Exclusive Interview: Willem Dafrend talk motivations, Lego lakes and nails!

Watch Road to Perdition and then put on the new Willem Dafrend album “Nails” and you might find yourself in familiar territory with vocalist Craig Niemoeller inspired by the Tom Hanks character in writing a record that marks the bands full length debut as they look to escape Saint Louis, Missouri and get on the road. The band, a group of seasoned veterans with some two decades or more of combat duty under their collective belts are writing Hardcore and Hardcore Punk in the vein of bands who were releasing material in 2005 like Every Time I Die, American Standards and even Glassjaw and so having reviewed the record, we caught up with the band for an exclusive interview…

What motivates a group of seasoned musicians to dust off their gear and start a new band? How long have you known or know of each other and who was it who planted the seed? “The initial idea for the band was introduced by Joe (drums) back in 2016. We workshopped a few ideas but nothing really happened. Then, in the summer of 2020 I found myself bored and not feeling great overall, so in an effort to get myself out of the house I reached out to Joe to see if he wanted to start working on this project for real. Pat was quickly added to play guitar, but finding the right bass player actually took two years. Pat, Bob and I have known each other for nearly 20 years. We all cut our teeth in the St. Louis punk/emo/screamo scene. Joe is a friend of mine from other circles, and I’ve known him for nearly 15 years”

Before committing to your new album “Nails“, you dropped a pair of singles in “Local Legend” and “Fish Piss”, neither of which appear on the record. What was the idea behind doing that and how do you feel they allowed “Nails” to become what it is? “Local Legend was the first idea that Joe and I workshopped back in 2016 with a couple of other guys, and we used it to get the writing juices flowing when we started the project back up. Fish Piss was the first song that we wrote with Pat. We recorded and released those songs early on as a band, primarily to get something out for people to listen to and introduce ourselves as a band. We are proud of both of those songs, and I think they do a good job of illustrating what we are as a band”

The album has a sense of humour to it and the line in particular “lets go to Target and buy some more shit“ on “Lego Lake” made us crack a smile. What made you break away from the genre standards and take a fresh look at the lyrics? “Well, I don’t really sit down to write lyric ideas. I have a note on my phone that grows everyday as things happen that strike me. Sometimes I hear a turn of phrase that I like, and sometimes I am just so pissed off at normal ‘dad life’ that I write something down to capture that feeling. However, when those ideas flesh themselves out they tend to become funny organically. What dad hasn’t threatened to throw all of their kid’s toys away, feel bad about it, then take them to Target to buy more toys? That scenario plays on repeat in my house. Outside of that song specifically, I think I often find the stereotypically serious subject matter of heavier music to be depressing. And to be honest, I think it can turn off a lot of potential listeners. I’m trying to write about things that are accessible and relatable, if I can bring some levity at the same time, even better”

If we are made up of our genes and our influences, what is in your jeans and who would you consider your influences? “My house as a child was filled with the blues, classic rock, and hair metal when I got my turn to pick the radio station. I grew up with a guitar in my hands, and all of my musical heroes are guitar legends from Stevie Ray Vaughan to Mick Mars. However, when I listen to music nowadays, I always go one of two directions. I either turn on Pantera, or I listen to the only Spotify playlist I have ever created for myself which is a carefully curated selection of 80’s pop hits like Easy Lover by the Phils (Collins/Bailey). I’m not sure what that says about me, but it’s is what it is”

What’s the local scene like in Saint Louis, Missouri? Are there any local heroes or hidden gems of bands from your neck of the woods that we should be checking out? “The scene in Saint Louis is thriving. We have a handful of great venues of various sizes that are excited to have metal bands play, and the fan base shows up. I wont speak for anyone else in the band, but I knew next to nothing about the metalcore/hardcore scene in Saint Louis prior to starting this project. After a few years of being part of it I continue to be impressed with the talent and creative ways that bands are getting themselves out there. For example, I wasn’t there but I saw video of a Saint Louis metal band called Coffin Fit playing a show under an interstate overpass with a generator, and the kids were going nuts for it!. Things like that blow my mind. The band that I have been most impressed with personally is Swamp Lion, and I look for excuses to play shows with them. They released an EP last year that was amazing, and I think they are in the studio now tracking some new material. Squint is another amazing band from Saint Louis”

What’s next for Willem Dafrend? “We have had a great response to the record so far, and that is obviously encouraging. We are playing a show on 1/27 at Red Flag with Swamp Lion, A Living Hell, and Kilverex, where we will be shooting footage for our first legit music video. We plan on continuing to play shows in the area, but our passion right now is still writing. Bob actually joined the band after Nails was already written, and while he has done an amazing job jumping in and helping us get that record across the finish line, he has also injected us all with newfound writing energy. We already have four songs written for the next album, and we plan on continuing to work furiously toward getting back in the studio for that one”

Nails” by Willem Dafrend is out now everywhere you’d expect it to be and some you wouldn’t

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *