Wax-Lyrical with Dead Naked Hippies

Leeds alt-rock trio Dead Naked Hippies' combination of brittle hostility and raw energy has earned them the rightful name as one of the most dynamic and exhilarating acts, both live and on-tape, to come out of the underground UK music scene in recent years. Amongst their numerous singles and 2017 self-titled EP, their trademark punk-derived, unrelenting drums lay the foundations for abrasive guitar that sings as hysterical yet melodic as vocalist Lucy Jowett. Despite the simplicity of their three-person lineup, Dead Naked Hippies are able to transcend the rusticism of choppy garage and punk-rock when they see it fit, filling every inch of space with crashing cymbols, echo and shrieking distortion, all the while allowing for moments of calm amongst the chaos. Latest release 'Curiosity (Dawn)' sees DNH wearing their electronic influences on their sleeve, dropping the usual acoustic kit for programmed drums and replacing guitar with glitching synth lines and a captivating sub-bass riff. 

From PJ Harvey to Black Sabbath, Dead Naked Hippies' run through the records of their lives that find their way into the writing, recording and artistic process of their work.

 - (DEEP HIT): First off, can you tell me about an album which first pricked your interest and made you want to start playing music?

- (JACOB): 'Gorillaz self-titled album from 2001. I was pretty young when it came out and think I was only interested in buying it because I'd seen some of the cartoon music videos. But when I got the CD I became pretty obsessed with it. I'd never heard anything like it before and it was the perfect introduction to alternative music. '5/4' and 'Sound Check (Gravity)' were the standouts. i still love this album now, listening to it today it still sounds contemporary.'

- Your 2017 EP 'Dead Naked Hippies' comprises of four tracks that perfectly sum up your sound; a melting pot of noise, punk, garage and indie. Were you listening to any records at the time of writing 'Dead Naked Hippies' that may have influenced the overall sound of the EP?

- (LUCY): 'I was conscious that I wanted the vocals to be distorted and abrasive sounding, a specific reference when looking at the vocal production was PJ Harvey, namely on album 'Is This Desire?'. Drum production was very much inspired by Death Grips' 'Bottomless Pit' album... believe it or not! And guitars Bass Drum Of Death and Queens Of The Stone Age.'

Death Grips- 'Bottomless Pit' (2016)

- What is a record that you look toward for lyrical inspiration?

- (LUCY): 'This is a really hard one for me, lyrical inspiration comes from all kinds of places, feelings, books, and film etc,. One of my favourite albums musically and lyrically is Autolux- 'Future Perfect''.

- An album that you think is produced perfectly?

- (JOE): 'Nine Inch Nails- 'With Teeth'. It's got everything, heavy riffy guitars, gnarly synths, moments of calm, moments of chaos. there's so much depth and intricacy in the sound, and such well written songs at the heart of it.'

- When creating ideas for single and EP cover art, particularly the more abstract-looking designs used on the likes of 'Guillotine' and 'Eyes Wide (Night Time Version)', which record sleeves do you tend to seek out for inspiration?

- (LUCY): 'For us it's really important that the song informs the artwork. For example I wanted the artwork for Guillotine to feel raw and organic, so I physically made this out of fabric, thread, paint and paper. For Eyes Wide (Night Time Version) we wanted to create something that juxtaposed to the synthetic nature of the track, as the track itself was juxtaposed to any preconceived ideas of the band- hence the use of plants. Some of my favourite sleeves are- 'Kid A'- Radiohead, 'The Fragile'- Nine Inch Nails, 'Marauder'- Interpol, 'Fever To Tell'- Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but this definitely comes from a place of how the artwork pairs up with the music.'

'Guillotine' (2018)

'Eyes Wide (Night Time Version)' (2020)

- You put out your most recent single 'Curiosity (Dawn)' in November 2020, a track that differs slightly from your previous efforts, taking a trip into a more electronic-dance route and making use of drum machines. Who and what were you listening to back when you wrote and recorded this that may have fed through onto the track?

- (LUCY): 'We were on a bit of a Holy Fuck kick at the time, but also bands like Wild Beasts, Little Dragon and How To Destroy Angels too. We're all actually hugely into electronic music on the whole and I think even though our music prior to this was almost strictly guitar, drums and vocals- it's played a bigger part in informing how we create than people may think.'

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- What is the one record that the band as a whole can all agree on?

- (JACOB): 'It's got to be 'Paranoid' by Black Sabbath. Listening to it is our pre-gig ritual, so to all of us it just sounds like getting ready to play a show. I imagine when I'm dead old that hearing those first few seconds of War Pigs will snap me straight back to that feeling.'

-And finally, your desert island record?

- (JOE): Queens Of The Stone Age- 'Like Clockwork'. It's always felt like a concept album rooted in reality, and from a songwriting perspective it has such a wealth of songs. Every time I listen to it I hear something that I didn't hear the time before.'

Queens Of The Stone Age- '...Like Clockwork' (2013)

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Listen to Dead Naked Hippies latest single 'Curiosity (Dawn)' out now on Spotify and all other major music platforms.