Death of the Party
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Death of the Party

Alpena, MI | Established. Jan 01, 2015 | SELF

Alpena, MI | SELF
Established on Jan, 2015
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"Death of the Party: Interview Dirt Fest 2016"

At Dirt Fest last week, we had the pleasure of catching up with the four-piece band, Death of the Party, who are becoming a fast favorite of mine. Chatting with them and finding out they are cool, down to earth guys solidified that opinion. We discussed their new album, Rage Millennial, and how it came to be. Also, towards the end, the guys turned the tables on us and started asking the questions, which was unexpectedly fun.

SHOCKWAVE MAGAZINE: All right, we are doing an interview right now with Death of the Party. Would you introduce yourselves?

Band: I’m Adrian, I play drums. Braden, I play guitar. Carl, I play bass. And I’m Zach and I sing.

Cool, so you guys have a new album coming out next week, tell me a little bit about that.

Zach: The title is Rage Millennial. We finished recording it in January, and we’ve just been working on the best way to get it out there. But Rage Millennial is, ah, Carl what’s your take?

Carl: Rage Millennial is the millennial rage (laughing). It’s taken from a lyric in one of our songs called “PhDj.” It’s basically how we, in our age group view ourselves, and how the generations prior view us, and they usually think that we’re these lazy and entitled brats. So the whole album kind of revolves around that theme. It’s a running theme.

Adrian: We talk about mental disorder and stuff like that. This whole world is plagued by it now. We’re not equipped to handle it all.

With the new album coming out, do you guys have tour plans?

Carl: We’ve had many offers, but it’s having the money to get on the road. We’re working on it.

So you guys have probably played a lot of shows. What’s the favorite show you’ve ever played?

Zach: Uh, Dirt Fest.

We don’t work for Dirt Fest, you don’t have to say that (laughing).

Zach: I would say Dirt Fest. Dirt Fest is so cool because like, you go to a lot of the bigger touring festivals and they talk about community, and I feel it at Dirt Fest compared to a lot of other places. Everybody here feels that.

We’re all from Michigan, and people from Michigan are typically proud of where they’re from, so Dirt Fest is cool because of that pride? Is that a big part of it?

Zach: Yeah that’s a huge part of it.

Who are you guys looking forward to seeing today?

All: Born of Osiris, Killswitch obviously, Soil, Asking Alexandria.

If you guys could play any show, anywhere and time, what would it be?

Zach: Ozzfest in the 90’s

Carl: Ozzfest 1999

All: Or Woodstock ’99

Ozzfest in that slot right before Pantera, right?

All: (laughing)

Let’s talk about the new album again. You guys have some tracks probably that are your favorites. What drove the lyrics and how did they come about?

Carl: Pretty much like what I talked about. Like how we got the title and stuff.

Zach: Like it’s kind of describing how a lot of people feel right now, I hope. And I hope we accomplished that.

Carl: We sort of secluded ourselves for like, a couple of winters, where we were reinventing ourselves, got cabin fever. [We wrote] for like two years straight and worked on a shit ton of songs. I think it came out more natural that way because it’s exactly how we were feeling at the time. We worked on our music and monitored how things were going online. We saw how shitty everything kept becoming. We were like, something’s gotta be said about this shit.

All right, as a music fan, Alpena isn’t a rock city like Flint or Detroit. Has it come full circle with you guys, to have your album come out and gain momentum with tours? Is it finally fulfilling?

Carl: Yeah. Just in the last week and a half, things blew up. I woke up one morning and had like, fifty messages asking about the album and all. We started getting traffic to our social media and contacted for interviews. It’s been crazy. We’ve got a question for you guys, what bands would you compare us to? Because that’s the biggest thing we’re curious about.

Well, Breathe Carolina comes out in “Manic Suppressive,” and I can definitely hear My Chemical Romance throughout. Thank you for not being one of those bands who all have a similar sound!

Carl: We worked with Matt (Dalton). He produced our album.

Zach: He runs Dirt Fest!

Very cool guys. Thanks so much for chatting with us.

We had a blast talking with these guys. Later in the day they exhibited fantastic stage presence and kept the crowd entertained with songs from the new album. I was certainly not disappointed. I have a very good feeling that this is only the beginning for Death of the Party. Go grab their album, Rage Millennial, out on all major music outlets now. - Shockwave Magazine


"Death of the Party: Rage Millennial Album Review"

Another great band to come out of Michigan is Death of the Party hailing from Alpena. (Where is Alpena, you might ask? Using your hand as a ‘mitten’, you would find Alpena at the tip of the index finger.) The four piece has been around since 2013 and is made up of Zach Coleman on vocals, Carl Bartig on bass, Braden Morrish on guitar, and Adrian Pulley on drums.

