DEATH TRAILS!

The Blackpool punk pioneers tell it like it is.

Photo Credit: Punk4Art

The Fylde Coast has produced some great bands over the years, with numerous genres vying for attention, but with Blackpool playing host to the annual world-famous Rebellion Festival, is it any wonder that it is throwing up some of the goods as far as punk is concerned? We decided to have a natter with Blackpool punk trio Death Trails (Luke, Catlow and Muss).

I know you were all in different bands, so how did you end up together?

Catlow: “We’ve all been playing in bands since we were teenagers. I was in my previous band ‘The Poly-Esters’ and had a thought that it might be cool to do something heavy with male and female joint vocals and so dropped Luke a message.

I’d known Luke for years. We’d been around the same kinda scene and had played a lot of gigs together over the years. I always thought it would be awesome to work on something music-wise with him. Luke said ‘no’ initially [haha], but then he messaged me a couple of weeks later saying that his wife had told him he should do it - so thanks, Kyleigh!

I was also on the look out for a really good drummer and put a post on a website that’s like Tinder for bands. I saw a post that Muss had put on there about the sort of music he wanted to make and he sounded perfect, so I met up with him for a jam one dark, rainy night in Preston and soon after that the three of us got together to learn an Agent Orange cover (that we still throw in the set now).”

Photo Credit: Henry Axekrill

I imagine you all have differing musical tastes and influences, but I wonder how different they are. What music really resonates with you?

Muss: “We’re pretty much influenced by many genres of music. We take influences from punk, ska, hardcore, metal, hip-hop, reggae, drum n’ bass and many others. We like to fuse together different styles and genres that make us who we are - a group of music lovers.

We’ve fused together hip-hop with ska guitar riffs and heavy basslines, punk beats with metal-style riffs, drum n’ bass beats with ska guitars, dance instrumentals going into heavy choruses. The list goes on.

We’re currently working on a new song that started out as a thrash-metal guitar riff and is now forming into a thrash-punk style of song with the OG Death Trails vocals on top.”

You’ve played some exciting stages, including ones at the Rebellion Festival; what was that like and what have been your favourite gigs so far with the band?

Muss: “We have played on stage in the Empress Ballroom, the Pavillion and the Arena. Playing on those stages or any stage at Rebellion Festival is always amazing and a blessing. The energy we receive from the crowds at Rebellion is awesome to be a part of.

Aside from Rebellion, SlugFest has been our most favourite gig to play. Located in beautiful Wales, the organisers, the crowd and the venue are always proper amazing. We feel like SlugFest is one of our homes and we’re grateful to be playing there again.”

Luke: “I like the gigs where the crowd and the band are eye to eye. The big stages are fun to run around on and the sound is often better, but I do prefer a small packed venue. Death Fest was amazing, things got crazy and messy; there was good vibes all around. The Alma in Bolton is always great too.”

Photo Credit: Gisela Szlatoszlavek

Blackpool is something of a home for attractions and entertainment, but how do you see the underside of that picture, because there has always been a wealth of creativity in the town with less-mainstream entertainment. Is it in good shape?

Catlow: “I’ve always loved the Blackpool music scene. It’s where I met most of the people I am still friends with to this day. To me, it always feels authentic and absolutely mental. Nobody’s trying to be cool, they’re just doing their thing and creating stuff that you’d find in some art-house basement in New York, but most people will never know it exists.

I think it’s still in decent shape, yeah. There’s always a gig or an exhibition or a film someone’s making that they want you to be in.

Living somewhere with such hardship and depravation, somewhere that isn’t a cool city with loads going on, forces you to try a bit harder and I think that comes across in the music and art and the work that people create.”

Luke: “Blackpool is a strange place. It’s bursting with creative types, but you have to go out and look for it. It doesn’t seem to be celebrated out in the open.

Once you go looking, you realise there’s a lot going on. there are bands, solo musicians, performance artists, comedians, actors…

Venue-wise we have Bootleg Social, The Waterloo and Scream N Shake to name a few and on the larger, more commercial side of things we have The Grand Theatre, Winter Gardens, Rebellion Festival and just down the road we have Lytham Festival bringing in world-famous artists.

I’d say that being from Blackpool does you no favours in the music industry (you get over-looked), but as long as you’re not looking to become a rockstar, then there’s plenty to get involved in around here. We have our own shit going on.”

Thanks to Death Trails for the interview. You can read the full interview in Issue 1 of Other Magazine (OUT NOW) and you can follow the Trails on facebook.com/deathtrailsuk and instagram.com/deathtrailsuk and get yourselves down to see them at Bootleg Social, Blackpool on March 27th (supporting Millie Manders & The Shut Up), Manchester Punk Festival on April 19th and our very own Rebellion Festival in August.