“Generation Fuck Star
lost have found their way
Generation Fuck Star
revenge will have its day
Cross Your Heart, we confide
Put our trust in Suicide”
And indeed we shall! Davey Suicide is taking the U.S. by storm as he promotes his self-titled debut album, Davey Suicide. Currently touring with Vampires Everywhere and Orgy, he’s shaking up convention and shattering perceptions through his art and his music. He is a true artist, and we at RockRevolt Magazine are completely humbled to have had a quick moment before the show to sit down and talk about him about his music, his look, and his artistry. We’ve put our trust in Suicide, it’s about time you did too!
You are almost done with this touring cycle. Tell me about how it has been so far.
Everyone has gotten along great. It’s been fun. I think the most exciting thing is to see how many fans are coming out to these shows, because I feel like we are getting groomed now to start getting closer to headlining, and I think that is the most exciting part. Our record has been out a week, and all the kids knowing the songs is such a different thing instead of them just knowing “Fuckstar.”
What do you feel you will be walking away from this tour with?
We’ve become a better band. We have a new light show. As a unit, as a collective whole, we’ve learned how to work together better and stronger. I think we’ve gotten closer to our fans – that’s the most important thing. I think we’re walking away knowing that we are closer to be able to do our own show.
You have a unique look. I know what it takes to keep my look in check. Tell me about your hair maintenance regimen.
I don’t do anything. That’s the secret. When you let it go it gets all nasty and disgusting and you have this.
Do your dreads ever get stuck anywhere?
No. Not really. If it’s in the way I just tie it up. I always wanted a long hair. I think I braided it one day, and I went to school, and all the kids were looking at it. Then I started hair spraying it and my friend Becky started dreading it.
In reading up on you, a press release states that you knew that a “safe” life was not for you. How is life now “unsafe” and do you prefer it that way?
Now, I’m just more in control. The “safe” life was in regards to a 9 to 5, or like getting a degree in doing all of that per se.
I watched you in an interview once stating that you regret having put your family through. Tell me a little about the hell you put them through, if you don’t mind.
I think that was confused. My parents had joint custody of me, so I never had a steady home. I think I was just so angry and I didn’t understand why. They forced me to go to church until I was 14. I didn’t have friends at school – didn’t have a click. I didn’t have a place to sit when I went to lunch. I would abandon lunch and go to the music room and play guitar. I didn’t understand why I was not like everybody else. I didn’t realize until I got out of my teens that I was groomed for something else. That’s when I started carving my own path and started sharing my music with people. Then people started gravitating to me, and that’s when things started to change. I later realized that my parents were just trying to make sure that I didn’t wind up dead in the gutter. They were actually looking out for me, but at the time I was like, “You are the devil!” I was convinced of that.
I’m sure my son says the same thing about me. I heard you had some amazing ink.
Yeah, it’s all black. (laughs while pointing to his blackened out arms from show makeup)
(Laughs) Tell me about your ink.
I have my three favorite singers on my arm: Axl, Manson, and Eminem. I have “Suicide” really big on my back. I have stuff for my brother, my parents, my grandma. Let me see: my favorite band is Guns N’ Roses, so I have Guns N’ Roses stuff. I have Edward Scissorhands, because I am relatable to that character. From the “Saw” movies, I have the Jigsaw. I love the idea of him trying to make people appreciate things, and the twisted psychology of that movie.
Is it your favorite horror flick?
Not my favorite. I like “Silence of the Lambs”, “The Devil’s Rejects,” and “House of 1000 Corpses.”
In another one of your press releases, you are quoted by saying:
“It’s important to pave your own road. I hit a ceiling. I had some opportunities that slipped away, and I woke up one day with the idea of ‘DAVEY SUICIDE’. I needed a constant reminder that we’re all in the driver’s seat. If I give up on myself, shit’s not going to go the way I want it to. I’d rather live by my rules than feel like I’m stuck inside a box. It’s about believing in yourself. Put your trust in SUICIDE.”
Tell me about the missed opportunities and the ceiling you hit.
I lived in a town in Maryland – just a small town. I liken small towns to snow globes. You reach the ceiling of it and at that point you decide whether you’re happy in your little domain, or whether you’re meant for something bigger. That was that, so obviously I had to move West, and hang with the big dogs. I always felt that I deserved to be there. Part of that is leaving your comfort zone, leaving what you know, and starting in a new area that is filled with the big dogs. I started swimming with the sharks and it’s working out. Now I’m going to eat them all. (laughs)
(laughs) In watching your videos and listening to your music, it seems you are trying to begin a movement. Tell me about that movement, what it stands for, and why I should put my trust in Suicide.
