Midnight Mob Interview: A Sunny November Hour with Blackey Deathproof

by Lisa Halling

At The French Roast on the corner of West 85th Street and Broadway, I got to meet the singer of the New York based up and coming rock/punk band Midnight Mob. Singer, Blackey Deathproof, appears with a straightforward but humble and polite attitude, an attitude far away from her hardcore growling and screaming vocals. It is a sunny and warm November day as we sit down in the outdoor patio. I ask for a cappuccino and Blackey goes for an omelet.

How did you guys meet?

We met in 2009 and were randomly connected through friends. By then I did not see myself as a front figure since I, until then, only did back up singing, specifically in the blues field. All of us shared a unique passion for hard rock and punk and felt an instant association. Today everybody has certain roles that together create a functioning totality. For example, I’m everything but the informative, structured backbone of the band. Our bass player, on the other hand, keeps us organized!

Speaking about roles, what does your music making process look like?

We all collaborate in the making of our music. Someone comes up with some guitar riffs and licks while someone catches a hooky melody, although I’m usually the one writing the lyrics. I find it important to really feel and live the words I sing.

Who or what inspires you?

As far as other artists, I’m a great fan of Iggy Pop and Iron Maiden. But when it comes to things that inspire me in my writing, my main stimulating source is life itself. I’m not much into public displaying emotions and romance, but rather focus on my efforts in getting clean from drugs and alcohol. Until a couple of years ago I lived a pretty rough life, but I’ve been sober since 17 years old by now. That makes five clean years! Yay!

Your song All for Nothing has a somewhat softer sound than the rest of your songs. What happened in the making of that track?

We all love the hard rock and punk stuff, but we also know that in order to appeal to a greater audience we sometimes have to create more versatile material. It’s still us, but the smoothest possible side of us. We don’t believe in sitting and playing in a basement and complaining about other artist’s sellouts. As long as we feel that we can represent it, we’ll give it a go. Regardless, money is needed to enable doing what you really want in the long run.

You are working hard on the NYC live music scene at the moment. Any plans on touring Europe or other parts of the world?

We are currently planning a west coast tour sometime middle of this coming spring. Europe is something we really want to do and we obviously aim for it. Going overseas requires financial resources that we unfortunately don’t have at the moment. It’s not a question on if we go, but when. So keep yourself posted on our website MidnightMob.com or my blog, BlackeyDeathProof in Blogspot