Uncut Sunflower Dead

Emerging out of Long Beach, Calif., in 2012, the concept for Sunflower Dead came to life one year earlier when Droid guitarist Jamie Teissere, vocalist/musician Del Pizzo and guitarist Jaboo discussed creating a band whose members would be handpicked from other groups.  Eventually Memento bassist Leighton “Lats” Kearns and drummer Jimmy Schultz joined the band.

Beginning with their 2012 self-titled debut album, Sunflower Dead’s members have been hard at work crafting each individual’s onstage personal as the overall look of the group.  The band’s latest LP, 2015’s It’s Time To Get Weird, was produced by Dave Fortman (Evanescence, Slipknot, Godsmack) and Mikey Doling (Gemini Syndrome).

What are some of the hurdles facing young bands like Sunflower Dead?

We kind of figured that with the … industry we weren’t going to go to the labels right away. We were going to build it on our own.  In order [to do that] you have to have a lot of money, a lot of connections and do a lot of schmoozing.  That’s been the hurdles.  Finding the right people to work with at the right time who can do the right thing. … Little by little over the last four years we’ve built it to the nice place where we are now.

Are you tired of people asking about the name Sunflower Dead?

Not really.  It is what it is.  It was based off of a short story I wrote, “Sunflower Avenue.”  One day “Sunflower Dead” popped into my head.  Years later when we started this band, we needed a band name and I told the guys about the short story.  Since we wanted to be a band that entertained people with a look and stage presence, we kind of took on the characters, the look of “Sunflower Dead.” Though I don’t lyrically sing about the story, we look like those characters and it’s been fun for us.

And this is the story about the  murders where the victims were found with freshly cut sunflowers left on their eyes?

That’s the basic foundation.  Now, what we’re doing is we’re turning it into a graphic novel.  I’m going to be sitting down with Clive Barker and writing the graphic novel with him.  When it gets done in a year or two, hopefully, we’ll debut it at Comic-Con.

You’ve incorporated the accordion into the band. That’s not something you see in a lot of metal bands.

It’s very visual, so that’s cool.  When I’m bringing it live, it gets people to pay attention automatically.  We have their attention as soon as I walk on stage with it.  Sonically, it adds a … different texture to the music.  I think it fits really well with where we are. Maybe because it’s such a goofy instrument it actually lowers the bar.  So when people see me pick it up they’re like, “Oh, this is going to be horrible.”  Then when I play it, it’s cool and they dig it.

When creating a look for a band, is there someone who takes a step back and looks at the big picture and decide how each person will look?

When we started, the initial idea, what I told the guys, was I wanted to do something based off of the way the vampires in the movie “30 Days Of Night” look.  Then I said, “Just use this as a foundation and then everybody take it your own way and add your personality to it.” Which is what they did.  Then, as a band we kind of looked at it together and said, “What about this? What about that?” It’s actually a very democratic process. It’s not one person dictating how it goes.  We all kind of say, “Well, I have this idea,” or, “I have that idea.”

What groups influenced the look of Sunflower Dead?

For us, it definitely comes from the KISS/Alice Cooper world.  I know people like to associate us with the Slipknots, the Mundaynes and the Mushroomheads.  Even though we respect those bands, we’re really coming from the ’70s, kind of like KISS/Alice Cooper thing, most definitely.

What about the music?  Do you and your bandmates draw from any particular era for inspiration?

I think if you listen to both of our records you can really start picking apart all the decades of rock in our music. We’ve been influenced by so much.  I can tell you which parts come from the ’80s, the ’90s, the 2000s, the ’60s, the ’70s.  It’s all kind of an amalgamation of rock and metal in our music.  Somehow we get it across in a very concise, radio-friendly package.

What was the first record you ever bought?

The first rock/metal record that was ever bought for me when I was 4 or 5 years old was Twisted Sister’s Stay Hungry.  Because, when I was a kid and I saw the “We’re Not Gonna Take It” video, I just looked at the screen and said, “That’s what I want to be when I grow up.”  I got that record for Christmas that year.  I was like, “I gotta have it.”  And that was it.

It’s been more than 30 years since that video came out and many musicians still point to it as an influence.  Do you think the video launched a lot of bands?

The thing about all great music bands is it never goes away and it keeps influencing generation after generation. And that’s kind of where we come from.  You can hear all of the generations in our music because we grew up on all of that stuff.

How is Sunflower Dead using social media to promote the band?

Nonstop.  We’re on every site. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, you name it.  We promote the hell out of the band using social media.  It’s given us a nice repertoire with our fans, the Evil Seeds, and it lets us talk to them as much as possible.  They’re very engaged and we’re lucky.

What about when someone posts something they don’t like about the band.  Do you try to change their mind?

No. … I just thank them for checking us out. Not everything is for everyone.  If someone doesn’t like a song or a video, I just thank them for their time.  That’s the first step, the awareness. I figure they’ll eventually get around to liking it because, sometimes, things take a minute to grow on you.

Does the band follow a rigid setlist every night or do you switch things around?