The guys are preparing to unleash their first full length album, Rage Millenial, on August 16, but until next week, it is available to stream in its entirety on Youtube!

Jumping right in on the first track, we have “Tell Me What I Look Like.” This song will definitely catch your attention pointing out in the lyrics that we are all guilty of certain things one way or another by saying “I’m not sure what you’ve heard, rest assured the rumors are all true. You only hate me cause they all apply to you.” This leads into the hook – “With your eyes shut, tell me what I look like.” The tantalizing sound of Coleman’s vocals will make you want to put this one on repeat.

Moving on to more of a heavy hitter, we have “All American Disease,” showing some rebellion in the lyrics “Everything they say we do is wrong. Fuck it, I’m proud to be your all American disease.” We also get to hear a pretty powerful guitar solo from Braden Morrish on this one that showcases how talented this band really is.

Another excellent track to treat your ears to is “When We Were Young.” With verses driven by the rhythm section, this song holds a slightly different sound. The thing with the lyrics on this one is that we can all relate to this world not being the place we knew when we were young. The jaded reality we live in is skillfully documented in this song.

To bring things up a notch, we will move on to “Manic Suppressive.” Fans of Breathe Carolina and the like should quickly jump on board with this one. Boasting a slightly more electronic sound, this song packs a lot of energy. The hook: “Don’t, don’t you wanna feel, feel at all” will become the most pleasant of ear worms.

I could talk all day about the rest of the album, but you should really take a listen for yourself. Rounded out with six other incredible tracks, you won’t be disappointed. Influenced by classics like My Chemical Romance, Marilyn Manson, and Our Lady Peace, you’ll hear some different yet delightfully similar sounds.

The full length album will be available for purchase on all major music outlets on August 16. It is also available to stream on Youtube right now! Wanna catch these guys live before the album comes out? Come on down to Dirtfest in Pontiac, Michigan this Saturday, the 13th. - Shockwave Magazine


"Death of the Party: Interview DirtFest 2016"

Bands just starting out, take notice. Even when you start to gain some clout, you still need to help setup. Those are the breaks.


For those that don’t remember our talk from last year’s Dirt Fest, Zachary Coleman (vocals), Carl Bartig (bass), and Adrian Pulley (drums) continue to thunder on as Alpena, MI’s favorite misfit sons, Death Of The Party. With a new album set to release officially Aug 16, 2016, Rage Millennial, is already streaming if you know where to look for it. We highly recommend peeping that bad boy out.

So, after last years tough, introspective questions, the rapscallions of the band sent two of them to handle things this year. Never bring water to beer pong contest I guess. Hell, we don’t know what that means either but we’re sticking to it in a Dr. Phil kinda way so deal with it. Anyway, we got Zach and Carl to talk to us about the secrets of life, bloody beer on women, and sometimes you’ll end up being glorified roadies without really knowing how you wound up there in the first place. Some of these statements are true and some are written through sleep deprived eyes, you’ll have to read the interview to find out which is which.

Then, head over to our Twitter or Facebook pages to let us know your answers. The quiz will be graded on a curve. Enjoy the ride and if you see a damn Squirtle, that little bastard is ours!

NRR: Thanks for taking some time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions for National Rock Review’s Dirt Fest 2016 coverage. What’s been going on with the band, Death of the Party, so far in 2016?
Zach Coleman: Thanks for having us. So far this year we’ve been taking time to get our new lineup solidified and be as well-rehearsed and coordinated as a unit, as we can possibly be. Outside of band stuff though, Carl and I have been pretty hooked on Pokémon Go like the rest of America, (laughing).
Carl Bartig: Ha, yeah. We’ve been making huge steps in the right direction with this band, and the next couple of months are going to be very exciting.
NRR: Let me start off by asking about new music. You guys have recorded your debut album, Rage Millennial. What details can you give us about it?
Zach Coleman: The name Rage Millennial was inspired by the way older generations tend to look at people from our generation and say that we’re so entitled and lazy and spoiled to technology. The album is kind of biting back and saying that the world we were born in to is a product of the generations prior and we’re just doing the best we can with a fucked situation pushed on to us. That isn’t to say we turn a blind eye to some of our own generation’s bull shit and we definitely poke fun at our own generation as well, i.e. selfies, site models, and over-dependence on validation through social media.
Carl Bartig: We worked with the phenomenal Matt Dalton of Metro 37 Studios in Rochester Hills, MI to create this album. We also wrote about the struggles of mental disorders that plague this country. I’ve dealt with everything from anxiety to becoming agoraphobic at one point in my life and we want people to know that they are not alone in their struggle. That anyone can overcome anything, and that it’s fucked that we all have to live this way to some degree.

