For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Demi the Daredevil? How long has the band been around?
I wasn't ever part of any band prior to this. Well I played in a the school jazz band, and played with all these people who held me hostage in high school before I started with Demi.
This band started about 12 years ago, but wasn't really given a lot of investment, other than purely musically speaking, until 2013.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
The origin of the name came from our first singer/guitarist Jovan who passed away, and Marc. Demi stands for half god half man.
And actually yes we have changed it before! We were convinced to change it to the name "Daredevil Express" for a few months. That didn't work.
It sounded too much like "Panda Express" to me.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
We've gone through a lot of changes in the writing department. Jovan had written songs, Marc has written songs, my brother Thomas has written songs, now I'm writing songs. I suppose it's fair game for whoever is in this thing to throw songs in the pot.
In terms of lyrics, i write those, usually about mental health and introspective things. Some topics are about addiction or solitude, or panic attacks and depression. Vengeance. Death. Reaching your potential. (At least I got one "positive" in there). That's a good question about the topics changing over time-- my favorite writers seem to have revisited the same topics throughout their careers, but they just kept refining and clarifying those same topics. So that might be me.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
Sia. twenty one pilots. the 1975. Awolnation. Jon Bellion. And 90s soft rock.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
I do remember in 6th grade seeing an 8th grade rock band covering Papa Roach and Metallica, and I thought the drummer was hitting the crap out of the drums and looked awesome, and wanted to do that. But I never thought about it again until I met Marc and Jovan.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, ect …
I flex in the mirror. Well, no i don't but I should do a warrior stance in the mirror or something. I do lay down and listen to a hypnosis video sometimes. And do some lip trills for the voice. I journal some to keep a clear head.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
Meeting our producer John McCracken and flying to New York to play showcases. We played for Ben Folds manager. Nothing came of it. I came back devastated. But still the excitement of a real industry folk shown interest in us when we still believed in the old paradigm of getting signed as the all end all….. that was great. I needed someone important to believe in this project. So John has really given me the assurance that this can be a profession.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why? Bob Saggot. Pauly Shore. The Chordettes. Definitely not the Who. I have a feeling Keith Moon would shoot firecrackers on me or pee on me.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Well, I'm glad to be featured in your magazine and it makes me happy that you care to promote rising artists.
To anyone reading, hope you check out our recent EP "Secret Schizoid" and pass it along. We're adding a new song to it every two months. So when we reach 12, we'll release a full length of it all.