Smith responded: my own emotional attachment to them, Smith completed treatment in 2017. recording the record, and then going BE SURE TO CATCH DIIV WHEN THEY PLAY WARSAW IN BROOKLYN ON OCTOBER 24! 6 ARTS WEEKLY OCTOBER 23, 2019 www.theaquarian.com FRIDAY NOVEMBER 1 NOVEMBER 12 SATURDAY NOVEMBER 16 “There was a lot of decisions we wanted to make on the record that felt scary to us. We wanted our crowds to be really energetic, but now we’re writing all these really slow, heavier songs. I think we had to try them out live, and see what it felt like in real time, rather NEXT FRIDAY than just writing the record, recording the DOORS 6 PM DOORS 7 PM DOORS 7PM / SHOW 8PM FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22 FRIDAY DECEMBER 13 FEBRUARY 16 record, and then going out live and being like, ‘Wow, these songs are really slow.’” out live and being like, ‘Wow, these songs are we’ve got a bunch of personal shit we’ve got to really slow.’ We had to step outside our comfort take care of!” He and the others laugh at this, but zone, and that was part of what we did by practicing then become serious as they explain that they songs on tour.” are now determined to shorten the gap between “We’d talk about it after a show and be like, future releases. ‘Wow, that part [is] really long,’ or ‘Damn, this “We’ve been talking about wanting to start song is not working,’” says Caulfield. “We learned writing the next record pretty soon,” Caulfield DOORS 6 PM DOORS 7 PM DOORS 7 PM a language for communicating [what] we wanted says, explaining that the new goal is to release SATURDAY MARCH 14 to do on the record, just by looking at each other. “maybe not like an album a year, but a year and Sometimes, I’d glance back at Ben [Newman, a half to two years between albums would be drummer] during a part and we’d be like, ‘This great. It just requires a lot of dedication and work isn’t feeling good right now.’ Or the opposite, we’d and commitment, where previously, we were kind be smiling.” They agree that they are looking of a slacker rock ‘n’ roll band!” Smith and Bailey forward to continuing to play these songs during laugh at this comment, but Caulfield protests, their U.S. and British tour dates that start this “It’s true, though! We weren’t very adult about month and continue through February 2020. the recording and scheduling process. We’d just Now that the album is released, the band kind of make the records happen when they 524 MAIN ST, STROUDSBURG PA members admit to “trolling the comments sections happened.” (570) 420-2808 SHERMANTHEATER.COM [on social media]—we’ll text each other really But now, as Bailey says, there “is a sense of DOORS 7 PM funny reactions that we get from people getting obligation or responsibility to our fan base, because TIX AVAILABLE AT THE RESPECTIVE VENUE’S BOX OFFICE ALL SHOWS PRODUCED BY upset about it sounding different,” Caufield says, they’re super-dedicated. People hit us up in DMs www.slpconcerts.net amused. Adds Smith, “Or people getting to the all the time being like, ‘This song changed my Facebook.com/slpconcerts absolute heart of what we were going for in the life, because I was going through this and this.’ song and tried to hide. And they’d be like, ‘Sounds And it really feels like it’s something important like this!’ And we’d be like, ‘ How do they know that we owe the world.