NRR: “Tell Me What I Look Like” is the first single off the new album to get video support. What is special enough about that track that it got love first from you guys?
Zach Coleman: Throughout the recording of this album we were making trips back and forth from home (Alpena) to the studio downstate and our producer, Matt Dalton, said we needed that song that just comes out of nowhere at the last minute.
When we got home from one of our trips to the studio that song just came out of us and we had to use it. It’s kind of our mission statement, “I don’t mind if that’s how you get off. Who am I to judge?” It’s just totally dismissive to anyone that thinks they know us and it’s saying we don’t give a shit what you have to say, we’re gonna keep doing our thing and hope there’s people out there that like it enough to support it. It also says open your eyes to the world around you before you pass judgment, “With your eyes shut, tell me what I look like.”
NRR: Is social media a necessity for bands today and is it more of a hassle then it’s worth for some outfits?
Zach Coleman: Social media is absolutely a necessity for bands today. It’s the most effective way to share your art with an audience unless you just have mounds of cash for a marketing team. Social media is a blessing and a curse though, really, because it allows us immediate interaction with the people that make music matter (the fans) but at the same time people abuse the shit out of social media to spew their hateful bullshit on total strangers.
NRR: How does it feel to play a well established festival in your backyard like Dirt Fest, especially since it’s not your first time at this rodeo?
Zach Coleman: Dirt Fest has given us so much over the past few years. We’ve made so many friends through Dirt Fest. It really is just a big, grubby, hardworking family of rock/metal fans that come together to make the best festival in Michigan.
Carl Bartig: This will be our third year playing Dirt Fest, second as DOTP. Also, our fourth year working at it. We also help out the day before setting up stages, tents, and any other things that need to be done. We’re very appreciative for everything Dirt Fest has done for us. It’s an incredible experience, unlike any other festival we’ve played. Coleman’s right, it’s one big hardworking family, and we love it!

NRR: Do bands of all sizes need to be even more aware of keeping your gear safe while out on the road?
Zach Coleman: Lock your shit up, make your ride look as inconspicuous as possible, and don’t tell everyone at the show where you parked. We all want to show up in this sweet whip to show everyone all of the money we’re not really making, but it’s probably best if people don’t know that there’s thousands of dollars worth of music equipment in your trailer. If you’re Slipknot or Manson you probably have a team of people to guard everything, but if you’re some local guys you don’t have that luxury.
NRR: What’s been the wildest night on stage since we talked to you last if boobs, beer, blood, and loud music don’t seem to faze you much at this point?
Zach Coleman: I’ll let Carl take this one, (laughing).
Carl Bartig: Lorem ipsum dolar elore…
(Laughing), all of the above for sure. Let’s just leave it at that, (wicked smiling).

NRR: If you were in the crowd after your set, and heard two people talking about Death of the Party, how would you hope the conversation might go?
Zach Coleman: I would just hope they had a good time and they walked away excited about the time they just spent with us. I would like to hear them say a specific song connected with them or something.
Carl Bartig: Absolutely. Isn’t that what it’s all about? It’s the connection between you, friends, fans, and complete strangers through your art. As long as they had fun and got to forget about the bullshit in their lives for that 30 minutes, I’m happy.
NRR: If any or all you guys have day jobs, what level of success would there need to be or should be there before you all would be full artists chasing the dream?
Carl Bartig: We have “day” jobs to get by, but we don’t let them interfere with the progress of the band. We get to work full time on music but are still able to put food on the table. We’ve had a lot of great tour offers and we’re finally able to hit the road outside of this state. So our jobs will most likely be coming to an end in the near future to push forward to the next step and make this a full time career. It’s what we’ve always wanted and we’re not slowing down for anything.
NRR: Are you guys still music fans outside of being on stage, and if so, is there anyone on the Dirt Fest bill you’re excited to catch since everyone plays on the same day this year?
Zach Coleman: Before I would consider myself a musician I would consider myself a music fan. And by music fan, I mean total fanboy, (laughing). I’m stoked to watch Attila because I love their ‘don’t give a fuck about anything just have fun attitude’. I’m stoked to watch Killswitch Engage because they were one of the first metal bands I ever got into when I was about thirteen years old watching Headbanger’s Ball. I’m super stoked for Heartsick too! We used to have this little venue in Alpena called The Attic and they would come up north to play and we got to play with them a few times back when both of our bands had different names. That’s gonna be a good time for sure!
Carl Bartig: Same here. Music has been a major role in my life for as far back as i can remember. And I mean not just playing and writing music, but listening, really listening to music. I do get pretty excited when Manson’s in town, (laughing). As for Dirt Fest, I’m stoked to see everyone I can, I love live music! Wilson and Heartsick for sure. It’s going to be all around one wild Dirt Fest! - National Rock Review


