The Dionysus Effect is a rock band that seeks to capture the energy of Dionysus through their music. Led by Christoph Paul on lead vocals and bass, the band's sound, often called "Cocaine Rock," combines captivating guitar melodies and rhythmic drum beats to create an intoxicating experience for listeners. Their songwriting process is intuitive, with Christoph letting the music dictate the lyrics that flow from his subconscious. As a trio, including Sean Quinn Hanley on guitar and backup vocals, and Brett Petersen on drums, they aim to tour the world and release more albums, driven by their passion for rock music. We caught up with the band
How did the band form and what does the band name mean?
How did the band form and what does the band name mean?
I love playing with Sean, our guitar player. That dude is special, so I've been jamming with him throughout the years, but when I found Brett, I knew we had a real band. Finding a good drummer who loves your songs is the holy grail of starting a band.
I really loved Nietzsche's idea of Dionysus and Apollo energy (what about Dionysus & Apollo energy?) and I wanted a rock band that was full of Dionysus energy. I think Nietzsche would think our band is cool.
Previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?
I was in a band called The Only Prescription that was the seed that grew into this band. Before that, my very first band was a shitty punk band in high school. I was into putting melodies together from the get go.
First concert that you ever went to?
I saw Paul McCartney with my parents when I was like 6 and it was special but I still liked The Rolling Stones more at the time and to this day. (I would mention your dad taking you to Korn— that’s a lot more interesting)
What's your writing process like?
There are two styles: sometimes I wanna explore and just groove out on the bass till something clicks and a melody comes, other times it's having intention and a vision of the type of song I want to write.
What other artists or songs inspire your music?
For this album, it was my love for grungy 90s alt rock and indie sleaze and wanting to put those vibes together. I wanted rawness and emotion with sleaze and hooks. Bands like The Toadies, Stone Temple Pilots, & QOTSA and also The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV On The Radio, The Kills, Wet Leg, and NEW Eve 6 which is good Cocaine Rock not like the heart in a blender song.
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be its own thing?
Fun! Playing live has to be fun and about connecting to the audience but we also wanna be tight and do these songs right. We try to play how we sound on the record but still have room to improvise and add, we did that with Stars and it's so epic live.
Has the band toured? What has the touring experience been, best shows?worst shows?
Not yet, but planning one this Fall. The best show was a Super Dark show at Desperate Annie's. There was a freaking professional hockey team who were drunk on winning and bourbon, and those dudes went wild during a set. A surreal and fun as hell time.
Worst was a show in New Paltz, I had to drive 4 hours from New England to play at midnight. It was pretty dead and the people there just wanted to drink and be sad. Not fun, but at least we got paid.
What's up next for the band?
Our debut album and we’re gonna play shows to promote. Got more songs to record with the second album close to being fully written. All are welcome to Dionysus Summer
https://thedionysuseffect.bandcamp.com/