A CONVERSATION WITH... DEMOB HAPPY
We caught up with Demob Happy’s Matthew Marcantonio to talk about SXSW 2023, their upcoming album Divine Machines, and activism within the music industry.
Photo of Demob Happy in Amsterdam (credit: Demob Happy on Instagram)
When did you fall in love with music?
Every artist that shares their story with me gets asked that question because, as cliche as it is, there’s no better place to start than the beginning. It’s beautiful seeing how musicians across the world have fallen in love with the universal language and how that butterfly effect has led them to where they are today.
Matthew Marcantonio of Demob Happy fell in love with music on the four-minute car rides to school with his dad. “My dad would play me Beatles songs, Supertramp songs, and really just absolute bangers of 1970s classic rock every morning. Every day had a new song playing, and that’s when I remember being completely enraptured by the variety and the songwriting. That’s when I started realising this is what I want to do.”
Those influences persist in his songwriting and production today, as Demob Happy happily doesn’t fit into one genre or certain sound. They have a commitment to never do the same thing twice, meaning if all you’ve heard is “Autoportrait” or “Voodoo Science” you’ve only gotten a sliver of Demob. But this also means when describing what Demob Happy sounds like, you’re left with only one answer.
They just sound like Demob Happy.
“Maybe we could’ve done ourselves a favour by having all our songs sound similar, but that’s never been something I or the lads have been interested in. Maybe people think our band sounds weird, but us always switching it up makes us unique.”
Like their upcoming record, Divine Machines, which is described as the album Demob’s always wanted to make. “It was a transformative process, and it’s the first time we’ve let our freak flags fly. We finally don’t feel as encumbered to do what we think rock bands should be doing in the modern age.” Inspired by their heroes like The Beatles, Demob wanted to release something completely different with their 2023 return and make their music-making dreams come true in a few different ways.
In Divine Machines, Marcantonio lets his tender side out with the few ballads interspersed with what could be called ‘classic’ Demob Happy tunes like “Voodoo Science”, which was also the first single off the album. Lovingly referred to as the door opener, “Voodoo Science” was the band’s first release in a year. The most intense off the record, it got fans prepared for the coming of a new Demob.
“There’s a thread that goes through all the songs on the record, with the tone and the lyrics. Sonically, production-wise, and how we arranged the songs — it’s the truest we’ve ever sounded and wanted to sound. On my side with the lyrics, it’s the most inward and reflective I’ve ever been, and with the way production software has evolved now, it was the right time to make this.”
One thing that does connect all of Demob’s songs is their anti-establishment voice, something that ties back to the very heart of Demob Happy.
The original meaning of demob happy ties back to WWII in England, with how people felt so happy from the anticipation of the demobilisation of the armed forces. While 13-year-old Marcantonio might have originally felt that about school and the summer holidays approaching, now the band has fully grown into what Demob Happy means to them.
Specifically with his songwriting, Newcastle-born (Geordie at heart) Marcantonio talks about how as each album has gone by, it’s led him to a place where he feels much more emboldened and comfortable in his anti-establishment voice. “I began to realise the significance just beyond it sounding cool. You know, the 99% being controlled by these billionaires, the 1%, we are demob happy as a human race because we’re coming to the end of that and it’s going to change.”
So in this album, not only does he share his more heartfelt side, he also shares what he believes is his responsibility as an artist with a platform. Each of the songs represents something he’s learned about himself and the world in the last few years, all wrapped up in one place.
“I’m still speaking to the evils of the world, but now it’s more centred around each of us to see how we can grow and take our responsibility in how the world functions. The powers that be don’t have to get their way, you know? If the human race is healed and cooperates, (lovingly meaning we all have to sort our shit out) things can change. That’s the great thing about music — you can engage people universally but also say something important at the exact same time. If I can achieve that even once, I’d be so happy.”
As he talks about the album, the excitement can’t stop coming through Marcantonio’s voice. For one reason or another, he explains, they’ve had to delay the album coming out, which means they haven’t been able to play it for fans, so playing some of it at SXSW was a beautiful experience.
“Hearing a whole room of people singing back to you, that’s a great feeling. SXSW was an absolute rush and rager! We really bared our souls on this one, and I can’t wait for people to love it as much as we love it.” Making their return to Austin once again from their time in 2016, the 7 years they had in between meant they came in swinging. While the record is difficult to perform live due to its complexities, they made it work. That fiery passion that’s present at every Demob Happy performance paired with the excitement and raw emotion on their latest record meant that any fan seeing Demob perform this year is in for an absolute treat (and some contemplation about their role in the world).
Music is a powerful tool, it’s one that creates communities, tells histories, and brings change in a world always in desperate need of it. Bands like Demob Happy see what they can bring to the world through their music, and thankfully, they keep bringing it in their signature Demob Happy style.