INTERVIEW: My Music with Graham Coath
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For nearly four decades, Deardarkhead have quietly built a reputation as one of New Jersey's most distinctive underground alternative rock bands. Now, after a 25-year gap between full-length albums, they're back with The Pendulum Swings – a record that proves creativity doesn't have an expiry date.
On this episode of MyMusic, Graham Coath sits down with drummer Robert Weiss to explore the band's remarkable journey from their beginnings in Atlantic City in 1988 to creating an album that blends shoegaze, post-punk, psychedelia and cinematic instrumental storytelling.
The conversation goes far beyond the new record. Robert explains why the band embraced becoming an instrumental act, how they create songs without relying on lyrics, and why emotion has become the band's true lead vocalist. They discuss the challenges of making music over nearly four decades, the influence of producers Brian McTear and Amy Morrissey, experimenting with drum loops and unusual time signatures, and why The Pendulum Swings feels like the perfect statement of everything DEARDARKHEAD have experienced together.
There's also a fascinating discussion about the lost art of listening to albums from start to finish, the changing music scene, working in record stores, favourite drummers, Stewart Copeland, shoegaze influences, and why sometimes the greatest success is simply making the next record.
If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about creativity, longevity and music made with purpose, this is an episode you'll want to spend time with.
Listen to The Pendulum Swings and discover why critics are calling it a stunning return for one of New Jersey's most enduring underground bands.