Trae Vedder wants to rock your face off. It’s been more than a year since his band, five-piece Atlanta rock outfit Death on Two Wheels, has attacked an Athens stage—maybe it was the Melting Point or the 40 Watt, or was it Go Bar with Radiolucent?—Vedder can’t quite recall. Whatever the case, he’s glad to be back, and he’s ready to tear the house down.
“There’s always something special about being at Caledonia,†Vedder says. “It’s a small spot, but so many bands have come through there and played that stage. That’s intriguing and inspiring in many ways.â€
Since its inception as a studio band six years ago, Death on Two Wheels’ sound has morphed and evolved, drawing on everything from ‘60s and ‘70s classic rock to ‘90s grunge. The band’s forthcoming sophomore LP aims to hone in on the direction they found after hitting the road in support of 2008’s Separation of Church and State, but no matter the spin they take, the Death stands strong as one thing: a rock ‘n’ roll band.
“From the get-go,†Vedder says, “I wanted a band that was full-on, high-energy and in-your-face. I’ve always enjoyed those sorts of bands; it’s what made me pick up a guitar in the first place.â€
The sound is raw—think Foo Fighters meets Jet with a touch of early Motörhead for good measure—while other moments evoke the heavier slow-jams of their Southern-rock roots. Vedder cites bands such as Queen, Electric Light Orchestra and the Doobie Brothers as inspiration for their heavy use of vocal harmonies, while Queens of the Stone Age, Pink Floyd and Phish influence the songs’ texture and guitar-centricity. In every case, a good layer of grunge, thanks in no small part to Vedder’s gritty vocals, keeps the band’s sound at just the right level of unpolished.
Onstage, things go from raw to rambunctious.
“You’ll hear the same harmonies as on the record,†Vedder says, “but the delivery of everything else musically is much more unrefined and nasty. Truth be told, we’re a live band. That’s where we prefer to be, and it’s where people typically understand us best.â€
Like what you just read? Support Flagpole by making a donation today. Every dollar you give helps fund our ongoing mission to provide Athens with quality, independent journalism.
