Feature: Death by Selfie Decodes “Vampire”
What inspired you to write the lyrics/music for "Vampire?"
Harald started writing the music and when I tried to sing a couple of verses I had, it fitted perfectly, so we went on working together on the music and lyrical parts. Inspiration for the lyrics came from the music, quite dark, new wave inspired, with the idea of the “Vampire” but related to a personal experience of toxic relationship. Finally, this song is an extended metaphor, because we all know vampires. They don't necessarily have sharp teeth and silky hair; but they have in common this ability to pump our energy.
What are you most proud about this track?
We are indeed proud of this track for at least two reasons: the fact that for the very first time we are both playing synthesizers on it, and also, for the first time too, I wrote and sang in English.
What impact do you hope "Vampire" will have on your audience?
We hope the beat and the crazy synth sounds - the whole soundscape actually - will catch the audience at first listen and make people want to listen again! Then, hopefully, listening again, the lyrics will touch the listeners and give them some food for thought.
How would you describe your band's overall stage presence and the energy you bring to your live shows?
We spend a lot of energy on stage and play many instruments, sometimes simultaneously! Harald is mostly handling synths and machines and I’m playing guitar, bass and drum machine. We’re both singing.
Video is also an important part of the stage design: we want to create a very cyberpunk experience where the audience is immersed into a hybrid universe which we call Technococoon (the title of our last LP released last November).
What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced as a band, and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenges we have faced – and are still facing – are related to the fact that there are only two of us in Death by Selfie. To be an indie band and do things mostly by ourselves (except for the artwork this time, by Andy Talovikov) gives us total freedom but is sometimes overwhelming. We didn’t really manage to overcome this and still have to choose either to write and record music or play live: for the past year we focused on studio work and releases, now the time has come to put up a new live set and prepare to go on tour, first in France, then hopefully abroad!