We come up with a basic structure. Then, as the tour goes on, we’ll pull out songs, try something different, just based on the vibe of how it’s going.  We’ve done that once or twice on this tour.  As we get into the groove, it’s like, “I kind of want to go this way in the set,” and we switch things around.  We’re very rock ’n’ roll that way.  We’re based off how we feel that day.  We’re not one of those bands who go up there with three recorded tracks.  What you get is where we are that day, for better or for worse. Some days it’s amazing, some days it’s a catastrophe, but it’s the real deal every night.

You’re touring with Avatar right now and you’re going out with Hellyeah. All in all you’re booked through August.

Yeah.  And further than that because we’ve already been offered a tour for the fall. So we’re going to be busy all the way until the holidays and [we’re] thankful for it.

What moves Sunflower Dead from city to city?

We got our van and trailer.  We stay in hotels and we’re always clean and well fed. (laughs)

So the road is treating you pretty well?

Yeah. We’re not one of those bands that comes home skinny.  We eat really well on the road.

While touring, does the band have any games or activities to pass the time?

All kinds of stuff.  Yesterday was our merch guy’s 21st birthday so they actually had people in the venue lined up spanking the kid, giving him his birthday whacks on his butt.  They’re always coming up with something funny to do.

Any routines for prepping your voice for the show?

I have all kinds of exercises.  I start early in the morning and steam my voice.  Things like that. I look in the mirror and make funny faces until I feel relaxed.  It usually takes me a couple of hours.

Is there anything you refrain from on show days?

About three or four hours before the show I won’t eat dairy, cheese or spicy stuff.  Things like that. I try to keep all that gunk off of the vocal [cords].

What’s one of the toughest things about touring?

I’d say being stuck in a van or a tour bus with a group of guys.  You have to deal with everybody’s different personalities and find ways to find the middle ground so you can keep going professionally.  It’s very hard because everybody is out on the road sacrificing and frustrations happen.  It’s more behind the scenes, but that is probably the hardest thing out there.  As far as the playing and other stuff, that’s what we all signed up for.  That’s all good.

Other bands have talked about that, saying that the show is what  matters and everything else –  travel, hotels, sightseeing – is all secondary.

Pretty much.  It becomes very routine once you’re out here. You pack your clothes, drive to the next city, you see the backstage, you walk out on stage, you leave the stage, you drive to the next city. It’s very routine.  But when you’re on stage, that’s what you’re there for. That’s why you put all those miles on the vehicle.

Is there anyone waiting for you to come home?

My girlfriend is waiting for me, very patiently, but waiting for me to come home, always.

If you could ask Michael Del Pizzo in 2020 anything at all about Sunflower Dead, what would it be?

What was it like writing such bad-ass songs without knowing what the hell you’re doing?

May 24 –Lancaster, Pa., Chameleon
May 26 – Mobile, Ala., Soul Kitchen
May 27 – Houston, Texas,  Scout Bar
May 31 – Denver, Colo., Summit Music Hall
June 1 – Salt Lake City, Utah, Rockwell @ The Complex
June 3 – San Diego, Calif., House Of Blues
June 4 – Riverside, Calif., Riverside Municipal Auditorium
June 5 – Las Vegas, Nev., The Foundry
June 18 – Clive, Iowa,  Seven Flags Event Center
June 19 – Wichita, Kan., The Cotillion
June 21 – Lubbock, Texas, The Pavilion @ Lone Star Event Ctr.
June 22 – Midland, Texas, La Hacienda Event Center
June 25 – El Paso, Texas, Speaking Rock Entertainment Center
June 27 – Corpus Christi, Texas, Concrete Street Amphitheater
June 29 – Birmingham, Ala., Iron City
June 30 – Orlando, Fla., Hard Rock Cafe / Hard Rock Live
July 1 – Saint Petersburg, Fla., Jannus Live
July 3 – North Myrtle Beach, S.C., House Of Blues
July 5 – Atlanta, Ga.,  Heaven At The Masquerade
July 6 – Raleigh, N.C., The Ritz
July 8 – Norfolk, Va., The NorVa
July 9 – Inwood, W.Va., Shiley Acres
July 10 – Asheville, N.C., The Orange Peel
July 12 – Peoria, Ill., The Limelight Eventplex
Aug. 12 – Sturgis, S.D., Iron Horse Saloon
Aug. 13 – Lincoln, Neb., Bourbon Theatre
Aug. 14 – Tulsa, Okla., Brady Theater
Aug. 16 – Memphis, Tenn., Minglewood Hall
Aug. 17 – Nashville, Tenn., Cannery Ballroom
Aug. 19 – Columbus, Ohio, Express Live!
Aug. 20 – Fort Wayne, Ind., Piere’s Entertainment Center 

Appearing with P.O.D. May 24; Avatar May 26-27; and Hellyeah May 31-June 5 and In This Moment June 18-Aug. 20.

For more information about Sunflower Dead, please visit the band’s website, Facebook page, Twitter HQ, Instagram account and YouTube channel.