"Death of the Party: Interview DirtFest 2015"

Not letting some modest success slow them down, Death of The Party is headed to Dirt Fest for a show that will certainly be most memorable.


Guitarist Carl Bartig and vocalist Zach Coleman of Death Of The Party(DOTP) got a chance to sit down with National Rock Review to answer a few questions. Not letting the fun of Van’s Warped Tour go to their heads, this Alpena, MI band is all ready to go for Dirt Fest 2015. So, without further delay, let the fun begin.

NRR: You guys are from the Alpena, MI area and have been around since 2013. What’s been going on with the band in the last year?
Carl Bartig: Well, we started performing in January of this year after a full year of seclusion, writing and finding ourselves in regards to our message and purpose as DOTP. We got picked up by a management company out of Los Angeles, CA a couple months ago and they have been just amazing. Really helping us move forward with things we could never do on our own. It’s been pretty surreal.
NRR: Hopefully you guys have a great time on stage this year. You just got the nod for the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands for Van’s Warped Tour. Are you looking forward to anything in particular at Dirt Fest 2015 to keep the ball rollin’?
Carl Bartig: We have a blast every Dirt Fest, whether we’re performing or just attending. We have quite the performance lined up for Dirt Fest this year, all I can say is get your cameras ready. We love meeting so many new people and artists at festivals, and this year is going to be the best year yet!

NRR: Will we hear new material at Dirt Fest this year from you guys?
Carl Bartig: Yes! We have a couple new songs that we feel are our sharpest material so far. Can’t wait to see what people think of them. They’re a little more harsh with our messages than previous songs, but hey, if you want to open people’s eyes and ears you have to be blunt.
NRR: Band issues will always come up with virtually no warning. How goes the hunt for a new bassist and will there be enough time to get the new member up to speed for what’s coming your way?
Carl Bartig: We actually found one as a fill in (possibly more) a couple weeks ago and a new lead guitarist. We’ve only been working with them for a couple weeks now, but they are really fitting in with our style, very good musicians.
NRR: Would you say at this point in your music career that you’d feel comfortable with playing next to anyone on a bill or is there still a band or two that would make you feel a little nervous to play with on the same bill?
Carl Bartig: Not nervous, but excited to play alongside with our favorite bands if we had the chance. We’d love to share the stage with Marilyn Manson or My Chemical Romance, it would be an amazing feeling, but I wouldn’t say we’d be nervous.
NRR: What can we expect from the DOTP camp in the coming days after Dirt Fest is dormant in it’s monster slumber again until 2016?
Zachary Coleman: We have our first national and international tours in the works. We’re going to be working on our “debut” album and just pushing forward as hard as we can.
NRR: Is there a band or bands on this year’s Dirt Fest line-up that you are looking forward to seeing as fans?
Carl Bartig: Definitely King 810. We had the chance to see them years ago, but only on a local level. I’ve been listening to Kottonmouth Kings since I was a wee lad and this will be the first time I’ll get to see them perform live.
Zachary Coleman: Definitely King 810. We also want to catch We Are Harlot and definitely legends Coal Chamber.
Death of the Party “Skeptic Believer” Warped Tour 2015 Auburn Hills, MI.

NRR: How important is selling merch for you guys at a festival like this, is it still better than say an indiegogo campaign, for the needs every band has?
Carl Bartig: It definitely helps us continue to play shows, tour, and keep the ball rolling. We’ve never used indiegogo.
Zachary Coleman: I think crowdfunding platforms like Indiegogo and Kickstarter definitely have their place, but if you’re just starting out it won’t really have any effect in helping you move forward. If you’re an independent band that’s put in the hard work and built a fan base, but might not have the money and resources a label could provide. Indiegogo could be a great option.
NRR: For anyone that might not have heard your music before, what can they expect to get from your sound on stage?
Carl Bartig: We’re very tight players and we always try to put on the best performance possible. We definitely give it our all. Our performances can be pretty unpredictable. We try and bring the stage show back to life, we learned from some of the greats, like Alice Cooper. You never know what you’re going to see at a DOTP performance.
NRR: Would you consider yourselves to be cause oriented as a band? Or do you simply react to what you see on say social media as a band?
Zachary Coleman: Social media is a huge inspiration to us as a band, and by inspiration I really mean frustration. We see so many people so caught up in senseless bullshit and getting in a tiff over the smallest, most insignificant nonsense. People who think making a post on Facebook or Twitter is going to change the world. You might be adding to the conversation, but you aren’t going change the world in 180 characters. - National Rock Review


