Double Premiere: DEAD - 'It Seems We're Sinking' / K5 - 'Make Me Wanna'

15 January 2024 | 7:30 pm | Will Backler
Originally Appeared In

Castlemaine heavy duo DEAD continue their collaborative B-Side series in the lead up to their new album, this time pairing with DIY punks K5 - take a first listen.

More Dead! More Dead!
Image: Top - K5; Bottom - DEAD

In the leadup to their “pop” record, Burn Us Clean (set for a March release), Aussie purveyors of all things heavy DEAD decided to get a whole heap of their favourite bands involved by releasing a series of nine 7” singles, with each featuring a split from DEAD and another band.

With the first four volumes already out (that saw DEAD pair with MoE, Gay Witch Abortion, Defektro / Skullfork and hepa​.​Titus respectively), the next round of 7s are rolling out, kicking off with a split from fellow Castlemainians, punk trio K5, a band that features Zeb Olsen of Matrimony (Kill Rock Stars) who also played in Viva Knieval with Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill) and Nicole Tadpole of RRR’s Respect The Rock.

On side A with It Seems We're Sinking, DEAD bring some groove laden, fuzzed out heavy goodness that features some super catchy & melodic lead guitar work amidst the propulsive drums and layers of sound. On the flip, K5 slows things down while maintaining the intensity on post punk cut Make Me Wanna, with vocalist Zeb exploring a whole host of all-too-relatable, not-so-great-things people can make you wanna do.

Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter

On K5, DEAD say "the determination of this band is off the charts. They have well and truly had enough of your shit and forge ahead with zero consideration for what you think about it. Deal with it."

The decision to work on a pop album may not seem the most obvious for a band like DEAD, with them explaining the project “for us “fun” usually means biting off more than we can chew and pissing off someone in the process. We’ve never been a radio band but insist our songs are full of melody – so we decided to write a pop record; a whole album of singles that could, in theory, be played on the radio.”

Catch the double premiere of It Seems We're Sinking / Make Me Wanna ahead of its January 17 release:

DEAD's new album Burn Us Clean is out March 2024

Dead Burn Us Clean B Sides