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An Interview with Andy Deane of Bella Morte
Posted: Saturday, September 01, 2007
By: Alison Stark
freelance journalist, aspiring singer, writer, model

It has been nearly a year since Bleed the Grey Sky Black has been released, and Bella Morte's popularity shows no sign of dwindling anytime soon. It is not hard to understand why it has been their bestselling album; the fusion of their music's goth rock, death rock, metal, punk, synthpop, and industrial elements sounds more polished, while still retaining and accentuating its delectable edge.

Formed in 1996 in Charlottesville, VA, Bella Morte cruised the underground circuit until late 2002 when they were signed to their current label, Metropolis Records. In that time, the band garnered recognition through word-of-mouth from an audience impressed with the energy of their live shows and the formation of their street team, "The Fallen." During their steady rise in success, the band has inevitably undergone a few changes, though not as many as one would expect. The multiplicity in styles rooted in their foundation is still discernible; their sound has not integrated into uniformity as they've become more seasoned artists. The biggest change and shock of recent times has been the announcement that bassist and co-founder Gopal Metro has decided to leave the band to pursue other endeavors. Shortly after his final performance with the band, he was replaced by Tony Pugh.

Despite the change in line-up, Bella Morte is still going strong, and their accomplishments are ever-growing. They have toured the UK, Europe, Canada, and all over the USA. They were featured at the highly acclaimed Whitby Festival in the UK, and recently headlined the Blacksun Festival in New Haven, CT. Attesting to their international success, they are currently on the cover of Rimfrost, the number one gothic/industrial magazine in Norway. Bella Morte's frontman Andy Deane sat down with ReGen to divulge hidden talents, tricks of the trade that only come with experience, and above all else, his commitment to ravage music, till beautiful death do they part.

How did you feel about your recent performance at the Blacksun Festival in New Haven, CT?

Deane: I thought it was great. I thought we were really energetic. And I think on a Sunday night after a weekend of drunken debauchery like that amongst the people in the crowd, we did an excellent job at keeping those folks awake and moving.

Do you prefer festivals or club gigs?

Deane: I think there's something to each. A festival is definitely a lot of fun because there are so many people from all over the country, as opposed to seeing a crowd from one specific location. Sometimes the festivals feel a little more like a party, which is a great time when you're a band on a stage.

Manic Panic sponsors the band and gives you hair dye. You've also all recently appeared in a graphic novel called The Abandoned as zombies. How do you feel about media convergence like that? Is it a sign of popularity?

Deane: I do think it's a sign that the word is really getting out there about us. Some bigger venues and bigger people in the industry are starting to lay some eyes on us. And Manic Panic has been great to work with—they're very chill folks, very easy to talk to.

You seem to interact with your fans as much as humanly possible. Do you think this will be less possible as Bella Morte gains popularity or is that a priority?

Deane: Well, I think on a percentage basis we'll probably be interacting with fewer fans for a smaller amount of time, just logistically speaking. The more people at our shows, the fewer amount of minutes there will be to talk to all of them. But the cool thing about more popularity is that we'll have more time to spend with close friends when we go out on the road.

Do you have any other creative aspirations? If so, what?

Deane: Absolutely. I actually just finished my first novel, called The Party Crasher, and I'm looking for a publisher. I've also worked with Micah [Consylman, Bella Morte's keyboardist] on a side project that we've tentatively titled Mortek—it has kind of an industrial/EBM feel. And I know the other guys in the band do side projects. So there's definitely more art than just music in my life, but Bella Morte is definitely where my heart is.

You've been classically trained in opera. How do you use that as a foundation for your edgy vocals?

Deane: I appreciate what the training it did for me, though I'm not really into opera. Just being able to have control over my breath allows me to run around like crazy on stage and not completely lose my wind.

What advice do you have for young musicians trying to break into the industry?

