Art by Enne Goldstein, you can find more of her work here
Dehd knows hearts. The Chicago-based trio (comprised of Emily Kempf, Jason Balla, and Eric McGrady) have long displayed their impeccable ability to channel incredible amounts of vulnerability and rawness into their work, but that strength of theirs has perhaps reached its strongest culmination yet in Water, their latest record which masterfully taps into the web of complexities that is interpersonal relationships. The lyrical content of the record is so refreshingly candid that it results in Dehd cementing their status as acute ethnographers of the human condition just as much as it cements their status as skillful musicians. The tracks on Water yield the ability to rip the listener’s heart to shreds and simultaneously sew it back together again, and that is precisely what makes it such a universally relatable and addictive listen — in addition, of course, to the fact that it offers richness to the ear and mind alike.
Here, Kempf and Balla share their favorite aspect of creating Water, how they hope the record makes listeners feel, their favorite tour snacks, their Hogwarts houses, and more.
Let’s say someone hasn’t heard Water yet. What song on the record would you suggest they listen to in order to act as their “introduction” to or “gateway” into the record as a whole?
Jason: Maybe the song “Water” itself?
Emily: Yeah
Jason: It kind of has of got all the stuff. Emily and I both sing on it and we both trade off, and there’s kind of like…it’s a bit of the whole package. We’re loud, we’re quiet, we’re angry, we’re something else.
Emily: Yeah, or “Lucky.”
Jason: Yeah, that one’s also pretty great.
Was there a certain element of bringing Water to fruition that particularly stands out to you?
Jason: It kind of just like demanded to be put out into the world, and we kind of were in a weird spot. We were kind of like, sticking through it for the sake of the band. The songs seemed important to us and bigger than ourselves in a way where they demanded to be recorded and shared with other people.
Emily: Yeah, we’re really proud of this record. When we were writing it, we were like “This is really good,” even though the times in which we wrote it were hard. The record itself was worth every second of the writing and recording process.
Jason: Yeah, it was developing the way we wrote songs and stuff like that, and then personally as well. Everything was different levels of achievement or progress that we were making, and it seemed like it had this momentum about it where we were just like, “We’re going this direction.”
How do you hope Water makes listeners feel?
Jason: Hmm..angry. Furious. I want them to be so upset.
Emily: I want them to feel like they relate to it or feel some sort of solace, or yeah — basically relating. Even if it’s in a painful way, it’s a real thing.
Jason: You can find videos of early Jesus and Mary Chain playing, and they would only play for fifteen minutes, but people loved them so much that after they stopped playing that they would get banned from a lot of venues. This was because the crowds would destroy the venue. They were so mad, it’s crazy. There are interviews where they’re in the green room, and there’s one in particular where a window is up on the wall – like really high up – and as they’re talking to the guy there are kids falling out of the window and into the green room. Kids had been climbing outside just to get close to it. So, I would like people to listen to it and then feel like they need to go break something.
Emily: Until they explode? Yeah. I want people to feel alive.
Jason: During our first show, we got heckled really bad to the point where this guy was like, “Stop playing music! You suck!”
Emily: Oh yeah!
Jason: That was pretty cool, because I felt like that was the first time I ever felt like I might be in a punk band or something like that – because something we were doing was making someone respond in such a visceral way.
Emily: All our friends, like…
Jason: They literally picked him up and carried him out of the room.
Emily: Our honor was defended.
Jason: We need more fans like that guy.
On Water, there is not only a title track of the same name, but a track called “Lake” as well. I’d love to hear about how you drew the link between water (the element) and the key themes and ideas within the record?
Emily: Not to sound too cliche, but Water…I think we tend to pick an album title off of just a song title. Our last record was called Fire of Love – and we’re not in some sort of elemental theme where it’s like “fire and water” but…kind of! With this record it seemed like water should be the name, and it was from the title of the song “Water.” Then, the next record we just wrote that no one knows about yet was also named in a similar way. Water comes in so many forms, there are so many different ways water exists in the world. I feel that way about love; I feel like this record is a message about love and relating to people in different forms – similar to how water is. We all need water, and also it can kill us, so I feel like there’s some sort of parallel to that – not to be so incredibly obvious, but there’s just a lot. Water is crazy, scientifically.
If you could have Water be the soundtrack of any film, past or present, what would you select and why?
Jason: A Perfect Storm
Emily: You’ve Got Mail. We both knew immediately! As you were asking I was like, “You’ve Got Mail.” A Perfect Storm…I’ve never even heard of that movie.
Jason: It’s Cloondog, he’s on a boat, and then they’re out in the middle of the ocean-
Emily: Cloondog? Clooney?
Jason: Yeah. Then there’s a big wave, spoiler alert.
Emily: Is it a love story?
Jason: A big wave kills everyone on board.
Emily: Wow.
Jason: But it’s all spent at sea, so.
Emily: Jason’s the devil and I’m the angel in the band.
Jason: It’s true.
Emily: It is true! And Eric is god. I hope that makes it into the interview.
Which aspect(s) of creating this record bought you the most joy?
Jason: Mostly just playing my old guitar. I just love doing it. It’s really simple.
Emily: I think the most joy is right now — other people lifting it up and being like “We believe in you, too, and we’re just going to let you set sail.” I feel so supported, and I can’t wait to be on this adventure with Jason and Eric. So, the part of the record that was my most favorite was going through all that hard stuff, and then getting here where it’s like “Woah! I didn’t know this was the end of the tunnel, this is so great.”
