Cliché writer Bryan Cropper got a chance to speak with heavy metal and rock’n’roll artist Davey Suicide about his musical influences, his EP due out on October 23rd, and the importance of second chances.
Cliché: You’ve probably heard this enough by now, but what is the significance of the name “Davey Suicide”? Where does it come from?
Davey Suicide: Well, I was at a low point in my life a few years back and I felt like I just needed that constant reminder that there was no reason I couldn’t accomplish anything. Unless I kill myself, there’s nothing I shouldn’t get that I want.
Cliché: So it’s about hope?
DS: Suicide is such a morbid connotation. If it’s there, always staring you in the face, then it forces you to live.
Cliché: You speak a lot about second chances. Does this stem from a personal conflict or from society?
DS: I felt like a lot of opportunities slipped away in my life. I wouldn’t be where I am today without second chances. People who understand that are the ones who can do things. I’ve failed millions of times; but I keep going.
Cliché: Your new single—“Generation Fuck Star”—what does it mean to you? What do you want your listeners to get from it?
DS: Everything is so watered down now, you know? People are born into a rich family and they get everything they want—
Cliché: Kim Kardashian?
DS: Lauren Conrad, Paris Hilton—it all started with her I guess. Being a “star” is so watered down right now. “Generation Fuck Star” is about wiping away all the bullshit.
Cliché: What’s the rest of the record going to be like? When does it come out, first of all?
DS: Our EP comes out first—that’s on October 23rd of this year. Then the full length comes out sometime late January / early February.
Cliché: What should we expect?
DS: It will be cocky. Dark. Shocking. In such a stagnant time in music, it will be a breath of fresh air. There is an unbridled honesty missing in the rock world today, and I aim to expose. The news and the media play the world—make us easy to control. A lot of people get bullied into religion. Also, shedding baggage as a kid, learning to connect—these are some of the things that are going to be on the album.
Cliché: Who were your biggest influences growing up? Music-wise, that is.
DS: Guns n’ Roses is my absolute favorite band of all time. Also, I like Eminem—his lyrics are incredible. And [Marilyn] Manson—that’s where I get the industrial influence from. Metallica, Pantera. . . .
Cliché: What are your thoughts on the music industry today?
DS: It’s at an unfortunate state, but the fans are still around. If your music is worth anything, people will come out to see it. Davey Suicide got lucky signing on with Standby [Records]. We earned our freedom; and now we run the show, so to speak. They trust in our decisions, our artistic integrity.
Cliché: How’d you work your way up to touring with Static-X?
DS: We did shows in Hollywood—Wednesday 13, Vampires Everywhere! . . . But we put the record together first. Did the showcasing first. Then comes the touring.
Cliché: What do you see in the future?
DS: More touring. This time in the UK. Ultimately, I’d like to tour with Zombie and Marilyn Manson. Touring with Nine Inch Nails would be a dream of mine—if they were to do a reunion.
Cliché: Can you say who you’ll be touring with in the UK coming up?
DS: Unfortunately, no (laughs). That’s a secret.
Cliché: Would you like to give a last message to our Cliché readers?
DS: It’s important to know that boundaries are only there because we put them there. Don’t shortchange yourself. We are all in control of our lives.
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Visit http://daveysuicide.com for more news and updates!
Photograph by Chad Michael Ward
