Fargo rock band Dearly Departed has announced its new album, Heartless, to be released in October of this year. The band has previously released the singles “Hindsight” and “Quiet Echoes” as part of the album rollout.
We had a chance to chat with Deven Jason of Dearly Departed about their release as part of our Refrain Interview Series.
Refrain Music Blog: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. You have a new album coming out soon. What’s it called?
Deven Jason: Absolutely! Our new album is titled ‘Heartless’ and will become available on October 14th, on DI Records.
RMB: How many songs are on the album?
Deven Jason: Heartless has six songs! All a part of one congruent story.
RMB: This is your second album, right? Does this one feel different?
Deven Jason: Our first record, “Extinction”, was a ton of fun but it was a huge learning process since we were all pretty new. We were in our early 20s and just started jamming together at a shop in Walcot, ND with little to no resources for recording outside of our cell phones before booking studio time. So it almost felt like going to the studio with songs we didn’t have a complete vision for. The Suns turned out super cool, but it was hard locking everything in during a loud band rehearsal.
But with Heartless, we’d leveled up our own recording game to really dive into these songs and make sure everything flowed perfectly BEFORE taking them to the studio. So everything would be written, arranged, and recorded BEFORE going to the studio. Then we’d record it all a second time with more precision and better gear. We’d also had the privilege to work with a producer who completely changed the way we look at songwriting for the better.
In a nutshell, it feels like we’ve confidently pinpointed our sound and knew exactly what we were doing this time around.
RMB: What’s the story on how it was recorded?
Deven Jason: We decided to work with producer Joshua Barber at B-24 Studios in Kansas City on bringing out the best in our songwriting, and Josh killed it at doing just that! He was like a coach; Pointing out what we’re best at and helping us cut down the things we weren’t that great at. As well as how professionals go about arrangements and what makes a song a good song. We completed the first batch of songs meant for the new record but Covid was making it increasingly difficult to keep pushing forward. We couldn’t perform live due to all the shutdowns, which was the primary source of income we use for recording and it forced us to put everything on pause.
Once the world opened up again we had booked some more studio time as well as got more events put together to get the rest of the EP done. We’d decided to record with Jeremy Schaeffer of All Poetic Audio in Scotland, SD And that was a breeze! Everything came together great and we nailed the direction we wanted to finish out the Heartless storyline.
RMB: Do you have a favorite song on the album?
Deven Jason: I absolutely love the titular track, Heartless. I’m a sucker for that emotional style of architects-inspired metalcore with the beautiful cleans, heavy rock Choruses, and debilitating drop tuned breakdowns. Even after the millionth time hearing it, I still love it just as much as when I first heard it mixed. But I think the rest of the band and I would agree that Quiet Echoes slams the most live. There’s just so much energy throughout and it boasts a simple, yet stomping breakdown that crushes every time.
RMB: You mentioned there is a storyline to the album?
Deven Jason: Oh yeah. We went full on concept album with this one. From front to back it tells a story of coping and moving on from loss and heartache. I often joke that it’s a breakup album but it can be interpreted as going through any form of sadness and coming out the other side of it as a stronger person.
RMB: Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Deven Jason: To be honest, I don’t listen to music very much. But I’d have to say my biggest inspirations are Beartooth for the vibe of “YEAH ROCKNROLL!!! FLAMES, BIG PRODUCTION, AND HEADBANGING!” and Architects or Periphery from a stylistic standpoint. My main inspiration is to make songs similar to my influences, but in a easier, digestible somewhat-radio friendly package with relatable lyrics. The technical part, not so much. It’s hard to have a good time on stage when you have to concentrate on what you play the ENTIRE time. I like to shut my brain off and rock out on stage.
RMB: What’s the one thing you are most proud of in your career so far?
Deven Jason: Perseverance through the pandemic. I think we’ve had every reason in the book to call it quits for a while and one by one, each member did. It was all the way down to me and Jordan, and we intended on getting the original lineup back together to open for Beartooth and Wage War and then end it on a high note, but we had so much fun we just started picking up where we left off on the new album and booked studio time plus more events. It’s safe to say it’s been awesome. It feels like it did when we first started doing music together.
RMB: If you had to pitch your music to a potential fan in less than 10 seconds, what would you say?
Deven Jason: If you like a diverse rock bands that don’t like to stay in one spot stylistically; can sing, scream, shred, and even throw down while still sticking to a relatable radio friendly format, and do it well, check out Dearly Departed!
RMB: What’s one piece of advice you’ve gotten that you think everyone needs to hear or that has meant the most to you?
Deven Jason: Oh gosh there’s so much. For me it’s be as receptive as possible to those who have accomplished more than you and want to offer advice. Absorb as much knowledge and insight as you can because you’ll shoot yourself in the foot with arrogance. Make an attempt to hear out your band mates and their ideas. Treat it as a business, act professional and don’t put up with BS. And most of all BE HUMBLE.
RMB: If you could go back in time, what’s a piece of advice you would give to a younger you?
Deven Jason: Be grateful for what you have now and appreciate the present. There is such a thing as being TOO ambitious.
RMB: What’s coming up next for your musical project?
Deven Jason: What’s up next is how we can put together bigger and better live events in more cities starting with the Midwest. Maybe a music video or two for fun, but we’ll see how things pan out.
RMB: Anything we haven’t thought of that you want to talk about? Now is the time!
Deven Jason: We’ve got new Heartless merch, physical CDs, and tickets for a handful of events throughout Minnesota available at our website: www.dearlydepartedband.com. Don’t miss the release of HEARTLESS; available everywhere for streaming via DI Records. You can listen to the entire Heartless EP before it’s released by ordering a physical cd or coming to any upcoming events.
Refrain Music 