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Interview: Joe Cotela of DED

Antihero Magazine‘s James Geiser spoke to frontman Joe Cotela of Arizona’s rising metal act, Ded, about the band’s upcoming debut release, ‘Mis-An-thrope‘.

Ded is:
Joe Cotela (Vocals)
David Ludlow (Guitar)
Kyle Koelsch (Bass)
Matt Reinhard (Drums
)
 
 
BIO: 

If you’re not pissed off, then you’re not paying attention. Heavy music is alive and Ded is bringing back the aggressive spirit that is authentic to the genre.  “There is an honesty and a “fuck you” about hard core music that I don’t feel as often anymore” says lead singer Joe Cotela.  Ded is loud and aggressive – but it serves as a positive outlet: the band produces an unapologetic sound that draws from the art of fantasy and expressive screams.

Ded was born in the music scene of Phoenix, Arizona and has been together for 2 years.  Band members Joe Cotela (Vocals), David Ludlow (Guitar), Kyle Koelsch (Bass), and Matt Reinhard (Drums) developed a friendship and ultimately a musical partnership that mixes horror and dark imagery to develop a familiar, yet unique sound that sets them apart from other bands.   Cotela says “With our music – we want to make the listener feel like how you feel after you’ve watched a really good horror movie – on edge, jittery…  And very much alive”. They incorporate these volatile elements into their lyrics – with the hopes that it will breathe new life into the hard core genre.  Imagine an inspired take on outward thinking that transcends screaming, and low tuned riffs.  Their sound is meant to “be in your face and tell it like it is”, while paying homage to Korn and Pantera, who served as early inspirations.  Ded are also influenced by more recent bands like Slipknot and Bring Me The Horizon.  This is modern hard rock & alternative metal that goes beyond anger – including themes like existentialism and ego in everyday life.  The lyrics are timely and resonate with an audience navigating the chaotic world we live in.
 
The band’s work ethic, drive, and dedication led them to record an EP that quickly made the rounds of the music industry, and started a buzz that opened doors.  Using that as a springboard, the band hit the road and toured with Beartooth, Asking Alexandria, Atreyu, Every Time I Die, Upon a Burning Body, The Acacia Strain, John 5, Powerman 5000, and Insane Clown Posse among others. 
 
Their touring helped grow awareness in the business and brought them to the attention of producer John Feldmann (Disturbed, Blink-182, Beartooth).  Their collaboration with Feldmann culminated in the band signing with Jordan Schur @ Suretone Records – who discovered and grew the careers of platinum rock acts Staind and Limp Bizkit, among others.  Suretone released their first single and video for “FMFY” in December 2016.

2017 has been a busy year for Ded – they have been playing Major Rock festivals and will be touring with KORN this summer.  Their single “Anti-Everything” is Top 20 and climbing @ Active Rock radio and is on standout Hard Rock & Metal playlists at all major streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora and Google Play Music.  The video for “Anti-Everything” is at almost 1 million views on Youtube. The band just released a new lyirc video for “Dead To Me“.

The band is repped by CAA for booking.

“Mis-An-thrope” Tracklist
1. Architect
2. Anti-Everything
3. Dead To Me
4. FMFY
5. Remember The Enemy
6. Disassociate
7. Rope
8. Hate ME
9. I Exist
10. Inside
11. Beautiful
 

Ded – Upcoming Tour dates

June 30 – Mesa Amphitheatre – Mesa, AZ (KUPD Show)
July 13 – Rock USA – Oshkosh, WI
August 9 – Diamondz Events Center – Jerome, ID  (KEDJ show)
August 10 – 3rdWheel – Lewiston, ID (KOZZ show)
August 11 – Knitting Factory – Spokane, WA (KHTQ show)
August 12 – Knitting Factory – Boise, ID (KQXR show)
 
DED Festival Appearances (More coming this fall)
7/16 — Chicago Open Air – Bridgeville, IL
7/22 — Rise Above Festival – Bangor, ME
9/9 – Revolution Rock Festival – Foxwoods Resort, CT
9/22 – High Elevation Rock Festival – Denver, CO
9/30 – Louder Than Life -Louisville, KY
10/1 – Sonic Boom – Janesville, WI
10/7 – Rock Allegiance – Camden, NJ
10/15 – Houston Open Air – Houston, TX
10/21 – Aftershock – Sacramento, Ca
 
DED with Korn, Stone Sour and more
07/19 – Syracuse, N.Y. — Lakeview Amphitheater
07/20 – Mansfield, Mass. — Xfinity Center
07/23 – Hartford, Ct. — Xfiniity Theatre
07/25 – Toronto, Ontario — The Molson Amphitheatre
07/26 – Camden, N.J. — BB&T Pavilion
07/27 – Holmdel, N.J. — PNC Bank Arts Center
07/29 – Noblesville, Ind. — Klipsch Music Center
07/30 – Clarkston, Mich. — DTE Energy Music Theatre
08/01 – Cincinnati, Ohio — Riverbend Music Center
08/02 – Cleveland, Ohio — Blossom Music Center
 

Connect with DED

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dedofficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/weareded
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dedofficial
Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/album/0EJ8q62CX4O52UjTN2bAEx
iTunes Pre-order link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mis-an-thrope/id1238486219
Smart URL to all streaming/sales outlets: http://smarturl.it/misanthrope

James Geiser

James Geiser is a former award winning Television News Photojournalist and internationally published photographer, after spending five years in the local television news media being bound by the creative restraints of content based production, he decided to leave his job in television to find his love for photography and video production again. He is a former student at Winston-Salem State University, where he majored in Mass Communications and Digital broadcast operations. He is not only just a journalist but he is also an experienced videographer, delivering a multimedia journalistic addition to Antihero Magazine

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