We had a chance to listen to the new Plastic Daggers album and catch up with the band to discuss some of the work that went into their newest EP. The album comes at you fast and hard utilizing each of the duo’s strengths to capture the brilliant essence of pure rock and roll at its finest. Plastic Daggers are cementing their way as one of the pure rock and roll acts in Denver with this EP. The full EP drops tomorrow and the band is celebrating with a release show this Saturday at Lost Lake!
1. What was the main inspiration behind the new album?
We’ve all had those days that we felt like just we couldn’t deal. A shitty day at work, a difficult relationship, or just struggling to process the outrage we’re all feeling on a broader level, it’s easy to get sucked down into the mire and sometimes it feels like there’s no way out. “Stitches” EP is inspired by those days. The songs on this album definitely have a darker, at times even bleak, vibe and represent a moment in time for us while making this record. For us, this record was a way to fight our way out of that darkness; to explore those feelings of frustration and discontent in our music and serve as an outlet for that aggression. We’re stoked that it’s finally here and excited to share that same outlet with anyone that needs it!
2. How does the process of coming up with a new song happen?
Every song comes about in its own way. Sometimes Jordan will bang out some crazy beat and that will be the basis for the rhythmic hook of a song. Other times it’s a lyric or a riff that’s the catalyst. It’s different every time! The biggest challenge for us, like many bands or artists is knowing when to call a song or project finished. For us, the songs tend to evolve a bit each time we play them and being able to say, “Yeah that one’s finished,” and move on is never easy! The next time you hear these songs live, they’ll likely have evolved slightly from what’s on this EP, but that’s just the nature of it.
3. Your new EP Stitches is about to drop, what was the biggest difficulty or challenge in putting it out?
For this record, we wrote and recorded the songs ourselves in our garage over a 2 week period. We wanted to do as much as we could ourselves on this one. Tracking and mixing everything ourselves came with it’s own challenges. It was quite the learning experience but in the end so much more rewarding.
4. As a duo, do you take inspiration from other duos in the industry if so who?
When we moved to Denver in 2012 one of the first shows we went to was In The Whale at Hi-Dive. That was right after they came out with their “Cake” EP. The crazy live energy and huge sound they were able to make as a two-piece was hugely instrumental in us saying, “Hey, maybe we can do this thing too!”
5. What instruments do you each play?
Jordan plays the drums and Keaton plays the bass. We both yell into microphones.
6. How has Sailor Records helped you grow as a band, and do you recommend bands sign to a label?
Being a part of Sailor Records has been nothing but a great experience for us. We’ve gotten to play SXSW as an official artist, shared the stage with some incredibly talented bands, and made loads of lifelong friendships as a result of SR’s support. In the last few years, Sailor has really grown to become one of the best repositories for all kinds of heavy music in Denver. Muscle Beach, It’s Just Bugs, FATHERS, The Munsens, Abrams, Greenbeard, the list goes on and on... All the bands slay so hard and it’s beyond inspiring and humbling to share a label with them!
Plastic Daggers (Photo Credit: Scott Colby)
7. Finally what can Denver expect from you this record?
Raw, loud and aggressive. We focused less on the melodic elements and more on replicating the energy of our live shows. There’s a mix of straight forward, fast paced, punk stuff and more noisy bluesy riff based songs more reminiscent of our last EP. It’ll be available Fri. 2/22 everywhere you consume your tunes and you can pre-order the vinyl on our Bandcamp or pick one up at our release show on Sat. 2/23 at Lost Lake.