Deane: Don't measure your success by getting signed to a major label; there are a lot things bands can do now without a major label. Majors need the bands more than the bands need the majors at this point. Aside from the industry, make sure that the folks in your band are friends—people you trust and that are brothers and sisters to you. And make sure you're having fun the whole damn way, because not everybody is going to make it to the top. If you have a killer time taking the ride to wherever it is you're going, then it doesn't matter, because then you have all these amazing memories anyway.

Speaking of the majors, would you ever want to be signed to a major label, or do you think that would involve too much compromise?

Deane: It depends. Right now, we're very happy with Metropolis Records. You never know what the future holds. It just depends on what kind of deal someone is trying to cut us. If while trying to sign us, the label is trying to claim artistic control of our music or something like that, we'd give them a big 'Go to hell!' because as soon as you take the art out of the band, I don't see the point in doing it strictly to earn a living. It's an expression, an art form, and I would never want to lose sight of that.

What does 'success' as a performer mean to you?

Deane: Right now it means playing a show and having a nice packed house, with everyone there into the music as much as we are, cheering along and having a good time. That's what success is. And writing music that I really care about—when I hear it, I'm proud of it. When we have a song that we just put together in the recording studio and we sit around listening to it,knowing we just created something new and amazing, that's success in itself.

What has been your favorite place to perform?

Deane: There are so many. We always have a great time in L.A. And Chicago, as well as New York. We had a great time in the UK recently at the Whitby Festival. That was a killer show, great crowd. Austria and Germany were great, too. It seems wherever you go in the world there are people ready to listen and have a good time.

Your shows seem to switch between a goth set and a more punk set. Do you modify your act based on the audience?

Deane: Not really. With the latest album, Bleed the Grey Sky Black, we did a lot to integrate our sound. We took all of these elements—punk, synthpop, goth—and put them together with a good dose of metal. Everything seems to be coming together and more than ever the band is unified. So with audiences, we give 'em what we got and they can love it or hate it, that's their choice, but we're doing what we're going to do, regardless.

Is there a particular song you like performing the most?

Deane: It depends on the night. I know 'Ghostland' is a whole lot of fun. Sometimes the punk tracks are great too, like 'Christina.' Sometimes 'Earth Angel' is the best thing we do, in my opinion, just 'cause it really loosens the crowd. But generally the heavier the song, the more fun it is to perform.

If Bella Morte were an ice cream flavor, what would it be? (Answer carefully, Ben and Jerry's might be reading.)

Deane: I guess we'd have to be Neapolitan or something with a lot of flavors, because we bring a lot to the table.

What is your favorite band/artist of all time? What about your biggest influence or inspiration?

Deane: I'm a huge long-time fan of Iron Maiden. I love Faith No More, Danzig. In liking something, I'm inspired by it at the same time. It's tough to pick the one that had the impact, but there are easily a hundred of them that mean a lot to me.

How do you feel about the current state of the gothic scene? What subculture do you think identifies most with your music?

Deane: Our shows are a pretty mixed bag: metal-heads, goth kids, indie rockers, rock 'n' roll fans in general. The goth scene is pretty fragmented right now. I don't know that it necessarily has a solid identity. A lot of people think that EBM and synthpop is goth, and while I like those styles of music, I don't think they're necessarily goth. If I had to pick a band that I thought was goth, I would say The 69 Eyes, but I don't think many would agree with me. They sound like they have been heavily influenced by Sisters of Mercy.

What do you know now that you wish you had known starting out?

Deane: Not everybody you meet is going to make you famous or get your band to the next level. Going in with the knowledge that 95 percent of the promises you hear from people you don't know are going to fall flat, that's a very good thing to know as a young musician.

If you weren't in Bella Morte, what would you be doing?

Deane: I'd be doing another band. I'd still be writing. But I couldn't be doing it with a cooler bunch of guys than I am now.

What sets your music apart from other music out there?

