Hard Rock Hell Radio host of The Rule Breakers Show, Charlotte, caught up with UK Metalheads Defects before their Download debut, talking about their new album, previous support slots and what the future has lined up!
Charlotte: Welcome to Download 2024 guys!
Defects: Thank you!
C: You’ve got a lot of festivals, including Bloodstock and 2000 Trees, on your resume. How does it feel to be adding Donington to that list?
Luke: That’s the one, innit?
Harry: Yeah, yeah, it’s like we’ve been saying it’s like the Mecca for metal. You know, if you’re growing up listening to metal or you’re a young kid who wants to be in a metal band, this is it. You know, like, this is the place, you feel like you’ve made it in a metal band when you’ve been included on this bill. So very happy to be here.
C: And you’re playing the Dogtooth stage later today as well. So for anyone that’s not discovered, you guys, what does Defects represent?
Harry: Having a good time, baby! Just like getting involved, letting it all out. Safe environment, you know, for everyone, it’s got a bit of everything for everyone in there. If you like big riffs, big choruses and fat breakdowns
L: And a very deep lyrical story.
H: So, yeah, we’re all family here, come check it out.
C: And you guys write a lot about, and you’re very open about, mental health.
L: I think we’ve all sort of struggled with that, haven’t we? Yeah, we’ve all.
H: We’ve all had desperate times. Like, some of us deeper than others, I’d say. But, we’re really proud of Tony, our singer, being able to put that to paper, because some of the themes he talks about, it’s just really not easy. But we’re hoping that inspires other people who listen to it to kind of know that they can talk to anyone. We use this band as our therapy, playing shows. There’s no better feeling. So, anyone who comes and checks us out is doing their bit.
C: Do you feel that helps break the wall between you and the audience so they can kind of connect with you?
L: Absolutely. Yeah.
H: Yeah. We want everyone to connect on a personal level to the music. And, you know, we want people to feel like when they come to a show or that they’re able to kind of, like, leave it all at the front door, you know what I mean? And have a good time and not have to worry and hopefully meet some friends there, you know, and kind of relate to each other. So, yeah,
L: leave it all at the.
Door and let it vent in it.
C: What do you want people to take away from your performance?
L: Have a good time. Love it.
James: Just make some memories.
L: Let those songs, be your therapy, as they have been for us, for years before [it’s] release
C: And I’m guessing we’ll be hearing some new tracks from your latest album this afternoon as well.
L: Yeah. We’ll be playing all the singles. I can’t remember the set now, which we really should.
J: It’s written down, so it’ll be okay.
H: Pretty much all Except for one. We end on recurring.
L: Oh, yeah, of course. There we go, that’s like a fan favourite
H: It’s like a middle of the album. Full send, real heavy, big chorus
L: Nice breakdown and some shred that’s what we like in it.
Yeah, that’s what you need.
Oh, yeah.
All the good stuff, man. All killer. No filler.
C: Modern Error was released last month. Tell me a bit about the idea and the vision for this release.
J: So it sort of started me and Luke in the studio, and we were….How long were we in there for?
L: Too bloody long!
J: Yeah, yeah, just in there and then Tony came in and he just had a lot to say, and his words just worked with the music, and it was just instant sort of chemistry, really, so sort of grew from there.
L: Then we got shot down, didn’t we? World went to poo, and then we all sort of found each other in that weird time and finished the album
H: I think the main elements of the album, though, mainly, the start of it was before we decided to kind of go out there and get it out to the people. It was kind of like a cathartic to write songs that we’ve always wanted to, like, no limits, let’s just do what we want to do and, that’s why we’re so proud of it, and that it’s come together this well, really, because sometimes if you try to do that, it sounds like shit, but, some people might think it’s shit, but, we love it, and, we’re so, so proud of it and we’re so happy with it and, just nostalgic vibes in there really, from all walks of the musical metal background.
C: Going back to something you mentioned earlier, was it during COVID or pre-Covid that you guys started to form and find your sound?
