DZ Deathrays (previously Denzel then DZ) are an Australian
dance-punk
Dance-punk (also known as disco-punk, punk-funk or techno-punk) is a post-punk subgenre that emerged in the late 1970s, and is closely associated with the disco, post-disco and new wave movements.Rip It Up and Start Again: Post Punk 1978-1984 ...
trio from
Brisbane, Queensland
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
. Composed of Shane Parsons (vocals/guitar), Lachlan Ewbank (lead guitar/vocals) and Simon Ridley (drums), they put out two EPs before releasing their debut album, ''
Bloodstreams
''Bloodstreams'' is the debut studio album by Australian dance-punk band DZ Deathrays. It was released by I Oh You Records in Australia in April 2012.
At the ARIA Music Awards of 2012 it was the ARIA Award for Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Alb ...
'', in April 2012. The album won the
ARIA Award for Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Album
The ARIA Music Award for Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Album, is an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards, which recognises "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", since 1987. It is handed out by the Austral ...
at the
ARIA Music Awards of 2012
The 26th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) were a series of award ceremonies which included the 2012 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA Hall of Fame Awards, ARIA Fin ...
.
To date they have released five studio albums: ''
Bloodstreams
''Bloodstreams'' is the debut studio album by Australian dance-punk band DZ Deathrays. It was released by I Oh You Records in Australia in April 2012.
At the ARIA Music Awards of 2012 it was the ARIA Award for Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Alb ...
'' , ''
Black Rat
The black rat (''Rattus rattus''), also known as the roof rat, ship rat, or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the stereotypical rat genus ''Rattus'', in the subfamily Murinae. It likely originated in the Indian subcontinent, but is n ...
'', ''
Bloody Lovely
''Bloody Lovely'' is the third studio album by Australian dance-punk band DZ Deathrays. It was released on I Oh You Records in February 2018. Australian radio station Triple J picked ''Bloody Lovely'' as their feature album of the week in Februa ...
'', ''Positive Rising: Part 1'' and ''Positive Rising: Part 2''
History
2008–2011: Early years
Parsons and Ridley (both from
Bundaberg, Queensland
Bundaberg is a city in the Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia, and is the List of places in Queensland by population, tenth largest city in the state. Bundaberg's Bundaberg Regional Council, regional area has a population of 70,921, and is ...
, Australia) were initially the founding members of Brisbane band Velociraptor, and continue to play with the group. Following the formation of DZ Deathrays, the band's first performances occurred at Brisbane house parties. The debut recording for the band was an
EP, titled ''Ruined My Life'', that was released in 2009 and its entire content was recorded live at a house party.
The band's sophomore EP, ''Brutal Tapes'', was released in January 2011 on their Bandcamp. A Re-issue containing more songs was released by label I Oh You, in 2014.
2012–2013: ''Bloodstreams''
DZ Deathrays released their debut album, ''
Bloodstreams
''Bloodstreams'' is the debut studio album by Australian dance-punk band DZ Deathrays. It was released by I Oh You Records in Australia in April 2012.
At the ARIA Music Awards of 2012 it was the ARIA Award for Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Alb ...
'', in April 2012 and received praise from
Pitchfork Media
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog.
Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...
, with reviewer Laura Snapes writing that the album is "more than worth going deaf to." The album was co-produced by electro artist Richard Pike and was recorded in Queensland during a two-week period. It was released in the UK in May 2012 on the Hassle label and ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' reviewer Kelly Murray explained: "This album has the potential to make your little sister want to shave her head and invest in mock leather hotpants. It’s the penned seduction of a weekend of irresponsibility and a Monday full of inferior excuses."
2014–2016: ''Black Rat''
The band's second album was recorded with producer
Burke Reid
Burke Reid is an Australian–Canadian record producer/musician.
Career
After migrating from Canada to Australia in 1994 at the age of 14 years, Reid became one third of the band Gerling in 1997. Following the announcement of a hiatus by Gerli ...
at the Grove Studios complex, located adjacent to the Strickland Forest, north of
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, Australia, in January 2014. The band recorded with Reid for a two-week period—a 9 January
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
post from the band read: "Producer Burke Reid tinkering away at about 3am. Sounding brutal." The band's press release for the album states that the recording is "a rich, deep collection of sounds, textures and arrangements".
