IF you’re not being a prolific artist then you’re wasting your time. Fuck the hype and get music out. If you can’t do that and you’re relying solely on hype then you shouldn’t be in the industry”

DEAD PRETTIES don’t care about the hype. One of the most talked-about underground bands in London, the three-piece have been lauded for bringing the city’s music scene back to life with a series of seismic live shows and gripping punk rock tunes.

A thrilling product of the same burgeoning punk rock scene that has produced the likes of Shame, Goat Girl and HMLTD, the young outfit want to let their music do the talking; and boy, do they have something to say. After railing against modern day apathy in truly thunderous fashion on their fuzz-laden debut single ‘Social Experiment’, they followed it up with an equally visceral new track a couple of weeks ago, appropriately titled ‘Confidence’. No bells and whistles required; Dead Pretties deal in ruthless rock & roll.

Known to unleash savage chaos wherever they turn, the band are a vital addition to the bill at this year’s Tenement Trail. Raw, unfiltered and utterly relentless, you simply don’t want to miss these guys when they return to Glasgow on Saturday 30th September. And after speaking exclusively to TTV ahead of the big event, it’s clear that the three-piece are ready to make an incendiary impact.

“We’ve played in Glasgow a couple of times and we were very well received. There’s quite a lot of camaraderie in Scottish crowds, I don’t think they’re so concerned like they are in London about being cool. They just want to have a good time which is good as we can provide that”

Recalling previous outings on Sauchiehall St, particularly at Broadcast, the band’s fierce reputation has gathered momentum thanks to a number of memorable shows around the country in recent months. When asked what fans can expect from their highly anticipated show at Tenement Trail, drummer Ben Firth replies in deadpan fashion “For us to get a bill at the end of it”. He adds: “We don’t have a predictable way of playing shows. That might sound a bit up our own arse but whatever happens, happens. If the crowd are lively we’ll be lively…we sort of just bounce off them. If there’s five people there we’ll still go nuts… it’ll be better if there’s more than that though”.

While they describe the infamous Brixton Windmill as their favourite haunt, they are quick to note their growing affinity with northern crowds: “We seem to be well received up north which has exceeded our expectations.” Their craziest show to date though? “We played a gig at a place called The George Tavern. I don’t know what happened but the sound was shit, Oscar went through about three basses. He caught a candle on stage… and that’s just the beginning. It ended up with the three of us having a massive, quite bloody, fist fight on stage and I jumped off stage breaking my guitar and my nose. Someone in the crowd got whacked by Oscar’s bass, not intentionally though… and it all ended up pretty bloody.”

It’s an eye-opening, if not startling, insight into the kind of unpredictable chaos that follows Dead Pretties wherever they go; a band who pull no punches but have a hell of a lot of fun along the way. It’s immediately clear that the live environment is where they thrive. While ‘Social Experiment’ and ‘Confidence’ capture their infectious onstage energy in spades, Firth is keen to note that the live show is where they really come to life: “ I like to think we’re even more explosive in our live shows than we are on the record. If you listen to the record you’ll get one flavour and if you come see us live it’ll be more intense.”

Such has been the growth of interest surrounding the band this year, it comes as no surprise that they have played a number of festivals in recent months ahead of their return to Scotland. As the UK’s ever expanding festival scene continues to flourish, there are more and more opportunities like Tenement Trail for emerging artists to make an impression; and it’s a chance they don’t take lightly: “I think all these festivals give bands an opportunity to perform in front of a fresh crowd. There’s always something very exciting about getting the chance to do that and to get a platform as people will buy into the name of the festival. It’s something you can get your teeth into and that’s communicating the thoughts of the younger generation. You can come along and see loads of cool bands and it’s up to the bands to get the finger out and try and impress which is what we always try and do.”

Behind all the chaotic fun and live ruckus though, Dead Pretties instil their deviant rock & roll with a sharp social commentary. They’re a band with something to say but they do so with a refreshing vitality and piercing perspective, all without taking themselves too seriously; they’re guitar heroes in waiting for the younger generation who have grasped onto this fledgling scene they’ve unconsciously become a part of. With that in mind, discussion moves to their most recent single ‘Confidence’; a raucous punk rock thrill ride that sums the band up over the course of its three minutes. Firth discusses its inspiration:

“It’s about looking at the way the media portray trivial figures and make a big meal out of what they do. Focus public’s eye on that when they could be reporting on things that have much more significance especially given the current political climate. The whole idea that you don’t need to be good at anything or have anything important to say anymore.. that you can use stupidity as one your assets to sell yourself to the masses and that’s something we fundamentally disagree with. And I’d like to see them all shot….in the same way you put a violent dog down, just take them out of existence”

Like many artists at the moment, the three-piece have been inspired by the state of the world around them and the blinding apathy that plagues modern society; and they’re not afraid to hold back. However, creative expression must come arm in arm with authenticity and that’s what lies at the very heart of what they do: “I don’t think it’s a requirement but if you feel compelled to comment on something then you should and you shouldn’t be afraid of that. But you shouldn’t have to cause then you’re limiting yourself to one thing. If you want to write love songs then do it. Do whatever comes naturally and inspires you cause otherwise you’re playing someone else’s game and you’re not being authentic.”

Bold, ambitious and utterly fearless, they’re a band determined to cut their own path. Completely unwilling to get wrapped up in any form of hype, it’s clear that there’s elements of the music industry that they’re not at ease with; but at the same time, they are brilliantly entertaining and compelling to listen to. For example, Firth is slightly reluctant to talk of the coveted scene that they’re seemingly part of in around South London as mentioned earlier. Any competition is healthy though in their eyes.

“We’re spurred on by those around us. They’re all nice people and we all make different music. Thank god someone somewhere has called it a scene as it’s given everyone loads of attention and a platform from which to boost ourselves from. I don’t know if it’s a scene or not, that’s for you guys to say. That’s fine and I’m not knocking it. If there wasn’t that media focus, lots of bands wouldn’t be doing it aswell. The truth of it is we need journalists to boost us and our reputation. It’s a platform so thank god someone has been commenting on something worth commenting on rather than what I was talking about earlier about stupid trivial things.”

Dead Pretties are the future and it’s time to get on board at start of what is sure to be a hugely compelling journey. Firth concludes: “We plan to be on the road all time, non-stop gigging is our strong suit. An album will be coming out soon if I have anything to do with it. We aren’t going to be lying around doing nothing and basking in our very limited glory. Onwards and upwards or sideways whatever way it’s going to go.”