Deane: I think the ability to blend different genres the way we do is something unique to us. And the fact that we've drawn fans from so many different genres, also. The way we blend heavy guitars and synths—I don't think there's many bands out there doing that; you have some death metal bands like Children of Bodom. We're accessible but still able to blend styles.

Tell us about your songwriting process. What was the hardest song to write and why?

Deane: 'Torn' was a little tricky, just because it went from one mood to the next and back again. 'Haunted' was pretty tough, because it's such an epic song I think we were very picky about getting every note right and making sure that it was as big as it was in our heads when it came out on the CD. To some extent, every song will have details that can make it difficult but no less fun.

How do you think Bella Morte has evolved as a band?

Deane: We've definitely gotten heavier. The music is a lot more aggressive than it once was. At the core, it's still the same; there's something distinctive about Bella Morte that's strictly us.

What are you currently listening to?

Deane: I recently listened to Sing the Sorrow by AFI. I had some old Faith No More on earlier today, some Slayer, Synthetic Division.

You seem to be a very friendly, upbeat person, yet your music has very dark, ominous lyrics. Do you feel pressured to write a certain way to coincide with your image or does your true self emerge in your songwriting?

Deane: I am a very happy person. I lead a pretty amazing life; the fact that I'm doing what I've always wanted to do is incredible. I could never complain about my life. At the same time, my favorite art has always been dark. I've been a horror movie fan since I could understand movies; I was drawn to that darker side of art. So a part of me is very happy on the outside, and then there's a part of me that's deeper and more reflective on life, the passage of time, and loss. And that's what I use for my music. The fun stuff I get when I'm hanging out with the band.

Now for some fun. Complete the phrase, 'The most exciting moment for me was...'

Deane: Recently, walking out on that stage in Whitby and seeing so many people screaming because they were excited to hear us. It's hard to have a most exciting moment of all. Things happen so slowly when you're on the inside of a band. With a band like No Doubt, it seemed to everybody that they just flashed on the scene, but in reality they'd been touring small clubs and playing for 10-20 people for about 10 years before they got that break. So that's part of what makes it a little less exciting when the cool part happens, but I love good news just the same.

Are you hoping your most exciting moment is yet to come, then?

Deane: I know it is. I'm absolutely positive of that.

'I feel most accomplished when...'

Deane: ...the band steps out of the recording studio after finishing an album. Then putting on what we've just created as a band, laying back, closing my eyes and letting it flow over me.

'My favorite part about touring is...'

Deane: Everything! Touring is wonderful. I can't imagine anything better.

'I hate when audiences...'

Deane: Stand there and look at you. I'd rather be booed off stage than have someone be impartial.

'I am looking forward to...'

Deane: Touring.

'I would stop making music if...'

Deane: ...my head came off. If that happens, I'm probably going to have to quit unless I can think of something pretty revolutionary. If the head's gone, I think Andy's gone.

'I would love to collaborate with...'

Deane: So many people. Doing some work with the guys in Iron Maiden would be quite a good time. Mike Patton would be a lot of fun to work with; he has a pretty free mind when it comes to music. Trent Reznor would be amazing.

'Bella Morte's kind of chicks are...'

Deane: I would say hot and naked. How's that?

'I think our generation is defined by...'

Deane: Bella Morte?

'Bella Morte eats too much...'

Deane: Taco Bell.

'If there were a movie made about Bella Morte, it would be called...'

Deane: It would be called It's Not Easy Kicking This Much Ass.

'And I would be played by...'

Deane I would be like a young Clint Eastwood or young Schwarzenegger.

Not Keanu Reeves?

Deane: That's actually a good call. Let's go with Keanu Reeves. That's too perfect.

'One thing I will never do is...'

Deane: I don't think I'll ever indulge in alcohol or drugs.

'People would be most surprised to find out that I...'

Deane: Don't drink. That's it, just not my thing. I do not speak for the entire band, however.

To close the interview, what are you doing next?

Deane: We're playing DragonCon in Atlanta, Georgia!