For the past couple of months, and indeed the past 10 years, …And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead have been rocking the Crossfire stereo with their unique brand of unmistakably spellbinding and captivating sound.
Their new album ‘The Century of Self‘ was released last week to a frenzy of excitement from fans and critics alike. Amidst debate on the band’s last two major label releases and cries of a return to form we caught up with the man at the helm, Trail of Dead guitarist, vocalist and full time legend Conrad Keely.
You recently came to London for the last ever gig at the Astoria. What is it about the Astoria that made you feel compelled to travel all this way just to play three songs?
I suppose I ought to set the record straight and admit that we didn’t. In truth, we were scheduled to do press that day in London and I called Som (My Vitriol) because we always call Som when we’re in London, and he said “Holy Shit, you could play our show tonight if you like!!!” Of course, once the suggestion was made, we did everything we could to make it happen, in memory of the video we filmed there for Another Morning Stoner.
What memories do you have of playing there?
Mostly there was a lot of drinking upstairs, and there was some drinking around the corner, and there was some playing on stage that took place. I also remembered how long our name looked on the marquis, and also that I fell in love a couple times at the bar.
Your new album ‘The Century of Self’ has already been dubbed by many as your “return to form” after what some believe to be two weaker albums. How do you feel your new record compares to your previous releases?
Oh, I don’t see it that way at all. I think our last album was just as good. But I made that record for me. This one, I made with you in mind.
Tell us about the new album – what did you set out to create? And what are the themes and concepts that inspired it?
There is love, hate, betrayal, and revenge. In short, many of the themes follow the arching plot-line of the Count of Monte Christo. My only intention was that we make chapter six in our book. But I left it with a cliff-hanger that will be resolved in chapter seven, being the next record.
How do you feel leaving Interscope has affected the band and the new record?
I think that it was like standing in a long bread line during Soviet Russia under Stalin, then being tapped on the shoulder and being told that you’re free to leave the country, here’s your visa.
What were the pros and cons of being signed to a major label?
Basically, the pros are that you’re given a bunch of money, but told how to spend it. And the cons are that if you don’t earn it back, you don’t make any money. Also, when you are on an independent label you work with four people. When you are on a Major label, you work with four people and one hundred clowns.
You must have had lots of interest from many labels for the new album, why did you choose Superball?
Ah, well… they gave us felatio!
It’s now been over 10 years since you released your eponymous debut album. What has a decade in the music business taught you?
How to be outwardly humble and remain inwardly arrogant. Sorry, I think I might have that in reverse.
How has the industry changed since you started out and how have you had to adapt to that?
Computers and the internet have changed it. It wasn’t an unexpected change, we wanted it to happen. I love piracy: I love the salty air, the feel of the swaying deck, the chaos of battle. The idea of technological democracy and file sharing appeal to my ideas on liberty. But there is no honor amongst thieves, so when you work hard on something you have to accept that it becomes the possession of the greater internet community with no price tag attached to it. It makes you think of your art as not so much a product as much as a simple contribution.
What are the highest and lowest points of your career so far?
I really love to travel, so that’s always a high point. I really hate being stuck in the studio sometimes, and I think a low point might be the last time we worked with Mike McCarthy.
How do you maintain your passion and drive for it and avoid becoming jaded?
You have to absorb the enthusiasm exhibited by art and music fans. They’re not jaded, they love art, they love music. If you’re jaded, I hope you kill yourself, because you defile the wondrous nature of the human spirit.
Finally, what five bands would you recommend that Crossfire readers may not have yet discovered?
I don’t know what bands you have or haven’t heard, but I’ll try to think of ones that might be below your radar: Warsaw Village Band, School of Seven Bells, Berntholer, Knife in the Water, Led Zeppelin, Unrest.
‘The Century of Self‘ is out now on Superball Music.
DEVO have confirmed they will perform a DON’T LOOK BACK show of their legendary 1978 debut album “Q. ARE WE NOT MEN, ARE WE DEVO?” at the London Kentish Town Forum on Wednesday May 6th 2009. 
After a duo of killer sets from Rolo Tomassi and Fucked Up where Rolo were not shy of turning the volume up to maximum and Fucked Up’s Damien traversed the crowd and scaled the heights of the monitors, The Bronx had some work to do. This is a band who clearly don’t worry about other acts ‘stealing their thunder’ or putting on performances that are worthy of headline slots in themselves.
In the queue that snakes around the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle people of all shapes and sizes are waiting in the freezing cold rain to see the biggest metal band in the world. That band is none other than Metallica. Once you get in the foyer excitement is already in the air. In a scene akin to Detroit Rock City, thousands of metal heads have gathered to see this band.