Jason: Yeah, it’s been really cool and touching how many people believe in us and resonate with the record in a way that is maybe helpful. A couple people have like, messaged us and stuff.
Emily: Yeah, they were going through a hard time and thought the record was helpful to them. That’s an unexpected response.
Jason: And kind of the best one.
Emily: Yeah.
That’s incredible. So as people that bought the record to fruition, how did it make you feel to receive those messages?
Jason: Humbled.
Emily: Yeah! And like we are definitely doing the right things with our lives. This is the coolest way to exist, and yeah, it feels good. We believe in ourselves, people believe in us, and people believe in the record. But people believing in us making music together, paired with us believing in our music, and then people being affected in a positive way…what better luck could you ask for? That’s amazing.
Now we’re going to transition into talking about your current tour. What are your favorite snacks to take with you on the road?
Jason: I only really exist on coffee.
Emily: Yeah, I guess coffee. We bring our coffee on the road.
Jason: We have a coffee rig that we travel with. I did see this band from Germany recently, and they have this espresso machine that’s in a road case. It rolls into the venue, and then it opens up and it’s a full espresso bar. It’s incredible. That’s like my goal in life.
Emily: Let’s do it! I have an espresso machine
Jason: We don’t have room, we travel in a very tiny car. There’s not even any room for snacks, unfortunately. [To Emily] You’re kind of a snack queen, though.
Emily: I don’t know if I have a “live without,” I just try to get enough vegetables and fruits because on tour it’s like gas station hell.
Jason: And then she has all the candy in the glove box.
Emily: I do have candy in the glovebox. Right now I have Airheads in there, and Laffy Taffy.
Jason: I have kind of been on the kick lately where if you’re at more rural gas stations, they have the mom and pop donut section. If there’s a local donut aisle, I usually go for it just to see what’s up there — what the locals are up to.
Emily: Boiled peanuts — it’s not everywhere, I don’t think they have them up here.
Jason: It’s a southern thing.
Emily: It’s super southern, and it’s in these gross looking kettles at the gas station.
Jason: It tastes like hot dogs.
Emily: They do not taste like hot dogs, but I guess a peanut kind of looks like a mini hot dog.
Jason: It tastes like hot dogs for sure.
Emily: They’re fucking sick, and they’re seasoned cajun or plain. You should mix them together, for anyone who’s never had boiled peanuts.
Jason: Yeah, Emily and Eric are also from Georgia so they grew up on that kind of thing.
Emily: Yeah, we grew up on that. I did – I don’t know what Eric did.
Is there a particular track you’re most looking forward to performing live while on tour? It can be more than one, too.
Jason: I’m having a lot of fun playing…well, “Water” actually. We took a break from playing that one, so we’re playing it again. Then I’m having a lot of fun playing…we just wrote out set, so I’m trying to think —
Emily: Yeah! I’m like “What songs are on the record that we’re playing?” because we’re playing songs from four different records — not all together, mixed together. We’re playing a lot of songs people have never heard before.
Jason: Oh, “Lake” actually. That’s another one we haven’t played in a long time that’s really fun for me to play. I don’t really sing on it, so I just get to play guitar which I think is pretty sick. I get a sweet solo that’s easy for me to mess up, so it’s like a little bit of danger.
Emily: I like “Water.”
So, this is a wild card question. You can say anything you’d like to, whether it relates to the record or the tour — or not. The floor is open.
Jason: Louisiana loses a football field of land every hour and a half.
Emily: Really?
Jason: True.
Emily: Miami is getting eaten by the ocean as well. [To Jason] Is that what you’re talking about, global warming?
Jason: This actually has more to do with the sedimentary deposits of the Mississippi, but also global warming.
Emily: Like the ocean eating it?
Jason: Yeah.
Emily: Woah.
Jason: So, maybe go to higher ground.
Emily: Yeah, move to Chicago where it’s safe [laughs].
Jason: [To Emily] What was your superlative?
Emily: I went to four different high schools.
Jason: I was “Most likely to start a think tank.”
Emily: That is so funny. I can’t think of what I want to say; I want to say something cool…like Jason and I are actually the same person and we were separated at birth.
Jason: That’s pretty wild.
Emily: I’m trying to start a cool rumor that has nothing to do with romance that can be about Jason and I, but I can’t think of anything… I know! We’ll do this one: Jason is the devil, I’m the angel, and Eric is the almighty. That’s my quote.
Jason: When you take the Pottermore quiz, I’m in the Slytherin house.
Emily: I’m Hufflepuff. Eric is Gryffindor.
There may be folks coming to see you on your tour that haven’t seen Dehd perform live before. What can those people expect from your live performances?
Jason: Lots of wiggling.
Emily: Lots of shimmying.
Jason: They’re going to get their money’s worth, so come on out.
Emily: Be prepared to surf.
Jason: Emily just says that ‘cause I hate the term “surf rock” being applied to our music.
Emily: Oh my god, I did not [laughs]. I meant crowd surfing.
Jason: Oh gotcha. I thought she was pulling my leg.
Emily: That’s ‘cause you’re evil, you think everyone is trying to be evil.
Jason: If only. Have fun, break a few things, come to the show.
Emily: Drink water, and tip your bartender. That’s what you should expect.
To see if Dehd is coming to a city near you, click here for their upcoming tour dates. You can keep up with the band on Instagram.
