Theory Of A Deadman
[Photo by: Jimmy Fontaine]

Theory Of A Deadman embrace newfound political identity on ‘Say Nothing’

As a band, Theory Of A Deadman have shied away from focusing their message on social and political issues for most of their 18-year history. But with the release of 2017’s Wake Up Call, and with that, their biggest hit “Rx (Medicate)”—a song centered on the prescription drug abuse epidemic in North America—it’s no surprise that their forthcoming seventh studio album spews commentary. 

Say Nothing tackles intricate topics, ranging from domestic abuse to racism, and TOAD are intent on initiating a thoughtful conversation with their listeners. Lead vocalist/guitarist Tyler Connolly spoke exclusively with AltPress about the single and video for “History Of Violence” from the new album, set to be released Jan. 31.

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“[Say Nothing] is a little darker than the last one, but it’s still definitely on the same spectrum as what we did on the last record,” Connolly says. “I think we just continue to try to do new things and go in different directions. That’s what’s been sparking new ideas for us.”

The 10-track LP serves as a reinforcement of not only their new identity, but the evolution of their sound. In the early aughts, the band—Connolly, guitarist Dave Brenner, bassist Dean Back and drummer Joey Dandeneau—embraced hard rock through shredding guitars and Connolly’s distinguishable scream-like voice. But they traded in their sound, along with their name—shortened to THEORY to avoid confusion among listeners—with Wake Up Call. And they assure that Say Nothing serves as a continuation of their sonic evolution, with Theory Of A Deadman embracing the pillars of pop-rock.

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“We’re trying to do something we haven’t done before on this album and continue to be inspired, and we found that in new instrumentation and different production,” Connolly says. “A lot of it stemmed from something either Martin Terefe, our producer, or one of the band members thought would sound cool, so we tried it.”

For Say Nothing, TOAD traveled to London to work with producer Terefe (YUNGBLUD, MisterWives), who they collaborated with for Wake Up Call. They found inspiration when recording at Abbey Road Studios, where the Beatles famously laid tracks for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. “It was this epiphany like, ‘I’m doing kind of a ‘Sgt. Pepper’s thing’ and put a lot of color on the record and instrumentation that we’d never done before,” Connolly says. 

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The band had viewed making music as an escape for themselves by writing songs for the scenarios their listeners might live out. But now, Theory Of A Deadman are singing about the ugly realities both they and their fans are confronted with on a daily basis.  

“We concentrated more on something someone can listen to and go to a certain place, but for this record, I wanted something that was more touching on reality and what was really going on just by watching the news and what not,” he says. “We talk about how in America there is the two-party system and how people are turning their neighbors into enemies.”

The music video for “History Of Violence” follows an all-too-real modern narrative of domestic abuse. Detailing the violence a nameless woman endures from her husband, viewers learn by the end of a video that, for some, jail can be a safer place than their own home. It’s a visual that aligns with the era of the #MeToo movement and illustrates the power a victim holds when confronting their abuser. 

“I think with the #MeToo movement, there’s been a lot of empowerment of women, which has been fantastic,” Connolly says. “We wanted to have a video that not only reflected the lyrics of the track but also left the viewer feeling like there’s something they can do if they’ve been affected by something like this. That’s a big issue—a lot of women don’t come forward. I think it’s important for people to feel like there’s other people out there that can help.”

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And Theory Of A Deadman wants to help their fans who might be experiencing abuse. They urge victims to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233). Watch the video for “History Of Violence” below. 

The band kick off their headlining tour with support from Spirit Animal. Tickets are available here with dates below. Say Nothing is available for preorder now.

Dates: 

09/27 Jacksonville, NC @ The Tarheel Opry House
09/28 Inwood, WV @ Shiley Acres
09/29 Stroudsburg, PA @ Sherman Theater
10/01 Warren, OH @ Packard Music Hall
10/02 Morgantown, WV @ Metropolitan Theatre
10/04 North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
10/05 Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
10/06 Chattanooga, TN @ The Signal
10/08 Destin, FL @ Club LA
10/10 Dothan, AL @ The Plant
10/11 Baton Rouge, LA @ Varsity Theatre
10/12 Lake Charles, LA @ Golden Nugget Casino – Grand Event Center
10/15 Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
10/17 Valley Center, CA @ Harrah’s Resort Southern California Event Center
10/18 Chico, CA @ Senator Theatre
10/19 Stateline, NV @ Harrah’s Lake Tahoe
10/22 Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
10/23 Wichita, KS @ The Cotillion
10/25 Lexington, KY @ Manchester Music Hall
10/26 Cherokee, NC @ Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Resort and Event Center
10/28 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
10/29 Fort Wayne, IN @ Clyde Theatre
10/31 Bowler, WI @ North Star Mohican Casino and Resort

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11/01 Sioux City, IA @ Anthem at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
11/02 Osceola, IA @ Lakeside Casino Event Center
11/04 Belvidere, IL @ The Apollo Theatre
11/05 Flint, MI @ The Machine Shop
11/13 Kiev, UA @ Atlas
11/15 St. Petersburg, RU @ Kosmonavt
11/16 Moscow, RU @ The 1930 Hall
11/19 Manchester, UK @ Academy 2
11/20 Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 Galvanizers
11/21 Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
11/23 London, UK @ Electric Ballroom
11/24 Bristol, UK @ SWX

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01/31 Vancouver, BC @ The Commodore Ballroom
02/01 Vancouver, BC @ The Commodore Ballroom
02/03 Kelowna, BC @ Kelowna Community Theatre
02/04 Cranbrook, BC @ Western Financial Place
02/06 Grand Prairie, AB @ Bowes Event Center
02/07 Edmonton, AB @ Winspear Center
02/08 Calgary, AB @ Grey Eagle Event Centre
02/10 Medicine Hat, AB @ Canalta Centre
02/11 Saskatoon, SK @ Coors Event Centre
02/13 Regina, SK @ Casino Regina
02/14 Winnipeg, MB @ Club Regent
02/16 Sault Saint Marie, ON @ Sault Community Theatre
02/17 Sarnia, ON @ Imperial Theatre
02/18 London, ON @ London Music Hall
02/21 Halifax, NS @ Casino Nova Scotia
02/22 Moncton, NB @ Casino New Brunswick
02/24 Ottawa, ON @ Bronson Centre
02/27 Toronto, ON @ Rebel
02/28 Montreal, QC @ MTELUS
02/29 Barrie, ON @ Mavericks