L: Yeah, I think we found Tony, probably middle of 2019, we went to a party, had some beers, got really drunk. We did a bit of karaoke and an open mic jam, played some pantera, and was like, that guy can sing. Called him up in the middle of the week, I guess, and was like, yeah, do you want to come and hang out and listen to this stuff we’ve been doing? And then just sort of went from there, then the world went down and then, yeah, we all just got close, found Harry, found Dave – become brothers, man, and we just made this album that, I guess, for the fans and for anybody listening to it for the first time, it’s super fresh and it’s like, it’s really nice to listen to it again after it’s been released, because we’ve had it for years, haven’t we?
J: Yeah, yeah. You look at it with new eyes.
C: And your artwork as well. Talk me through the decision-making behind that.
L: Oh blimey
J: seems so long ago now.
L: Yeah, it was. We had that before the album was finished. Tony was like, ‘do you like this image?!’
J: Yeah it was the Tony special
H: I think the idea behind it was all-encompassing. There’s so many different themes and stuff on the album that we kind of wanted to encompass covering everything, so you’ve got, like the shrubbery, and then you’ve got the moon and the stuff like that
L: As a whole that song, the title track, more about, you know, the chorus is ‘I’ll keep searching for a better world’. The whole thing with the planets and decaying things and shit flying around.
H: I guess the message behind the artwork is searching for something better.
L: Yeah, absolutely.
H: Looking for something better. And if you need to travel far and wide to find it, then so be it. Do what makes you happy, and I think that’s the really deep English year nine Literature/literacy, example.
L: Tally ho, son.
C: We mentioned festivals that you performed at earlier, but you’ve also toured with some incredible bands as well. So tell me some of your highlights and some of your favourite appearances.
H: They’ve all had their moments. Our first ever tour as the band was with InFlames
L: We were finding our feet as a live band then, weren’t we?
H: Yeah, yeah, that was completely fresh. My favourite one has been when we got the opportunity last year to play [with] Funeral For a Friend because they’re like my childhood band growing up, they inspired me to do what I do. So, that was a full circle moment for me. I’d say that was like a big high and I played the biggest venue, I’m from Birmingham and we played Academy One, so that’s kind of like my mic drop moment, bucket list tick-off for me after going to so many shows there growing up.
L: The orbit tour was great. That was a slog, though because it was minimal days off. I slept on my arm and my arm diedm then we had two vocalists and I would make drum skins left-handed. It was a weird time. I think no matter what you throw at us, we’ll just try and get through it. I think that’s the whole [thing], we don’t get stopped. Dave wasn’t even on the tour because his back was wrecked. That was a wild thing Of Mice [& Men] before we went out with the Mice men, before that, in November, December in Europe. That was an absolute ball of a time, and we get to do that again next week as well, we’re meeting up on Monday or maybe Sunday. Yeah, it’s gonna be a vibe.
C: Who are some artists that maybe you’d like to collab with or tour with?
L: So many, man.
H: Love to tour. Bleed From Within, Let’s make that happen. I’d love to do some shows of error, I love error – I’ve seen them loads of times and they’re amazing. Machine Head would be cool.
L: Parkway.
H: Parkway would be very cool. Get Winston on a track. That’d be awesome. Maybe, try a go at some Limp Bizkit support slots, get some early 2000s vibes in there. Anyone with a big catalogue of riffs, let’s go.
C: And for the rest of 2024, what have you guys got planned?
H: Tour, tour, tour. That’s what we want to do. We just want to be playing as much as we physically can, we’re planning some stuff at the end of the year, which we’re not quite ready to announce yet, but there’s stuff coming and then we’ve got a busy old summer, so yeah, that’s the plan, and writing the album, too, at the same time.
C: So, it took you so long with COVID to actually get this out, you’ve already got the next one ready!
H: Well, we had a surplus of excess bangers as well, broken bloodlines from that area. They came from the bank, so let’s just throw another couple in there.
L: So, yeah, it’s gonna be good.
C: Thanks for your time guys and have a great summer!
