MORTICA – A GHASTLY INTERVIEW WITH DEAD FRED

By Ralph Beauchamp

I met Mortica when I went to Bleachers Bar in Bristol, Ct. when they opened for my friends in Zero One Zero. I didn’t know much about the band but after their performance I was totally blown away. Their music was engaging and the staging was quite interesting. Lead singer and excellent frontman, Dead Fred was incredibly animated. He held the audience’s attention throughout the entire set.

Billed as a “Horror” themed act, Mortica‘s props were perfect for the size of the room. Dead Fred wore a skeleton mask the entire time. There was horror decor strewn all around which gave the club a cool ambiance. It was definitely fun and light hearted.

Besides the frightful settings, the musicianship was dynamic. As mentioned before, Dead Fred kept the crowd entertained but more importantly his vocals were daring and adventurous. Joe Demilio on guitar was a beast. His riffs were supersized and his solos punchy. Bill Cee on bass was killer while Mike Luciuk’s percussions slammed with determination. Their songs were audacious and spunky. A mark of a band to follow. Mortica is the real deal.

AMP: Can you give our readers a brief history of Mortica?

DF: We actually began after the collapse of 2 separate musical projects. Joe and Bill were in a band with 3 others, 2 of those 3 split from the band. Leaving the vocal and guitar slot open. Mike (our drummer) auditioned for a second guitar player. I had been a solo artist for years, and after years of not seeing the success playing live that I wanted, I decided that I was going to make records exclusively.

I put an ad on Facebook asking for a band to help me record a solo project, and the band that answered was what would become Mortica. We were a 5 piece, but after some creative differences, we parted ways with our former drummer, Mike moved onto the kit. We began as a 4 piece in June of 22, our first single and live show was November of 22 and the rest is history.

AMP: You bill yourself as a “horror” inspired band. Where did that concept come from?

DF: I had been a very big horror enthusiast for as long as I can remember. I’ve always been drawn to the genre in all its forms, music, movies, what have you. After years of failed musical endeavors. I decided that I was going to write songs about something I was passionate about. Horror.

The goal was for myself to release albums that were sort of parody/silly songs about horror tropes and characters and when the band that became Mortica answered my ad, I pitched the idea to them, and it turns out, that’s a direction they were trying to go into. They were looking for an image to go along with the music they were writing. It was a marriage. Ever since, the band and I create music with that vibe in mind. Not every song is horror related, but a great deal are. Which works for us.

AMP: Your live performances are very theatrical. Do you feel that the audience resonates well with the special effects?

DF: Yes. Part of the reason Mortica works so well as a band is because we all want to create something, visually and sonically, that we weren’t seeing too much of. We wanted to be the band you talked about when you left the venue.. even if we played for 15 mins. It’s an added bonus that we also write pretty great music and perform it well, but if you couldn’t hear a second of it, Mortica still has something for you. We believe music should be more than just a sonic experience, but visually as well. A “Creature Double Feature” if you will.

AMP: What is your favorite song to play live?

DF: We all have our favorites for different reasons, but I’m torn between 2, one is our first single, “Vamped.” I love it because it’s near and dear to my heart. It was our first song, it’s what began this journey and for me it’s the benchmark for our career. Also to see some of the die hard Mortals who have been there from the beginning singing along to the lyrics is an experience no amount of money can buy.

And the second is our closing song, “Mausoleum Mambo,” a song about “misbehaving” in a graveyard. I love that song because it’s a swing song that invokes dancing and singing along, it’s fun to see the crowd react to the subject matter than then dance along anyway. It’s also just the perfect closing song to end the night, such energy, such power. It’s perfect.

AMP: Who are some of the artists who have inspired the band?

DF: Too many to name, but a few would be

Van Halen, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, Ghost, Rob Zombie, Ice Nine Kills, just to name a VERY few. Our influences are spanned across multiple genres, but again, too many to name.

AMP: Can you give us a glimpse into your songwriting process?

DF: It’s a little different than most other bands, but in our case, 9 times out of 10, our guitar player Joe, will construct a raw idea and because he’s a multi-instrumentalist he’s able to record a “karaoke” track of his idea. It ends up in a shared google drive. Every week or so we peek at tracks we’d like to work on, and separately we’ll work on our parts, In my case, I’ll come up with a melody and write lyrics. And by the next rehearsal, we play it as a unit and if it works, we work it until it’s perfect. Then we have a song.

Other times, our drummer Mike, will do the same thing. He’s a singer so the track will have lyrics and vocals on it. If we love it, it becomes a Mortica song. That’s how we’re able to create so many. We don’t write songs in the rehearsal room. We perfect and critique but the writing and the learning is done separately.

As to my lyrics,, it’s really all about vibe, if I like the way the musical track sounds, I create a melody. I usually have ideas running through my head all the time. So it’s a matter of making them fit. Some come easy. “Vamped” took 10 mins. Whereas, “Plagued” took days. It’s really about feel.

AMP: If you could collaborate with any one artist, past or present, who would it be and why?

DF: Me personally, I’d love to share a stage with Ghost and see what kind of magic we could make together. Ice Nine Kills would be a match made in Hell that I would relish. Maybe one day.

AMP: What is the band’s internal dynamic like?

DF: It’s a family. We are 4 different people, with different backgrounds and personalities and that can usually lead to trouble but in our case it doesn’t define us. Our age differences and backgrounds don’t come into play. Some of us live almost an hour away from each other but we meet every week and travel all over to perform, because it’s worth it.

We communicate better than most marriages and nothing is a secret. If there’s a difficultly, it’s hashed out. End of story. We’ve all been in bands with volatile personalities before, and none of us are interested in doing that again. So we all keep our Egos in check. We encourage and support each other and pick each other up when the others are down, it’s that simple. They’re my brothers and I personally couldn’t imagine sharing a stage with any one else.

AMP: Do you feel your social media presence has given the band a better foothold in the global music scene?

DF: It’s a huge help. The digital landscape can be hit or miss but it’s the way of the world. Adapt or die. We’ve learned along the way how to utilize social media to garner a fan base. We started with funny skits to draw attention and once there was an audience, we nurtured them. I do a weekly LiveSCREAM on TikTok, I host a podcast on Youtube where I tell scary stories, and we do a monthly zoom Meet and Greet called “The SLAYance” in which paid Patreon members can join in on a call and ask questions and receive free signed merch as well as updates regarding the band.

Social media, much like life, rewards those who show up and stay consistent. And it has rewarded us with fans from all over the globe. Our “Mortals” mean the world to us, and inspire us each and everyday to continue. So if you’re just getting started, learn not only your craft but content creation as well, it can be a huge help.

AMP: What’s next for Mortica?

DF: Summer dates are happening soon, through October. Sometime in May we’ll be going into the studio to record new music. As to whether it’ll be a single, or an album, is still being discussed but that’s the plan now. Perform the best we can for the remainder of 24 and have some new music for Mortals to listen to.

AMP: Any last words for your fans?

DF: We love you. We couldn’t do this without you. You are the world to us, and thank you so much. I will continue to encourage new listeners to check out our Merch, and of course our music on our official website. Morticamusic dot com.

And please consider signing up for our Patreon. Besides buying our debut EP, “Originem” off of our website, it’s the most direct way to support an up and coming band do what we love the most. And in the meantime, follow us on all our socials and if you’re in the CT area, come see us at a show and get a picture with us, we’re DYING to meet you.

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