Deadman is literally THE perfect chill out, relaxin’ all maxin’ all cool kind of music.  Think Dirty Sweet with a whole hell of a lot more 70s folk fused into it.  It’s completely clear that the 70’s rock era really played a major part in the making of music for Deadman’s frontman Steven Collins.

Though the singer and guitarist was on the go, he took a couple of minutes to talk to me about a day in the life as a Deadman- and through different time zones he regaled me with stories of life, Deadman and salvation- and THE best Irish accent I’ve ever heard!

BNB:  Let’s talk about how Deadman formed- how’d that all happen?

SC:  You know we all met primarily where we go to church!  I guess I’ve had the band for about ten years- and I met Kevin there at gateway, and there’s a great music program there- so there was a bunch of artists just hangin!

 

BNB:  And what about the name- the name is pretty dark and you seem so positive!

SC:  Yeah it seems that way- I named the band for two reasons.  One, is ever heard of the movie Dead Man?  It’s got Johnny Depp in it and Neil Young on the soundtrack!  And the other is that you’ve got to kind of die yourself in order to achieve salvation- and that comes from a letter from Saint Paul.

 

BNB:  You guys are touring all through Texas right now- do you have any plans to go out of state soon or a new album coming out- what’s the 411?

SC:  We’re working on a record and it’s funny- because I had finished a record!  That was before I met everybody that’s in the band now- so we’re going to re-record it and release it as version one, version two.

 

BNB:  So, speaking of touring and new stuff- can we expect you all at SXSW this year?!

SC:  Oh yeah!  We’ll definitely be doing that- not sure what venue- but we’ll be there!

 

BNB:  So- you mentioned Neil Young- what are some other musical inspirations as a band?

SC:  You know, we love to listen to The Band, Bob Dylan- all those great bands like The Birds- the ones that have that real great, good-natured sound!

 

BNB:  Would that be your favorite decade of music then?  The seventies?

SC:  Oh nah, I mean- we’re kind of into it right now!  Dead Man used to have kind of an ambient sound- and now, I remember thinking I want to make the band sound like something you could take to the smallest venue- or the largest one, and have it sound the same- have the same impact.

 

BNB:  So speaking of performing- what’s your fave song to sing?

SC:  There’s definitely a couple- Mankind is one..

BNB:  Sentimental meaning behind that?

SC:  Well it asks a question of the audience- and it also makes a statement, which is when bad things come our way we have a choice, and we can either go on or we can be cynical.  So I love singing that song because it gets people on kind of a one love kind of Bob Marley mentality!

 

BNB:  So you’ve toured quite a bit- any touring or show stories that really stand out?

SC:  Yeah- well, I’ve got a few of them!  Ha.  One is when you go to Ireland, they give you room and board, and then above that is the pub, and then the music room.  So I was eating- and this big ole’ Irish guy comes up and he goes (Steven proceeds to talk in THE best Irish accent I’ve heard aside from Cillian Murphy…) “Are you with the Dead Man?”  So I say yeah.  And he goes “well I want’d to meetchya.  I get a call early today from Dublin city and the fella says is there a dead man playing there tonight?  So I say well screw you!  And he says no I’m serious I want to come see the dead man!  So I checked with the girls, there IS a dead man playing here tonight.  He goes okay- but when you’re done raising the dead- how bout some whiskey!

BNB:  That is pretty awesome- see all the confusion your name causes!

 

BNB:  So back to the new and now- any E.T.A. for the album release?

SC:  Well, we’re trying to shoot for either January of February- but it may end up being a Spring release.

BNB:  Well hell, that’s perfect for some Spring BBQ time music then- I can’t complain!

 

BNB:  Closing remarks?

SC:  Just thank you for supporting us through all these years!

Now though Steven himself proclaimed Mankind as one of his fave songs to perform, I’d tell you all to head straight o www.myspace.com/deadman to check out “don’t do this to me” and “oh Delilah” (do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars) and no doubt they’ll be on the heavy rotation list at the speed of light.  Their sweet sounding folk is just too charming to ignore- and the band’s effortless ability to serenade is undeniable.

If you’re outside of the lonestar stateliness, you can keep posted on where and when to find the sweet sextet at their Myspace above- and look out for them to appear on the SXSW twenty-eleven lineup.  Hearing them at The Rusty Spur would be out of this world (or at least, out of this state!)