With their second album out now, God Damn create a sleazy whirlwind of desert-rock riffs. The duo take a leaf out of Queens of the Stone Age’s book in achieving the alchemy of brutal heaviness and a sinister groove.
Currently touring the UK, the duo had a chat to our Rob to talk inspirations, dogs and Slade…
Hey guys! What has life in God Damn entailed today?
Ash: We are currently on our way to High Wycombe to play a show at Bucks University with the mighty Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes. We haven’t been on the road for a while and this marks the start of being on tour for over a month, so we’re buzzing.
Your new single ‘Sing This’ is a banger, what’s the inspiration behind it?
Thom: It’s weird really because sometimes when you start off writing something really gnarly it often flips on its head and becomes really poppy. I’d say Thee Oh sees ‘Toecutter’ and The Walkmen’s ‘Rat’ meets Pissed Jeans’ ‘False Jesii Part 2’ are some obvious links, if we’re going to be really specific about this song.
The video contains a pretty scary dog. What’s your favourite breed?
A: We actually love dogs. For me, it’s probably between a Labrador or a Border Terrier, but this could easily change overnight.
T: I’m a Staffy lad, so I’ll say Staffordshire Bull, but I’d like an English Bull too. Yeah we love dogs, it’s something we talk about often.
Your new album, Everything Ever, is out now, how have you developed as a band since your debut? Do you still stick to the same formula when writing songs?
A: The main change has been learning when to cut the bullshit. Apart from that, the formula is pretty much the same – one of us comes up with an idea, we get together and see what happens. If it doesn’t work, then we tend to move on and write something else, you can waste a lot of time working on something that comes to nothing.
How was it working with Ross Orton on your upcoming album? He’s worked with some really big artists, what effect did he have on your music?
A: Following on from the previous question, he was the main one who helped us cut the bullshit. He’s a straight down the line guy, and has a lot of experience to learn from. He’s the most Yorkshire bloke you could meet, has a cool little studio with amazing gear, and he’s great to work with.
Your music is fantastically heavy but there’s some great melody and groove to it as well, which artists inspire your sound?
T: Smiths to Slipknot, Slayer to Slade… But not just artists beginning with S, ha.
Are there any new artists you can recommend who we should check out?
T: Off the top of my head, I’ve been listening to this really raw band called Pile, into a band called Wand, Car Seat Headrest and a dead new band we played with called Strange Bones.
A: There’s loads, and I will probably miss so many out if I try and list them all. I would say new bands I’ve been listening to most recently are Youth Man, Black Honey and Clever Thing.
Next month you’re supporting Frank Carter, who is one of the most punk rock men alive. What’s the most punk rock thing you’ve ever done?
T: This band? Seems to piss most people off, that’s gotta be punk right?
A: I don’t really have much time for stuff like that. I’ve learnt to keep my gob shut, and get on with it.
What plans do God Damn have for the near future?
A: We have our second album coming out, then we head out in the UK with Red Fang and Torche, followed by a European tour with Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes. I can’t say much about the rest of the year yet, but you will definitely be hearing more from us!
Huge thanks to God Damn for answering our questions!
Everything Ever, the new album from God Damn is out now. And you can catch them live over the next couple of weeks:
28 Sept – Bierkeller, Bristol
29 Sept – Stylus, Leeds
30 Sept – Academy 2, Manchester
02 Oct- Institute 2, Birmingham
03 Oct – Garage, Glasgow
04 Oct – Riverside, Newcastle
05 Oct – Engine Rooms, Southampton
