photo: Courtesy by the artist
Friday, October 7, 2011 at 6:00PM
Taix – Los Angeles, CA (Culture Collide)
Saturday, October 8, 2011 at 10:00PM
Taix – Los Angeles, CA (Culture Collide)
Monday, October 10, 2011 at 9:00PM
The Blue Lagoon – Santa Cruz, CA
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 9:00PM
Ash St Saloon – Portland, OR
Wednesday, October 12 at 9:00PM
The Funhouse – Seattle, WA
Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 7:00PM
The Grail Venue – Coeur d’Alene, ID
Sunday, October 16, 2011 at 9:00 PM
Mohawk – Austin, TX
Wednesday, October 19, 2011 at 8:00PM
Local 269 – New York, NY (CMJ)
Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 3:00PM
The Delancey – New York, NY (CMJ)
They’re not even allowed in the amazing venues Austin has to offer without supervision, but that didn’t keep the Dutch band ‘Death Letters’ from taking off to Texas last September when only 18 and 19 years old. They were there for a one sole purpose only: recording their second album with one of their favorite producers. This particular producer has worked with bands from the likes of And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, JET, The Datsuns and The Dandy Warhols and rolls by the name of Chris ‘Frenchie’ Smith. How they got here? Well, here’s the tale of two youngsters chasing their dream in a far-away land.
During the Great Depression of the 30’s, American blues hero Son House wrote and recorded his signature song “Death Letter”. Somewhat 76 years later in 2006, singer/guitarist Duende Ariza Lora (19 yrs old) and drummer Victor Brandt (18 yrs old) borrowed the name for their band, inspired by the song’s characteristic raw emotion and urgent rhythm. Also influenced by groups like The Thermals, Oceansize, Death Cab for Cutie, Cult of Luna and At The Drive-In, Death Letters aren’t even close to their twenties yet, but are already bursting with talent and growing experience.
Hitting it off immediately in their first rehearsal, Duende and Victor became a tight musical pair and recorded their debut EP “Play it like you mean it” shortly afterwards. The EP was a success receiving excellent reviews. Things really kicked off when the guys, then aged 15 and 16, entered a band competition and made their first TV appearance. They went for gold and got it; a backstage gig at Holland’s finest summer festival ‘Pinkpop’. With the media all over them it was time to get serious; that same year they recorded their first full-length album.
Their self-titled debut album was released in February 2009 throughout The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. The album delivers thirteen solid tracks drenched with rock, blues and a steep dose of punk boiled down to true grittiness written with blood, sweat and the occasional tear. Gaining more attention with the release of the album, Death Letters began to tour a whole range of venues and festivals including Paradiso, Zwarte Cross and Paaspop, as well as several German stages. The Germans couldn’t get enough of the pair and so Death Letters teamed up with the Stagg-O-Lee Label (partner of the infamous Glitterhouse Records) to release the album in Switzerland, Germany and Austria.
The stage provides Death Letters with a free license to exalt untamed madness through their energetic live sets. Frontman Duende literally jumps, flies, kicks and dives across the stage never compromising the integral performance of any song. His voice remains sturdy and sharp, his howls perfectly coordinating with his skills as a guitarist in spectacular licks. Now add Victor’s loud and incredibly taut drumming and you have a stage performance that impresses contemporaries and creates even more devoted followers.
