There’s an album due out on the 7th of June that we can’t wait to get our grubby little hands on. Wanna know what it is? Wilting by Psychic Graveyard. Don’t say that we haven’t told you. There is the latest single and viddy from the album, you can feast your eyes and ears below. It’s called ‘Sword Through my Neck’. WARNING: There’s a big mouth in the viddy that turns up in all sorts of places. Watch it but you might be afraid of being bitten on the arse whilst doing your business on the throne. Enjoy.
Hello Psychic Graveyard……… welcome to the DeClunk universe.
Please describe your surroundings so that we can all settle in.
Eric Paul: Currently, I am in a waiting room. There are People Magazines, Time Magazines, and Golf Digest scattered around the table in front of me. I’m sitting in a rather comfortable mid-century style chair waiting for the doctor to see me about a strange lump I have in my throat.
Please introduce Psychic Graveyard and tell us who does what and how you got together.
Eric Paul: Psychic Graveyard is me, Eric Paul as vocalist/lyricist, Nathan Joyner as synth and field recordings, Paul Vieira as guitar and occasional synth, and Charles Ovet as drummer. Paul and I were on hiatus from our most recent band, Doomsday Student. During that time Nathan was sending these amazing song ideas. The three of us started slowly started working on an album together. Eventually we recorded those songs for the album Loud As Laughter. The album came out in 2019. Once the album was out, we were getting offers to play live we asked Charles if he wanted to join the band. We were all fans of Charles’ so, it was an easy decision.
How do you folks go about putting a song together?
Eric Paul: We have a unique process. Typically, Nathan usually comes up with the skeleton of a song at his studio in San Diego. He then sends the song to the rest of us and we contribute our parts. Eventually, we get together and assemble them as working demos before ultimately taking them into the studio Machines With Magnets in Pawtucket, RI where our producer Seth Manchester makes them all work!
Why the name Psychic Graveyard? Were there other names in the hat? If so, what were they? Somebody might be reading this that could really use one of your spares right now.
Eric Paul: All I remember from the process is that we all came up with suggestions and we ended up choosing Psychic Graveyard from that list. Here is the original list:
CUT NERVES HOSPITAL HALLS THE NOBODY GUEST THE EXPLODING YOU THE EXPLODING SELF THE EXPLODING FEW THE EXPLODING MOON THE EXPLODING HOUR I’M EXPLODING THE STRANGER MUSEUM I’M EXPLODING MESSAGES HEALINGS OBJECTS THE WRECKING SUPERNATURAL SKULL THE INDIVIDUAL THE APPLICANT DIGITAL SIGH THE HEALING DEVICE GASOLINE DREAMS CRUISE SHIP CRISIS SINKING STATES THE REWIRED REWIRED NAIL BITERS THE NERVOUS THE NERVOUS SYSTEM STRUGGLING TONGUE(S) HAIRY TONGUE ONLY WORDS WORDLESS EXPULSIONS SUDDEN VOGUE
Can you see Psychic Graveyard still performing when you’re old? You know, like The Rolling Stones.
Eric Paul: If I am being perfectly honest with you, I feel that way now. I’ve been touring and making records for 25 years now. I can only hope to do this for 25 more.
Do any of you have any hidden talents away from music? Maybe one of you is talented at origami or brilliant at making balloon dogs.
Eric Paul: Paul is freakishly good at juggling. Charles is amazing at skipping stones. Nathan knows everything there is to know about the Civil War.
The new album, ‘Wilting’ comes out in June, please tell us all about it.
Eric Paul: We worked on the album for just over two years. We tried to make an album where each song traversed a different side of our musical personality. It is our first album working with Artoffact Records, which has been incredibly exciting for us. We spent a lot of time in the mixing process so that we felt 100% confident with the album we were sending them.
The previous single ‘Stuffed With Secrets’ we love. Who came up with those funky costumes in the video?
Eric Paul: The new video was directed by A.V. Carraway. Cinematography was done by P.T. Duggins and the Visual Effects by L.A. Boggia. I worked with this team before in my previous bands. They made a couple videos for The Chinese Stars and Doomsday Student. They are all brilliant. The costumes for this video were done by A.V. Carraway.
My friend and I go fishing overnight a couple of times a year. It involves copious amounts of beer. A two-man disco breaks out around 11pm. This involves two blokes, in wellies, throwing shapes in the dark. What would be on your playlist for a drunken bankside disco?
Eric Paul: I would only play Giorgio Moroder’s “From Here To Eternity.”
There have been some notorious riders demanded by rock n rollers. For example, Marylin Manson requested gummy bears and a bald headed, toothless hooker. Van Halen demanded M & Ms with all the brown ones taken out. What’s on yours?
Eric Paul: Our weirdest ask on our rider might be a person with a low, raspy voice to read us excerpts from Moby Dick. So far, no one has ever honoured this request.
Any bands/artists that you recommend we give a listen to?
Eric Paul: Everyone in the world should listen to The Visitation, Half-Machine Lip Moves, Alien Soundtracks and Red Exposure by the band, Chrome.
Thanks folks, for taking the time with DeClunk. We hope to see you in the UK soon and looking forward to getting our grubby little mitts on the record!.
DeClunk 