I think our favorite reaction has been people just coming up to us and excitedly telling us they didn’t know what to expect.
Josh – OLD DEER
With so many good things happening in the Colorado music scene right now it’s almost impossible to not be excited. There is so much talent, that on any given night of the week, there will be a few shows that are sure to be amazing. Discovering new bands has always been one of my favorite things. That rush one gets when they hear a song for the first time and it just connects with you. Or even better, when you experience a band live for the first time, not knowing what to expect and you are absolutely blown away. It resonates with you and you want to share that with others so that maybe they can have that same experience. I found that with OLD DEER when I bore witness to them at HQ. I think it was only their second or third show, but you wouldn’t have known it by their performance. I walked away really impressed with how these dudes just jammed. You can tell that when they are on stage playing they are having an absolute blast. Their tones and music style is killer. While they definitely have a doom side to them, there is way more going on than just that. I reached out to Josh to see if I could uncover a little more info about OLD DEER and what make them tick.
Sound Shots ~ Who is OLD DEER? When did the band form?
Josh ~ Old Deer is Mike on Drums and Vocals, Matt on Guitar and Vocals, Tyler on guitar and Josh on bass and sampling. We formed in October of 2022
Sound Shots ~ Can you explain where the name came from?
Josh ~ The origins of the name run deep and carry a profound meaning ..see the clip
Sound Shots ~ You guys have a really awesome sound. There are a few different styles that I hear, but what do you guys call your music?
Josh ~ Thank you ! We just have a lot of different influences I feel. Someone said genre bending which I thought was cool but we’re not like slamming genres together abrasively . We’re just a heavy band that doesn’t really try and fit into a thing which works well for us.
Sound Shots ~ What is the writing process like for you guys? Is it a collaborative effort or is there one main songwriter?
Josh ~ It’s definitely collaborative. Pretty much Matt will bring in ideas and throw them down like a bucket of fresh chum in the water and we have a feeding frenzy until it becomes songs. Also drugs.
Sound Shots ~ When it comes to lyrics, what are some of the topics or messages you hit on?
Josh ~ Usually we focus outward lyrically rather than inward. The nature of people, societal naivety, and of course the Island.
Sound Shots ~ When someone hears or sees’s OLD DEER, what do you hope they take away from it?
Josh ~That’s a really good question. I don’t know if we honestly think that far. I mean, we’re not shooting to illicit a specific emotion or vibe all the time. We’re really never writing with intent other than what peaks the interest of the 4 people in the band. I think our favorite reaction has been people just coming up to us and excitedly telling us they didn’t know what to expect. We want to be a surprise I guess.
Sound Shots ~ You guys have played a few shows by now. Do you guys have any thoughts on the current music scene in Colorado?
Josh ~ Thus far we’ve only done in and around Denver, but we fucking love it .The scene here has been super welcoming and everyone from the bands and venues have been really cool.
Sound Shots ~ What’s coming up for OLD DEER? What can we be looking out for?
Josh ~ We’re playing The Crypt in Denver for the firs time on August 31st opening DEADGODS EP release and then we’re playing on September 9th at the Trailside in Thornton. We’re also going to be in the studio in the fall recording what will be our first official release.
Sound Shots ~ What would be a dream gig for OLD DEER? Who are some bands you really want to play with?
Josh ~ There’s so many ! Each of us love so many artists. Collectively we’d love to play with bands like Cave In, Rolo Tomassi or Driveshaft. We’d die to open for Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, but our dream gigs are usually just playing to a huge amount of people that haven’t heard us before . Give us the Super Bowl Half time show!!
Sound Shots ~ Any last thoughts or messages you would like to share?
Josh ~ Did you say Lost thoughts ? Because I’ll tell you the finale for that is waaay over-hated ..I mean it’s not the ending it’s the journey right ? ..I mean come on …but Old Deer Thoughts?..umm…thanks for interviewing us . Thank you to anyone who has checked out our band, If you dig it , hang on because we’re just getting started.
There is a little peak inside the minds of OLD DEER. As you can tell they take things very serious. But not too serious. I am really stoked to see where these guys take things. With more shows coming up and some recorded tunes on the horizon, there is so much to look forward to from this group. Go give them a follow and try and catch one of their next shows. You will not be disappointed.
PHOTO JOURNAL
Article & Photos by Ethan Cook - @defenderoftheriff
Sound Shots Media 