Down the lost highway of damning self-indictments and apocalypse paralysis, there’s a party happening—and that party is Dead Tooth, the eponymous debut full-length from NYC’s premier rodeo-core outfit, out July 18th via Trash Casual. Tracked across multiple studios in NYC’s outer boroughs between 2022–2024 and mixed by Tom Beaujour (Nada Surf, Juliana Hatfield), the record arrives as a raw, cohesive set that plays out like a ’90s blockbuster—brimming with grandiose melodrama, black humor, and larger-than-life character arcs. Frontman Zach Ellis’s near atonal hooks cut through menacing guitar feedback and blistering saxophone, echoing a world where personal and global crises collide, like a chalk-white iceberg into the belly of the Titanic. With effects and overdubs kept to a minimum, Dead Tooth captures the sweat and clamor of a packed Brooklyn basement while fearlessly unveiling 21st-century living in all its unvarnished depravity—as the ship sinks and the passengers cartwheel to their oblivion, this band plays on.
Q: In your opinion, what are the essential qualities that make a “good songwriter”?
A: I think having life experience makes a better storyteller and in turn songwriter. I don’t think better musical chops or theoretical knowledge necessarily does. It can help but it can also get in the way. I think a good songwriter isn’t afraid of being perceived as flawed but rather boldly lets you into their flawed world and makes you feel like you’re not alone in yours.
Q: What is the basis for writing attention-grabbing music in this day and age?
A: This day in age people want something to relate to immediately. Short attention spans allow for way less world building in music. It feels like everyone wants the message or emotional sentiment right away. I think in turn that’s causing a lot of artists to feign or force urgency for outlets like tik tok or instagram which I think is sad cuz in reality sometimes taking your time to build a mood is the most genuine and punk thing you can do
Q: Can you pinpoint some specific songs and songwriters that changed the way you write music?
A: Neil Young very much so in my younger years. “Everybody Knows this is Nowhere” has so much heart and freedom. It’s not about the chops as much but about playing the notes that feel the best, with everything you can. "Napoleon Solo” by At the Drive-In was groundbreaking for me as well. Their whole discography got me into heavier music. The way Cedric’s voice broke on every song as if it was the last time he would ever sing/scream over those beautifully crafted, dissonant chord changes that Omar toiled over make for such a beautiful tension. It feels both aggressive and vulnerable at the same time. I wanted to make music like that.
Q: Do you find it hard to be inspired by your peers? Can you name any new artists you find inspiring?
A: Not at all. There are so many amazing artists making music right now. I love Tall Juan. His latest album is so wonderful. It’s got this playful dark simplicity to it that makes me feel like we’re good friends even though I only know him a little bit. LUCI has been really inspiring. She has such a huge and unique vocal sound and delivery. Joudy is a great band that always inspires me. Recently we played a show with them and it was all new material that I hadn’t heard yet. Every song was a ripper. There’s a lot to sift through out there but so many bands are doing amazing things. I feel like if you’re not inspired you’re just not paying enough attention
Q: For your new album, what inspired the lyrical content, album title, and overall vibe?
A: The lyrics are inspired by a lot of things: road life, mother nature on the skids, the movie Titanic, unhealthy vices, terror in times of fascism, living in the most expensive city in America while trying to juggle art, work, relationships and my own sanity, raging in the face of AI. All of the above compiles into a heap of anxiety and it feels like the only way to get through the daily grind is to just crank up the apathy knob and sweep it all under the rug and when I have time usher those feelings into songs to make room for more headspace and clarity within
Q: Do you find that you ruminate over writing songs and hold on to them for a long time before including them on a record? Or do you prefer to write them, release them, and be done with them? Do you ever re-visit old material to do a re-write or once it’s done it’s done?
A: All of the above has happened depending on what’s going on in my life. I’ve finished songs as quickly as the time it takes to play them while others take literal years to complete. I constantly feel an itch to be working on something though, so if a specific song isn’t shouting at me I’ll start sifting through old demos in search of gold nuggets. Songwriting is a battle with everyday life and the hardest part is actually carving out the time and space to not only create but get into the proper headspace to create from a genuine place. It’s not always up to me. Some days I’ll be in my studio making shitty uninspired demos for hours at a time and then the next day while driving the box truck for work lyrics and song ideas won’t leave me alone. I do sometimes like revisiting/reworking old material as long as I still like the music or idea. It’s almost like covering a song you really love but the artist is just a younger version of yourself and you can apply new tricks to old ideas as well as approach the piece with a bit more perspective. I’ve been slowly working on a darkwave, folk-country record that is an amalgamation of older unreleased and released material reimagined. For me creativity can come in waves and when nothing new is coming I’ll revisit the old stuff as long as it doesn't feel stifling. That being said some songs should never be played again lol
Q: Were there any lessons you learned in the writing and recording process for your current release that you will take with you into your next project?
A: Trust your own gut and only your own gut
https://www.instagram.com/dead_t00th/
Tour Dates:
08/01 – New York, NY @ Nightclub 101
09/28 – New Orleans, LA @ No Dice
09/30 – Jackson, MS @ End Of All Music
10/02 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn 10/03 – Athens, GA @ Flicker
10/04 – Chattanooga, TN @ The Boneyard
10/05 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
10/06 – Savannah, GA @ El Rocko
10/09 – Silver Springs, MD @ Quarry House Tavern
10/10 – Northampton, MA @ The Iron Horse
10/11 – Burlington, VT @ Radio Bean
10/12 – Boston, MA @ Warehouse XI
10/14 – Littleton, NH @ The Loading Dock
10/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy
10/17 – Troy, NY @ No Fun