Oregon Music News

With a name like Dead Peasant it would be natural to assume that the band plays some variation of heavy rock or metal, however, it’s almost the opposite. They describe their style as “electro-folk”: folk, plugged in.

A love for Russian authors, especially Nikolai Gogol and his book Dead Souls, is shared by band members, and the suggestion was entered along with many other brainstormed band names. The name grew from there and eventually stuck, not realizing until later perfectly the name actually fit with their lyrical content.

The major theme that occurs throughout their music is death, although they note that often one would not realize this until listening to the lyrics. Most of the songs are played in major, keeping the sound upbeat. Songwriter and lead singer James Cox has a very dry sense of humor, reflected in the duality of the music.

“We don’t write love songs,” Cox states with perhaps a hint of disdain. Instead, they cover the general struggles of all mankind: the search for meaning in life and in the world, the desire and aim to find one’s place and fit. All at once ranging from quiet and reserved to loud and forceful, the songs are more like chapters, telling a story in sections. Reminiscent of a ballet in that sense, the folk sound is infused with everything from funk to classical sounds to various styles of rock.

Although the band has only been official for about 5 months, they have been publicly performing since January and have even been featured playing on local television show. After a successful show in February, Dead Peasant may become a regular monthly staple at Mt. Tabor Theater as they work to add new venues to their schedule all the time. With new material consistently in the works, they hope to have an album sometime within the year.

The goal now is to continue expanding on what they already have. Often finding areas of their songs that would benefit extraordinarily from additional, less traditional instruments, they are interested in bringing in another member to supplement the sound they crave: a keyboardist or horn player, or ideally a multi-instrumentalist. In addition to creating a new sound, the change would also steer them away from the traditional four-man rock band appearance and set them apart based on their distinctive sound.

Playing a free concert this Tuesday night, March 9th, at Ash Street Saloon, the show starts at 9:15 PM with Has-Been Corner and William Carpenter’s Towering Trees. Come and experience electro-folk for yourself!