The Deviant UK is one of the emerging bands in the British Goth/industrial Scene.
It is the intellectual child of Jay Smith, a proud brit that managed to fuse dark synthpop with industrial beats.He also appeared in the German Alternative Charts twice in a week, by lending his voice to Rotersand's number one EP "I cry" in the song "Mission" and in Imatem's number one album "Journey" in the song "The Influence".
Being a "rock star" from many points of view and with a distinctive perfectionist look on both cd sound and stage performance, we caught up with Jay to tell us more about him and the Deviant UK.
EBM: How did the band first started?
I started writing the songs in late 2004 after years in various bands. It has always been my dream to do this and now I am living the dream. I love every single moment.
EBM: Tell us about "Barbed Wire Star". This is your first album right?
Yes, 'barbed wire star' is the debut album – i just took a long time to get it sounding the right way. i see no point in putting anything out unless it is the very best thing you can produce at the time. i think the success of the album has justified that – it entered the UK alternative charts at number 3 and stayed in the top ten for 5 weeks. we recently sold out of the original pressing and had to rush through a second run. there will be a special digipack version of 'barbed wire star' out before the end of the year and this will include a couple of bonus tracks that i didn't use for the original release as well as remixes from Rotersand, Assemblage 23 and Axel Ermes.
EBM: Will the Deviant UK sound stay the same in the second album or shall we expect changes?
I like to think that i have managed to develop a distinctive sound that is instantly recognisable as being Deviant UK. however, the new album 'very bad things' [out in March 2009] is already sounding a lot bigger and harder. more aggressive but with the same commitment to melody and the art of the anthemic chorus . i have already started to introduce new songs into the live set and i am delighted that they are going dow incredibly well with audiences. to say i am excited about the new album is an understatement.
EBM: Would you say you are more of a Live band or a Studio band?
As much as I love working in my home studio, I would have to say that onstage is where it all comes together. We love playing live as much as possible across Europe – we can deliver the songs as they are intended.
EBM: What can you tell us about supporting The Cruxshadows on Tour?
We had an incredible time. we have played with The Cruxshadows before and it is always a pleasure. they are great people to be around. i have huge respect for the way Rogue has established his band as one of the biggest on the world scene through sheer hard work and intensive touring. he runs a very tight ship and has a clear vision of what he wants do and a fierce determination to get it – and get it right. i think even those who detract from The Cruxshadows would have to acknowledge the incredible empathy and connection that they have with their audience. i am sure we will work with them again in the near future.
that said, i think Rogue and I are pretty much diametrically opposed in many ways, both lyrically and morally. but we also have something of a mutual appreciation society going on so it's all good.
EBM: Why is Deviant UK a one man show when it comes to composing lyrics and writing music?
Deviant UK is my own project – in the studio it is a solo project where I write, perform and produce everything. I have a very clear vision of how I want Deviant UK to sound and how I want it to look. I am far too much of a control freak to allow input from anyone else 😉
However, on the road we are a team of mischief makers and I would be lost without my partners-in-crime.
EBM: Where do you get your inspiration for the songs?
I write songs very much like a diary and most of them are based on my personal experiences. That said, I think it is fairly obvious to even the most casual listener that I am morbidly obsessed with the darker side of life. I tend to write quite honestly and I have drawn controversy through my anti-religious vibes and drug references. I live a hedonistic lifestyle…and I like to talk about it 😉
EBM: Tell us about the hedonistic lifestyle then…
I think we have just embraced the whole lifestyle. i can't understand those bands who don't make the most of the opportunities before them, going through the motions in a business-like way – if you don't enjoy what you do, don't do it. i have spent my life dreaming of the whole rock star ethos and i am making every single second of this ride count. it's one long adventure. this is my job…and i really fucking love my job. how many people can say that? our new t-shirts carry the slogan 'deviant uk: sex, drugs and synthesisers'. i think that says it all 😉
EBM: We know that you like Gary Numan and is a major influence for your music. Any other influences?
I am particularly a fan of Numan's early or 'classic' work. However, I have many other influences, most significantly Project Pitchfork, VNV Nation and Rotersand.
EBM: What was the band's best moment so far and what the worst?
There have been many fantastic moments so far – being invited to sing on Peter Spilles' [Project Pitchfork] forthcoming Imatem album is right up there with the best, as is providing guest vocals to the forthcoming Rotersand single. Our triumphant performance at WGT 2008 was particularly special. As for the worst moments, the PA failing spectacularly in front of a big crowd at a recent Manchester gig would take some beating.
EBM: Are Deviant UK competitive in the sense of trying for something more than the band next door or you don't pay attention to what other bands are doing?
I think we are all competitive to a degree and there is nothing wrong with a little friendly competition. We can't help but measure our achievements against those of our peers. We all want to succeed but on the UK scene there is a real sense of camaraderie, where we all try to help each other as much as possible.
EBM: What do you think of the internet? You think is a useful tool?
It is invaluable. The advent of things like MySpace has made it so easy to take your music to a huge audience that would otherwise never hear of you. Worldwide marketing is available at the click of a mouse. We have made so many friends and contacts via MySpace that I honestly can't remember what it was like working without it.
EBM: What is your opinion on downloading music from the internet and file sharing?
Ah…there lies the downside of the internet. In some ways it is good in the sense that people get a chance to hear your music and the word spreads that way…but only if those people then go onto buy the CD rather than just building an endless library of substandard mp3s. Without that, it makes it very difficult to make a living from music and in the long run, many bands will just stop producing music. On a very small scene like ours, we can only hope that the audience see this and continue to support the artists.
EBM: What do you think about the Gothic/Industrial scene today? Are you satisfied with the results around you?
While I think it is a great shame that the scene is so peripheral to the mainstream, I think that is part of what makes it so special for those involved – both the musicians and the fans. At the moment there are some exciting bands on the scene and I see great things for the future. The music is continually evolving.
EBM: What do you think about the scene in UK? How are things over there?
The scene in the UK is depressingly small so in that sense we are a big fish in a small pond. there is a sense that the British scene is clawing its way back with the new wave of bands but we are still a million miles away from Mainland Europe. however, we recently played at a sold out INFEST – the UK's biggest electronic festival – alongside Front 242, Noisuf-X, Grendel and And One and the atmosphere was just incredible. perhaps there is a light at the end of the tunnel for UK after all 😉
EBM: Are you satisfied with the goals you have achieved with the band so far?
I am enormously grateful to be in the position with Deviant UK that I am today. But I am never satisfied…there is still so much to achieve.
EBM: What the future holds for Deviant UK?
The future is very exciting – I am working on the second album 'Very Bad Things' and that should be released worldwide by March 2009. The collaborations with Peter Spilles and Rotersand saw the light of day this Summer and we have many shows lined up across Europe to continue taking the Deviant UK experience to the audience. Hopefully that will include a show in Greece at some point in 2008 😉
Thank you for your time…
http://www.myspace.com/deviantuk
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