Post-Punks Protomartyr Keep It Upbeat Ahead of Jun 15 Yue Space Gig

Kyle Mullin | May 30, 2018 1:00 pm | Add a comment | 746 reads

Be it frontman Joe Casey's gruff singing style or his bandmates' pummeling playing, Detroit post-punks Protomartyr are a band that certainly don't make music that can be categorized as light-hearted. That dense and heavy songcraft is none more present than on the band's fourth LP, last year's Relatives In Descent (which topped numerous music mags' "best of" lists). Thankfully, Joe Casey and co. don't seem to take themselves to seriously out of the studio, Casey finding time to crack wise throughout our Q&A ahead of their Jun 15 gig at Yue Space. Below, he tells us more about remaining steadfastly, albeit bluntly upbeat.

Your 2012 debut was titled No Passion All Technique. Have you become a bit more passionate since then, or do you remain as resolutely ice-cold?
Now I have even less passion than none. That's what age does, I guess. My technique remains flawless as always.

[Laughs] I also wanted to start with a joke because a profile in Vulture praised Protomartyr for not taking yourselves too seriously, as opposed to other bands like Wire that have been more prone to posturing.
We just played a show opening for Wire and I didn't see a bit of posturing from them, so I don't know what that writer was trying to get at. You can bark on stage and do what we do and take yourself too seriously. I would think those that do probably suffer from some esteem issues. For as depressing as the music can get, I would say we are all fairly well-adjusted.

Your last album, Relatives In Descent, was a huge hit with critics. How did all the accolades feel?
I guess it's better than universal pans? As much as I like to think we create in isolation and are unperturbed by outside influences, you do need to consider "the audience" every once in awhile. I'm glad they aren't throwing tomatoes at us. Is that still a thing that happens?

Tell me about what inspired the song "Male Plague" and how it feels to sing those lyrics for audiences now, in this post #MeToo era?
Well, I've always felt a lot of the codes for masculinity were a little out of whack. I myself can suffer from easily wounded pride. I think a lot of violence and unnecessary suffering is brought about by this upholding of masculine pride. I like singing it, except one time when a younger boy knocked over a woman in the crowd while we were playing it and he didn't help her up or apologize. I think that stupid kid didn't get the point of the song.

What inspired the lyrics for "My Children"?
Thinking about how my window for having any children of my own is rapidly closing. That and all the legacy and troubles we leave to who follows. In a way, it's also about writing a song about having your songs be the only thing left behind after you die. It's a fun one!

Have you begun a follow up to Relatives In Descent yet, and if so what inspired it?
Right now, we are in heavy tour mode – months and months of touring with no end in sight. Once that wraps up sometime in the winter, we'll get cracking on writing new stuff. I'm already inspired by things I've seen or heard on the road. I hope we still get to do this for years to come. That is kind of an impossible dream for bands, to maintain and continue, so I would be happy with that.

I also hope we travel to more places I never thought I'd ever go. If you would have told me 10 years ago I would be playing Beijing in a band I would have laughed in your face.