Stone Deaf has carved out a unique space in the music scene with his track “Red Head” getting the attention of BBC earning praises for it’s rollicking sound. Here’s what he had to say about his music and his journey as an artist.
Cocomyrrh: Congratulations on the release of “Red Head”. What does it feel like having your music out there?
Stone Deaf: It feels amazing to have it out there, music means a lot to all of us. It’s our way of getting things of our chest and performing in particular is the time when we feel most like ourselves.
Cocomyrrh: What’s the background story behind this release?
Stone Deaf: The song was inspired by a short relationship turned sour that had a strong underpinning in manipulation and exploitation so
that ‘Red Head’ through any means necessary could obtain what they wanted.
Cocomyrrh: This song was praised on the radio by BBC. How does it feel to receive such great recognition?
Stone Deaf: It’s unbelievable frankly, it’s not something you ever expect to happen. You know, I write this stuff for me and to just say something that someone else might relate to, so you never expect it to receive that sort of critical acclaim.
Cocomyrrh: What was the inspiration behind the song “Red Head”?
Stone Deaf: Red Head is a song about a short relationship turned sour. It’s about deceit, deception and how the ‘Red Head’ is always in pursuit of pity and attention.
Cocomyrrh: Who were the contributors to this project?
Stone Deaf: The song was written by Stone Deaf’s frontman Michael Pole who also features on the track on main vocals and lead and
rhythm guitar. The drums were played by William Walton and the bass was done by Travis McDonagh. It was recorded in South
Wales by James Weaver. The band formed in Swansea in October 2023 and is already playing sold out shows full to the brim
with energy and power.
Cocomyrrh: Who influenced this release?
Stone Deaf: The song was tonally influenced by Jack White in terms of its distorted guitar work and upper octave solos full of double stops a
la Angus Young (AC/DC). The rhythm part was also influenced by Queens of the Stone Age with its straight staccato downstrokes.
Cocomyrrh: What made the recording process stand out?
Stone Deaf: The drums were the first to go down on to the track with William Walton playing to nothing bar a click track highlighting his
expert sense of timing and dynamics. Next was the bass line which was recorded to perfection exceptionally quickly leaving the
rest of the session to layer layers upon layers of guitars and vocals. It started with the rhythm guitar followed by lead vocals and
layering and then concluded with lead guitar using no more than two pedals at a time to keep the sound as raw and unfiltered as
possible.
Cocomyrrh: How would you describe your sound to someone who hasn’t listened to any of your music yet?
Stone Deaf: Our sound is brash and energetic; we want to rile up some emotion in the listener whatever that may be. If the song makes you angry then great if it makes you happy then great again, we just want it to be enjoyed. It’s definitely pretty guitar driven, that’s the instrument on which all the songs are written so it underpins everything essentially.
Cocomyrrh: When did you realize you wanted to do music? What was the beginning like?
Stone Deaf: We all realized we wanted to do music from a young age but when you get on stage for the first time that’s what really makes you realize that nothing else can compare to that feeling, it’s exhilarating and intimate at the same time.
Cocomyrrh: Are you currently working on any project?
Stone Deaf: We’re always working on something. Currently it’s our debut album but we’ve also got a few singles ready to release ahead of the album.
Cocomyrrh: Are there any recent or upcoming performance you’d like to share?
Stone Deaf: The band will be playing a release show at Piñata’s, a venue in their hometown, on the 31st of October one day after release to
celebrate not only another addition to their song catalogue but one year of them being a band.
Cocomyrrh: What message do you want your listeners to take from your music?
Stone Deaf: Take what you want from our music, it’s for you and your interpretation. We’re not trying to get one singular message across, so it really is up to you.
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