Getting to Know… Dead Fish Handshake

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For the 122^nd interview on The Musical Hype, rock band Dead Fish Handshake answers our burning questions and provides insight into their music.

“We are a band that really lives the message within our music and it’s a big reason our fans connect with us the way they do.” Sounds good Dead Fish Handshake! DFH arrived in 2011, releasing their debut album, Across State Lines. The band is comprised of four members: Matthew Paul (vocals), Rob Ferreira (guitars, vocals), Darren Furman (bass), and Mark Birkelbach (drums). We are honored to have the band be the interviewees of our 122^nd interview in the Getting to Know…series. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into Getting to Know… Dead Fish Handshake: Interview #122!

Starting things off right, for those who may not be familiar with Dead Fish Handshake, what would you say makes your band distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

I think what gives us an edge is our authenticity. We are a band that really lives the message within our music and it’s a big reason our fans connect with us the way they do. We also really put an emphasis on dynamics and melodies so that our listeners are being taken on a sonic journey. It’s more than just your typical rock song you’ve heard a million times.

Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did Dead Fish Handshake form and what were some of the goals or the visions you had as a band early on?

The only goal ever was to enjoy what we do and really have a true love for it while encouraging others to be self-aware and come together in the name of art.

Let’s talk more about goals. Have your goals or your perspectives changed since first starting out? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

I think as you grow, life experiences dictate what your aspirations become. It doesn’t mean to ever stop dreaming or reaching but it’s the strong who survive. To me, it’s not about striving. It’s about surviving. And from there is where you thrive. The constant goal and aspiration is to leave everything better than how you found it.

Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Who would you consider some of your biggest musical influences and how are they influential?

Vocally, it’s Bono, Vedder, Cornell, Reznor, Buckley and Weiland. Those guys were not only icons but it’s the authenticity to all of them that made them special. They lived what they wrote. Sometimes to their detriment. But that authenticity and the ability to phrase something intelligently and balance the themes of darkness and beauty is what’s missing in rock these days. Bands have been copying their bands for decades when all the while they were showing us how to be ourselves.

Ah, the fun stuff. What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance? Feel free to be creative.

Mississippi. Played a show out there and we were told by the promoter that the owner wouldn’t pay us until he woke up from his nap and it wasn’t negotiable. We were ok with that until we were warned not to wake him or else. “Or else” meant he would shoot us because he slept with a shotgun. True story. Long story short, we didn’t get paid until 6am and we slept in the parking lot.

Wow! Up until this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

“Leave the Light On” is special to us. It’s become our most popular and it’s usually how we end the night. We’ve dedicated it to so many wonderful people who are no longer with us and I feel like it’s our responsibility to share their memory with every audience. Again, it’s about leaving everything better than how you found it.

Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left of center the world should know about you? Secret talents or surprising tidbits?

I’m an avid wine collector and I’m a sports junkie. Give me a bottle of Barolo and let me gamble on the Bears and I’m in all my glory.

Closing things out, what is Dead Fish Handshake currently working on, promoting that you can share with us or want us to know about? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure.

Our new album, Lies…and all that jazz came out everywhere on 9/18/20. So, we are excited to support with livestream shows and we look forward to hitting the road in 2021 and then its right back to the studio for the next one.

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