“Kansas City, Kansas native WYCO deadman grinds heart wrenching lyrics cut from painful, personal experience and deep, dark, subconcious voices into dusty industrial loops and sharp, edgy transients which produced the first album of many, this one typecast “Admonitions of a DEADMAN”. With his mortal identity withheld, the WYCO portrayed through the eyes of a mask is merely a demon from WYCO’s soul allowed to speak, influence, and spit heresy. Yet, seemingly WYCO challenges us to progress thought and conversation, question status, resurrect aggression: stand against the machine. The featured single “The Blister” released appropriately on Halloween 2015, the 10 song album “Admonitions of a DEADMAN” is scheduled to release New Years Eve, 2015.”
Exposed Vocals: How did you hear about Exposed Vocals? What made you decide to sign up?
WYCO deadman: I first came across Exposed Vocals on twitter during a bit of networking…. The name caught me, and all the assistance they offer to guide independent artists cast them as an entity I would like to work with.
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
WYCO deadman: The mortal mind behind WYCO deadman grew up as a struggling, meek tadpole in a lake of electric, poisonous, destructive and terrifying monsters. Ya know, the world that consumes the innocent boy. I was moved around a lot during my adolescence, so much so, that i soon rejected the merit of the idea of a friend, the idea of a home, the idea of an idealistic, suburban family and honest to god down home plain out goodness…. As i rejected society, society rejected me. So I wrote. I wrote my feelings, my hatreds, my loves, my loathings, down on spiral bound paper. Eventually, I recorded them. And WYCO deadman, the repressed, angry demon inside, came out to play.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
WYCO deadman: I have some shreds of loyalty. WYCO represents the county I was born in, I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with Wyandotte County, but its where I’ve had the pleasure to meet some of the realest individuals in my lifetime. The deadman is the result of a lifetime of torment and pain, an inner demon who feeds on my cynicism and constantly spits heresy in my ear. But he is mine. He began as I began, and will always be a swaying voice in my mind.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
WYCO deadman: I believe wholeheartedly that it is impractical for a musician or band to think every song they release must be paid for to be listened to. I can’t think of how many people in my past opened my mind to new kinds of music by sharing it with me on tape, 8 track, record, CD, etc. Now, in today’s society, the philosophy of sharing has probably been all but fully exploited, all the while sharing is still, in its simplest form, someone playing an artists music for another. I do expect compensation to some extent, but, mostly, spreading my music is my free therapy, its a facet of happiness that is hard to come by anymore.
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
WYCO deadman: I have spent a lot of time in my short existence studying, listening, searching out new content, attending the shows of, and talking to musicians, indie and otherwise, and the biggest advice frequently given is: play out at gigs. Nothing connects your music with your audience more closely. Play out, play out, play out. Talk to other bands and open for them. Expose yourself to the scene.
Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?
WYCO deadman: Mistakes are the proof of a possibility of failure in whatever would have been otherwise harmonious. Always move forward through every mistake. Never let anything stop you. Grow as an artist.
Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?
WYCO deadman: No tours yet, but I am always planning for the performance. WYCO deadman and the music that ‘he’ produces is meant for a visual performance, an acid trip on a Wednesday, an unexpected aggressive something… Every day brings the world closer to that event.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
WYCO deadman: Every day is an inspiration for a song, as well as all the events of a day. The interactions of my day usually inspire lines, chorus’, verses or whole song formats. Its the multiple facades within life we all face, and the deadmans reactions to that. These writings have become the “Admonitions of a DEADMAN”.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
WYCO deadman:
ReverbNation.com/wycodeadman
WYCO deadman can also be followed on…..
Facebook.com/wycodeadman
Twitter.com/wyco_deadman
Instagram.com/wycodeadman
Pinterest.com/WYCODEADMAN
YouTube.com/wycodeadman
Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?
WYCO deadman: I grew up in an era of embarrassing music. We could talk about my undying crush on Cyndi Lauper, or the fact I had M.C. Hammer on replay… I still listen to all that old stuff. Someone though who has fulfilled my Tori Amos, Mazzy Star void is Christina Perri. I think her self promotion from YouTube to stardom is ambitious, and her songs open up that dark part of my heart and make it weep. Not many artists can do that for me. Perri and M.I.A., (Maya Arulpragasm) I’m in love musically.
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
WYCO deadman: It has been my dream to own a house in California, with a full music production studio, overlooking a rocky, crashing beach where the salty waves come to die; to spend every early morning looking out onto the edge of the earth, writing, producing and recording music throughout the day, watching the world spin into oblivion at night.
Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?
WYCO deadman: I currently use Presonus Studio One 2 for my DAW on a HP, Scarlett 2i4 interface, M Audio Oxygen 49 keys, JBL monitors, a Sterling Audio ST55 condenser mic and Sennheiser headphones. These are the barebones of the beast. There’s a lot more that goes into the music than hardware and software, and the second album I am working on now, “Death Has Me High”, will reflect that.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
WYCO deadman: Promoting an album is like spreading a disease, and a lot of people dont want to get sick. The magic lies in showing people how to perceive music open-mindedly, not how the corporate monster has engrained and pushed us to listen. We’ve been stereotyped for additional stereotypes, fed suggestions for likes, brainwashed artistically. I have found what works the best to be offering my music all across the globe, on multiple social media promotion sites, and let those who listen share it with their friends. My music has largely been accepted and spread across the UK as well as the US, of which I have been astounded.
Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
WYCO deadman: To perform in the desert with Morrison, in a train station with Hendrix, ANYWHERE with Joplin, to chill and experiment with sounds with the Big Bopper, Muddy Waters, to write with Cobain, Ian Curtis, Buddy Holly, Amy Winehouse, the list is endless. So many great minds have forged what music has become I couldn’t possibly name them all.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
WYCO deadman: As mentioned before, I am working on my second album now, “Death Has Me High”. It promises to be more aggressive than the previous album as I open up more to the world about past addictions, lost identity, destroyed love and self loathing. The first album, “Admonitions of a DEADMAN”, releases New Years Eve, 2015.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
WYCO deadman: If I weren’t making music, I would most likely be spending more time writing books. A second hobby, I am currently, but slowly, constructing a book based on the effects and widespread reach of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) as well as a casual story/autobiography/poems book centered around my life.
Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?
WYCO deadman: The first albums I ever bought were Ice Cube Kill at Will, Ice Cube The Predator, Cypress Hill’s self titled album, Us3, Das Efx, and A Tribe Called Quest’s single Relax Yourself and Comptons Most Wanted’s single Hood Took Me Under. I still have all those cassettes, and they randomly get some air play.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
WYCO deadman: The trick is making time. Rise early. Burn the midnight oil. Communicate with spouses or lovers. Get done what you can when you can. I have written songs while grocery shopping, its all about how much you want it. Once you start, steadily increase your dedication, don’t ever look back and do not give up. I know what i want, and I’m making it happen regardless of who I get support from.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
WYCO deadman: The album “Admonitions of a DEADMAN” will be out, “Death Has Me High” will release, there are plans for video shoots for songs, a photography and poetry collection, interviews and radio play, and a WYCO deadman produced documentary will begin, not leaking too much more information on that. I would suggest everyone like, follow, and share and join my mailing list on ReverbNation to find out more before I release my many projects. And as always, Support Local Artists and Musicians.