In the promotional material that accompanied review copies of the album, Parsons described the album as "definitely a night-time record. After 9pm; that's where it finds its place."
In early April 2014, the band signed with the
Infectious Records
An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...
music company for the release of ''Black Rat'' in the United Kingdom (UK). The band toured the UK during April 2014, appearing at the
Liverpool Sound City
Liverpool Sound City is an annual music festival and industry conference in Liverpool, England. Founded in 2008 by Dave Pichilingi (also founder of Modern Sky UK), Sound City was located in Liverpool City Centre venues, such as The Kazimier, T ...
event, prior to the UK release of the album in August 2014. The duo released their second studio album ''Black Rat'' in both Australia and the United States (US) in May 2014.
In early May 2014, writing for the ''
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal Au ...
'' newspaper, music journalist
Andrew McMillen
Andrew McMillen is an Australian music journalist and national music writer for ''The Australian''.
Early life and education
McMillen grew up in the southern Queensland, Australia city of Bundaberg, the son of two teachers. He relocated to ...
awarded ''Black Rat'' 3.5 stars out of a possible 5. McMillen describes ''Bloodstreams'' as comparatively juvenile alongside ''Black Rat'', and writes that the more mature sound better suits the duo, as they move beyond their "trash party" origins. McMillen further praises the album's 11 songs as a "significant step forward" and concludes: "... it's
'Black Rat''the sound of a confident band torn between its populist, party-friendly beginnings and a new-found ability to embrace glimpses of beauty amid the sonic destruction."
On 18 May, the album peaked at No. 23 on the ARIA Charts for one week.
2017–2018: ''Bloody Lovely''
The duo released the single "Shred for Summer" in August 2017, it placed within Australian radio station
Triple J's Hottest 100, 2017 at no. 67. Their next single "Bad Influence" was released in September, with another, "Total Meltdown" following in November. "Total Meltdown" just missed out placing no. 109 within the Hottest 200 of 2017. The three singles would later be included in their third studio album.
Their third studio album, ''Bloody Lovely'', was released on
I Oh You Records and
Alcopop! Records
Alcopop! Records is a British independent record label, run by Jack Clothier and Kevin Douch formed in 2006 when the pair lived together in East Oxford. The label works with the likes of DZ Deathrays, Johnny Foreigner, Fight Like Apes, Anamana ...
on 2 February 2018.
Triple J
Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...
picked it as their feature album of the week. Three days after the album was released the single "Like People" included in the album was released. The music video for the single featured one of the original members of
The Wiggles
The Wiggles are an Australian children's music group formed in Sydney in 1991. The group are currently composed of Anthony Field, Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce and Tsehay Hawkins, as well as supporting members Evie Ferris, John Pearce, Ca ...
,
Murray Cook
Murray James Cook, AM (born 30 June 1960) is an Australian musician, actor, and Disc jockey. Cook was one of the founding members of the children's band the Wiggles from 1991 to 2012. Cook provided guitar, vocals, and songwriting in the group ...
. On 18 February, the album peaked at No. 4 on the
ARIA Charts
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
and remained there for a total of two weeks.
Then-touring guitarist Lachlan Ewbank helped in writing the album and was considered a fully-fledged member of the band. He was later officially inducted as a full-time member of the band.
On 14 September the band joined with The Gooch Palms for
Like a Version
''Like a Version'' is a weekly segment on Australian youth radio station Triple J. It involves Australian and international artists playing two songs live in the Triple J studio, one of their own songs (an "original") and then a cover version, h ...
on Triple J where they played their original, "Like People", and their cover of "
Love Shack
"Love Shack" is a song by American new wave band the B-52's from their fifth studio album, ''Cosmic Thing'' (1989). It was released on June 20, 1989, and was produced by Don Was. The song was a comeback for the band following their decline in p ...
" by the
B52s
The B-52's, also styled as The B-52s, are an American new wave band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, keyboards, synth bass), Cindy Wilson (vocals, p ...
.
2019- present: ''Positive Risings''
On 10 January 2019, via DZ Deathrays' Twitter, the trio stated that they were about to commence recording their fourth studio album. On 14 January, it was announced that DZ Deathrays would perform a national tour titled "Tour With the Lot". The tour is set to run from March to April with support from
Moaning Lisa Moaning Lisa may refer to:
* Moaning Lisa (band)
Moaning Lisa are an Australian rock band formed in Canberra in 2016. The group has released two EPs, ''The Sweetest'' in 2017, and ''Do You Know Enough?'' in 2018.