I feel like we’re at a time where labels and that kind of a thing have figured out a way to manufacture bands. At the beginning of it, it was working, but people just got tired of it. The whole idea of a “star” has been so watered down. That is what “Generation Fuckstar” is about. It’s about getting back down to the root of what makes an artist special. It is because they are art, not because they are this manufactured corporate thing to be pushed down the assembly line. I feel that music fans are wanting to revert back to following bands that eat, sleep, and breathe this. It’s not a costume. This is their life. This is our life. I feel that we are the epitome of what the bands that we loved when we grew up were.
Do you consider yourself a leader?
I think I’m a leader in the sense that I know what I want. We have fans – they look up to us. I try to do the right things, and set an example for people. If they want to call me a leader, that’s cool. I think more importantly you have to do what you love in life, and you have to make a living off what you love. It’s okay if you stand out, and are a little bit different than the next person. As long as you feel comfortable in your own skin; that’s the goal.
I’ve seen your paintings online. They are very socially and politically motivated, to say the least. Tell me about some of the main symbols that you incorporate, and tell us about some of your more thought provoking pieces.
I’ve always been obsessed with eyes. I think they are the first thing you see when you meet a person. It’s where you connect with them.
I think that really depends on the person. For example, I always look at Phil’s crotch (points to man with a camera).
Oh okay. I’m looking at it right now. (laughs) Hey boy! (laughs) I think the obsession started with eyes, and the whole “killers never die” thing started with Xs on the eyes was to signify they were dead. I’ve always been fascinated with figures that have withstood the test of time, and have outlived their life and have carried on from generation to generation. I’ve incorporated that kind of thing as well. I feel that there is something fascinating about a timeless person, whether it is good or bad. I love to showcase that in my painting.
Your piece named Magdalene is quite different from the others. Why is that?
Magdalene – by Davey SuicideEssentially, she slept with Jesus, or fucked Jesus, whatever (that’s what they’re saying). The funny part is that nobody mentions that he was 33 when he died, and she was 14 or 15. By today’s standards, that’s not too great (laughs), but that’s the savior for everybody from generations past. I left it simple. I didn’t really have a meaning behind leaving it simple, except for the fact that it’s kind of a big oxymoron to me.
The lyric video for “Grab a Gun and Hide your Morals” is also similar to your artwork. Did you have a hand in the production of said video?
Yeah. I told them everything to do. I always do. I’m very specific with everything. That’s why I get mad a lot when the label doesn’t do what I want. I tell them, give them a shopping list, and if they don’t bring it back exactly how I want it, what’s the point of asking me what I wanted? I’m very focused, driven, and very visual.
Is your label open to receiving information like that?
They’re open to hearing what I want. They are not the best at getting what I want. (Laughs) I hate my label, to be honest with you. I think they suck.
I’m sorry.
It’s okay. It’s worse for them. They just need to learn how to keep up, because we’ve left the station a long time ago.
Let’s move on to your music and latest album. Is this the pinnacle for you?
I’m so proud of it. I know we have better to come, but I love our record. I listen to it all the time. I endorse it completely. There’s nothing I would change on it. I think it’s a great introduction to where we were when we wrote it. It’s a great stepping stone for our next record.
I couldn’t agree more. My personal favorite is “One More Night.” Tell me more about that song. Then tell me about another song that carries great significance for you.
“One More Night” is basically the idea of being separated from somebody and longing for them again. I think everyone has had that moment in their life, and has had that person in their life. My personal favorite is “In my Chest is a Grave.” I think it was therapy for me. It helped me accept everything that happened in my childhood, and it was the moment that I let it all go, and wasn’t carrying the baggage around anymore.
I’m for certain that there may be some symbolism in your music that may or may not be misinterpreted. What are the common threads or themes you like to introduce in your music, and what message are you putting out there that may be misconstrued, or not completely understood at face-value.
The cross your heart: people seem to think it stands for Satanism. To me it’s more like second chances. It’s more about self-empowerment. Just because you’re not religious does not mean you are a Satanist, but a lot of people take it that way. If they don’t want to read the pages of the book, then they can think whatever they want.
On your album, there is a mock interview between yourself and a journalist. In this interview you pull out a gun and take care of the douchbaggery that was occurring. Now that we are at the end of this interview, will you be pulling out your gun and shooting me with it?
(laughs) You’re not him.
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Connect with Davey Suicide at the links above, or below:
daveysuicide.tumblr.com/
www.myspace.com/daveysuicidemusic