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Bio

Hailing from Northern Michigan and labeled "The Misfit Sons of Michigan" by the National Rock Review, are Death of the Party. A 4-piece Rock band formed by Carl Bartig (Bass Guitarist) and Zach Coleman (Lead Vocalist) in November 2013. DOTP bring sounds from the past, present and future into their writing and performance style. Lyrics about the current state of the world, mental illness, addiction, government, religion, love, lust, and everything in between. Their unusual, original writing style, has made them incomparable to other artists. Braden Morrish (Guitarist) and Adrian Pulley (Drummer) make up the other half of DOTP.

Writing began the winter of 2014 at their home studio in Alpena, MIchigan after releasing their former band Hollywood Vampires to Alice Cooper and company. "It was a setback, but we were able to start a new chapter in our musical endeavors and we learned a lot from working with Alice's team." The band worked day and night writing and finding themselves and their sound. "It was the darkest, coldest, gloomiest, and most depressing winter ever. So we decided to lock ourselves indoors, away from the outside world, and find who we are." After many months of writing and rehearsing, DOTP hit the stage in April of 2015 and performed throughout northern Michigan, gaining a growing following with each venue they performed at. That led to them becoming the number 1 pick in the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands and performing at Warped Tour 2015. The band also came in 2nd in the National Battle of the Bands to perform at Rock on the Range that year, which began creating a buzz about them outside of Michigan. Then came Michigans number 1 music festival, Dirtfest 2015 with such artists as Hellyeah, Down, Coal Chamber, Pop Evil and King 810. "It was the year of the chicken! Zach stashed away a huge down pillow and during our last song ripped it open and covered the crowd, crew, and stage with feathers. There were an absurd amount of feathers inside. Throughout the rest of the day we heard people telling each other that this band called Death of the Party had torn apart a chicken during their set, in true Alice Cooper fashion. Pretty funny, pretty messed up for people to think, but it did spread our name all over the festival." That festival performance led to local radio play, endorsements, sponsorships and management. 

In October 2015 the band went into the studio to record their debut album, "Rage Millennial" with producer Matt Dalton of 37 Studios in Rochester Hills, Michigan. "Matt's an amazing producer and musician. He really brings out the best in us. He's our fifth Beatle." The album was completed in January of 2016. DOTP then continued performing all over Michigan with notable venue performances at the legendary Machine Shop in Flint, Michigan, The Diesel and Token Lounge. The album was released at DirtFest 2016, which hosted such artists as Killswitch Engage, Asking Alexandria, Bury Your Dead, Attila, and Soil. "It was a crazy year. We had interviews with Magazines, Radio, Bloggers, you name it. We were in full force before the gates even opened for the day. From our merch tent, to an interview, to another interview, to the merch tent, to handing out fliers for our set that day. It didn't stop all day and it was absolutely crazy, yet, amazing!" Their performance that year led to National and International recognition. In the albums first 9 months, it has sold over 4,000 copies worldwide, on digital platforms such as iTunes, Amazon, Google, and many others as well as physical copies. "It was pretty surreal. We never thought so many people would buy the album right away. Especially since we didn't have money to put towards proper marketing, or even go on tour yet." But, DOTP created a buzz from their live performances, interviews,  and unique style of music as album sales continue to grow. "I feel like only 1% of our potential audience has heard the album or seen us perform, so the next few months are going to be very exciting."

Throughout the fall and winter of 2016, leading into 2017, the band continued to perform all over Michigan and gained a growing following from each performance. "This is only the beginning. We are close to booking the entire spring, summer and fall in Michigan and surrounding states,  including a regional tour and many festivals. Mostly with national and international bands which is simply amazing. We are going to be in your faces more than you ever thought possible! See you on the road!" DOTP has been writing new material nearly constantly. "I know we just released our debut album, but these songs we've been writing, we think, are just amazing. We've really progressed and matured in a very short period of time. We are extremely excited to start performing them for everyone this spring." Check out their tour dates for upcoming performances and come join the madness that is, Death of the Party.

Band Members