From cults and monsters to nightmares and devils, no topic is ever too taboo for the riotous rock duo Dead Posey. Since forming from the underbelly of Los Angeles in the twenty-tens, Danyell Souza and Tony Nova have confronted it all in their music – sexism, oppression and religious dogma – with a hearty dose of angst-ridden guitars and vocal howls that combine hallmarks of goth spirit and punk rebellion with ‘80s synth pop and ‘90s alt rock.
“We bonded over a shared love of rock music and the darker side of life,” says Souza who was pursuing acting, modeling and gogo dancing on the weekends to pay bills when she linked up with Nova (formerly of Eve 6). After spending a night in Nova’s studio and singing on a mic for the first time to Nirvana’s “Come As You Are,” a newfound passion was unlocked. As she says, “I knew from that moment in my bones that this is what I was meant to do in life.” That mission has been largely accomplished as electrifying originals like recent apocalyptic singles “Welcome To The Nightmare” and “She Went Bad”, and punchy covers of classics like New Order’s “Blue Monday” and Depeche Mode’s “Never Let Me Down Again” have echoed across the industry spectrum.
In less than 10 years and with just three EPs to their name, Dead Posey’s big hooks and powerful sound have found love from rock bibles like Loudwire and Kerrang!, a collective 42 million streams, billing on topline festivals like Download in the U.K. and Mad Cool and Rockland in Spain (where Dead Posey played to their largest crowd ever at 1:30 a.m.) and placements in a range of TV and movies, such as the WWE’s Elimination Chamber event, Fox’s Lucifer, MTV’s Teen Wolf, Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger, and CBS’ Fire Country.
Dead Posey song material always comes from a pandora’s box of inspiration, whether it’s fellow dark artists like Depeche Mode, Garbage, Nine Inch Nails, Hole and Type O Negative, or true crime docuseries, the surrealist worlds of Salvador Dali and the macabre poetry of Edgar Allen Poe. As Dead Posey get set to release their long-awaited debut LP this fall, a fascination with another sordid part of society has precluded their recording sessions and material, leading the band to ask: Are You In A Cult?
“We are seeing what look like mini-cults forming everywhere. Regular people get tempted and manipulated to follow one charismatic leader, idea or worldview, often to their own harm,” says Souza of the album’s focal point and title track “C.U.L.T.”, inspired by political figures, social media influencers, authors, self-help gurus, and celebrities. Adds Nova, “We’re all guilty of it at some point, but we hope asking the question can give people some power back.” The album also features the punk-infused fury of “Zombies” and the synth-drenched romantic swoon of “Darkside”.