The four members of Moaning Li ...
and The Buoys. On 4 February, they confirmed that their fourth studio album was completed, further details are yet to be announced.
On 1 March, coinciding with the beginning of their Tour With the Lot, DZ Deathrays released a new single entitled "Front Row Hustle". A reworking of their track "Afterglow" from their 2018 album, ''
Bloody Lovely
''Bloody Lovely'' is the third studio album by Australian dance-punk band DZ Deathrays. It was released on I Oh You Records in February 2018. Australian radio station Triple J picked ''Bloody Lovely'' as their feature album of the week in Februa ...
'', remixed by Trials of
A.B. Original. It features
Briggs, also of
A.B. Original, and rising star
Jesswar
Jesswar, is a Fijian Australian artist based on Yugambeh/Kombumerri country. Jesswar's debut single, "Savage", released in 2017 and was followed by debut EP ''Tropixx'' in 2021 and debut mixtape ''LIFE'S SHORT, LIVE BIG'' in 2022. In 2021, Je ...
. An accompanying music video preceded the single's release. On 14 June, their fourth studio album ''Positive Rising: Part 1'' was confirmed for a release of 30 August. On the same day, the trio released a new single "IN-TO-IT" alongside an accompanying music video.
In October 2020, the band released "Fired Up", the lead single from ''Positive Rising: Part 2'', which was released on 9 July 2021.
Touring
DZ Deathrays have toured throughout over 15 countries, including Australia, the UK, the US and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
In the promotional material for the band's second album, Parsons explained that the band had spent the preceding two years drinking and touring, a period in which the songs for ''Black Rat'' were created.
To promote ''Bloodstreams'', the DZ Deathrays performed at festivals such as the
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festiv ...
(UK), the A Perfect Day Festival (Villafranca di Verona, Italy),
Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass (commonly referred to as Splendour) is an annual Australian music festival held at the North Byron Parklands in Yelgun, New South Wales. Since its inauguration, the festival has also been held in various locations near B ...
(Australia) and
St Jerome's Laneway Festival
The St. Jerome's Laneway Festival, commonly referred to as Laneway, began in Caledonian Lane, Melbourne, Australia, in 2005. Beginning as predominantly an indie music event, the festival grew in popularity and expanded to five Australian citie ...
(Australia), and headlined the ''NME'' stage at
The Great Escape Festival
The Great Escape Festival is a three-day music festival held in Brighton and Hove, England every year in May. It is operated by MAMA Festivals and showcases new music from a variety of genres. The festival was founded in 2006 and roughly hosts ...
, held in Brighton and Hove, UK. The band's performance at the US
South by Southwest (SXSW) event in Austin,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
was shortened, due to the extreme volume of their music. Musical touring partners include Blood Red Shoes, TRUST,
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Foo Fighters was initially formed as a one-man project by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. Following the success of the eponymous debut album, Grohl (lead vocals, guitar) re ...
and Unknown Mortal Orchestra.
Influences
In April 2014, Ridley identified seven albums that "changed his life" for the Australian ''Tone Deaf'' music website. Included in the list are ''Smash'' by
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American rock band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland, lead guita ...
, which was not only the first album that Ridley owned, but "also the first album with swearing on it";
The Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
's first self-titled album, "a psych up album for nights when I'm too tired but need to party"; Air's ''Moon Safari'', which is an album that was listened to after Ridley would "come home from work every day" and "melt into the couch"—he stated that he now listens to the album on a weekly basis; and ''Rust in Peace'' by
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...
, praised by Ridley for being "Metal how it should be!"
Members
* Shane Parsons – lead vocals, guitar
(2008–present)
* Simon Ridley – drums, percussion, backing vocals
(2008–present)
* Lachlan Ewbank – guitar, backing vocals
(2018–present; touring member 2015–2018)
Former touring members
* Mitchell 'Mood' Gregory – guitar
Discography
Studio albums
Extended plays
Singles
Music videos
Awards and nominations
AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as
AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
History
The inaugural 2006 awards were held at ...
) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
, -
, rowspan="2" ,
AIR Awards of 2012
The AIR Awards of 2012 (or Jägermeister Independent Awards of 2012) is the seventh annual Australian Independent Record Labels Association Music Awards (generally known as the AIR Awards) and was an award ceremony at Revolt Art Space, in Melbo ...
