Death From Above 1979 Talk About Why They Reunited

In a new interview, the punk band discusses the reason they decided to get back together after their breakup in 2006. Here’s what the two had to say.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Canadian duo Death From Above 1979 said they don’t regret getting back together. In-fighting might have been the cause of their demise, but mainstream expectations in the industry are now the duo’s primary nemesis.

Based on their previous records, members Sebastien Grainger and Jesse Keeler have never actively tried to mold their sound to gain mainstream success. Their albums are famous for their eclectic mix of dance music and punk rock. It’s not music to sit comfortably on a couch by, with a piping hot cup of tea in one hand and a copy of The Times in the other. This is music that you’re all but forced to pay attention to, whether you like it or not.

In the interview, Keeler confirmed this, saying:

One thing I’ve noticed about us is that we seem to behave as if everything is quite absurd. We know that people seem to like our band and I know why we like our band, but I don’t really know why everybody else does.

The two also discussed whether they had bad blood between them after the breakup. The answer was a fairly definitive “yes.” In fact, they didn’t speak to each other for about six years.

Keeler said the decision to break up was the right one at the time, but they weren’t thinking about the potential future of the band. He said:

Because we had the incredible foresight to know that if we ever got back together it would be great? [Laughs] No, the short answer is that it became frustrating for us because the creative period of the band had long since waned circumstantially.

Grainger said after years of not wanting to hear the name Death From Above 1979, he decided he wanted to face the problem head-on. This is where the 2011 reunion comes in.

Grainger told Rolling Stone:

The basic reason this band got back together was because I was sick of the disdain I had for it. I was sick of, like, the animosity between Jesse and I. I couldn’t live with it anymore; I found it exhausting to have someone in my life that I had problems with. I found it therapeutic to at least share an email. And then the band was still good. The coupon was still valid, it had not expired.

Death From Above 1979 definitely have not gone the way of moldy bread yet. They are out to prove that they still have the same fire in them as the day they formed in 2001. Their pre-breakup career was so far about as long as their reunion has been, but the pair has amassed a huge fan base in that short time.

The duo’s new record The Physical World features new track “Trainwreck 1979.” They have also discussed the possibility of a tour to support the new record.