, rowspan="2" , ''Bloodstreams''
, Best Independent Album
,
, -
, Best Independent Hard Rock or Punk Album
,
, -
,
AIR Awards of 2014
The AIR Awards of 2014 (or Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards of 2014) is the ninth annual Australian Independent Record Labels Association Music Awards (generally known as the AIR Awards) and was an award ceremony at The Meat Market, North Me ...
, ''Black Rat''
, Best Independent Hard Rock or Punk Album
,
, -
,
AIR Awards of 2019
The AIR Awards of 2019 is the thirteenth annual Australian Independent Record Labels Association Music Awards (generally known as the AIR Awards) and was an award ceremony at Freemasons Hall Adelaide, Australia on Thursday 25 July 2019.
The aw ...
, ''Bloody Lovely''
, Best Independent Hard Rock, Heavy or Punk Album
,
, -
,
AIR Awards of 2020
The 2020 AIR Awards was the fourteenth annual Australian Independent Record Labels Association Music Awards ceremony (generally known as the AIR Awards). It took place on 1 October 2020 in Adelaide.
The nominations were revealed on 7 July 2020 ...
, ''Positive Rising: Part 1''
, Best Independent Punk Album or EP
,
, -
,
AIR Awards of 2022
The 2022 AIR Awards is the sixteenth annual Australian Independent Record Labels Association Music Awards ceremony (generally known as the AIR Awards). It took place on 4 August 2022 in Adelaide.
The nominations were revealed on 18 May 2022 wi ...
, ''Positive Rising: Part 2''
, Best Independent Punk Album or EP
,
, -
ARIA Music Awards
The
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...
are a set of annual ceremonies presented by
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the
music of Australia
The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...
. They commenced in 1987.
, -
,
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
, ''Bloodstreams''
,
Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
,
, -
, rowspan="2",
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
, rowspan="2", ''Black Rat''
, Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
,
, -
,
Best Cover Art
,
, -
,
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
, ''Bloody Lovely''
, Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
,
, -
,
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, ''Positive Rising: Part 1''
, Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
,
, -
J Awards
The
J Awards
The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J and which are judged by the music and on-air teams from radio stations Triple J, ...
are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
's youth-focused radio station
Triple J
Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...
. They commenced in 2005.
, -
,
J Awards of 2018
The J Award of 2018 is the fourteenth annual J Awards, established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J
Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio stat ...
, "Like People"
, Australian Video of the Year
,
National Live Music Awards
The
National Live Music Awards
The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse and successful live industry, celebrating the diversity and success of the Australian live scene – recognising the best vocal talents and musicians alongside ...
(NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016.
, -
, rowspan="2",
National Live Music Awards of 2016
The National Live Music Awards of 2016 are the inaugural National Live Music Awards
The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse and successful live industry, celebrating the diversity and success of ...
, themselves
, Live Hard Rock Act of the Year
,
, -
, Simon Ridley (DZ Deathrays)
, Live Drummer of the Year
,
, -
,
National Live Music Awards of 2019
The National Live Music Awards of 2019 are the 4th annual National Live Music Awards.
The nominations were announced on 22 October 2020 and the awards ceremony was held on 4 December 2020. For the first time ever, all State and Territory catego ...
, themselves
, Live Hard Rock Act of the Year
,
, -
Queensland Music Awards
The
Queensland Music Awards
The Queensland Music Awards (commonly known as QMA and known as the Q Song Awards from 2006 to 2010) are annual awards celebrating Queensland's emerging artists. They commenced in 2006.
Each year, the QMA Song of the Year is immortalised in a ...
(previously known as Q Song Awards) are annual awards celebrating
Queensland, Australia
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
's brightest emerging artists and established legends. They commenced in 2006.
(wins only)
, -
,
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
, "Gebbie Street"
, Rock Song of the Year
,
, -
,
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
, themselves
, Export Achievement Award
,
, -
,
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
, "Still No Change"
, Heavy Song of the Year
,
, -
See also
*
Music in Brisbane
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect o ...
References
External links
Official websiteI Oh You
{{Authority control
ARIA Award winners
Musical groups from Brisbane
Rock music duos
2008 establishments in Australia
Musical groups established in 2008
Australian alternative rock groups
Alcopop! Records artists