UK rockers, Dinosaur Pile-Up released their fourth studio album, Celebrity Mansions, back in June 2019 and ever since it has just been a whirlwind of success for the band.
The band just unveiled tour dates for their upcoming North American trek, set to kick off in April, along with the tour announcement, they also unleashed a music video for their song “Round The Bend,” which you can check out below. Dinosaur Pile-Up will also be opening for Starset for a few shows and playing the festival circuit throughout the summer. For a full list of tour dates, see below.
We had the chance to sit down with the band to chat about their album, upcoming tour dates and more which you can read in full below.
Can you talk about the recording process for your album, Celebrity Mansions, perhaps one or two songs in particular and tell us what the mindset was like during the recording process?
The mindset for recording Celebrity Mansions was just to have fun and make a record that undeniably kicked ass. When we were recording the record we had no label and release plan, really we were completely floating as a band which was equally as scary as it was exciting, and we’d toured ourselves into oblivion pretty much – so we just wanted to make a record that rocked. If it was the last thing we ever did, we wanted to make sure it was fucking awesome, even if we were the only ones who heard it. In terms of individual songs – it all blurred into one mess of solo cups and amps, but I do remember when we recorded the drums on Pouring Gasoline, Mike was shit faced drunk because he wanted to watch a world cup soccer game just round the corner at a bar and swore he’d be ok to record drums that same evening. Let me tell you, he was wrong.
We see that the band recently signed with Parlophone Records, how did the deal come about for the band?
I am still in complete disbelief that happened. We honestly thought we’d finish the record, put it out on an indie label for $10 and pizza and then we implode after 6 months, exhausted from endless thankless tours and nobody caring. But, amazingly, our management heard ‘Back Foot’ and ‘Thrash Metal Cassette’ when we came out of studio and the whole record was finished – and after literally nobody showing the faintest bit of interest in what we were doing, they sent the mixes to Mitch Mitchell at Parlophone. He called them straight back and within 2 weeks we’d signed to Parlophone Records.’Curve ball’ and ‘Mind Blown’ don’t even come close to where we were at when we got that call.
It looks like Dinosaur Pile-Up will be hitting the summer festival circuit here in the U.S. with appearances at Epicenter, Welcome To Rockville, Sonic Temple Music + Arts Festival, Lunatic Luau and more, what is your favorite aspect of performing at these large rock festivals?
Honestly, we love playing these big American Rock Festivals. I love playing festivals anyway, the energy at them is tangible. People walking around in the sun with a beer whilst rock music floats over the air from some stage you’re about to check out. I fucking love it, and I grew going to T in the Park and Leeds fest in UK from when I was like 16. But the US really does rock festivals. They’re bigger, there’s more bands I’m into (I grew up on US alt rock rather than UK) and it’s usually hot. Like, sticky hot. And nothing says big f-cking rock show than sticky hot.
Can you talk about some of the ways that Dinosaur Pile-Up has continued to grow over the years, what are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the years in DPU is to just have fun. Especially when you’re making a record. Not that the other records weren’t fun to make, but this last one really taught me that it’s about the experience as much as it’s about the final result. Do what YOU wanna do, and have fun doing it. Otherwise, what the f-ck are you doing?
What has been some of Dinosaur Pile-Up’s biggest challenges and how did you overcome these
hurdles?
DPU’s biggest challenges have always been centered around being able to keep on doing it. It’s hard to be in a band these days, especially a rock band, and especially a rock band that makes big loud rock records like we do. That’s why it’s even more unbelievable to us that we signed to Parlophone, if I’m totally honest. It’s such a huge opportunity for us, but it’s one that we got so used to not getting, that we began to assume we never would, and we accepted that and kept going anyway. But that’s what’s so hard – to keep going. It’s hard to keep going with something when you can’t afford to, and everyone is questioning you continuing, and nothing seems to be working even though you believe in it so much. That’s the hardest point of being in band, and it’s a place we were in for many years, 12 to be exact. But we kept going and for now it’s looking pretty great.
“Celebrity Mansions” is excellent commentary on our so-called “social media” and “fame” obsessed culture. What does fame mean to you?
Fame to me means a platform with which you can do good. It grips my shit when I see these crazy famous people doing fuck-all to inspire or motivate people, or even to help with important issues of our time considering they have such a huge voice in the world, but instead serve themselves and live in vanity. That really bums me out. Social media is hard enough as it is, it most of the time makes ME feel like I’m a fucking loser and I’m 34, imagine what it’s doing to a 16-year-old kid that has low self-esteem. It’s so harmful. Say you’re super famous, why in the hell wouldn’t you use that enormous platform to inspire people and empower them? That’s why when I see famous actors or whoever doing just that, it pumps me up – I’m like “fuck yeah – they’re doing it right.” I just wish everyone did that and fame hadn’t become just showing off how much more you have than everyone else. I wish it was about inspiration.
“Eleven, Eleven” was released back in 2015, in what ways would you say your music has changed between then and now? How important is it to keep changing and adapting as the music industry changes?
I don’t think you should change your music because the music industry is changing – I think you should always do what YOU want to do. But I do think it’s important to change, or maybe to grow is a better way to put it. From Eleven Eleven to Celebrity Mansions, I feel like we boiled down what we were, and we found the place where we were happiest as a band. That place was having fun and making music that made us want to flip a couch over and turn the stereo up until it broke. In the end we realized it was that simple, and that’s where were our best selves as a band. Or at least, for now – you know?
What is the most misunderstood thing about Dinosaur Pile-Up? Is there something the people tend to get wrong most of the time?
Uhhhhm… Things people get wrong… People get the name wrong a lot haha. Ohhhhh do they get the name wrong. We’ve had Dinosaur Pilot. Dinosaur Pirate. Dinosaur PINEAPPLE. We’ve even had Dinosaur PROLAPSE I shit you not. DINOSAUR FUCKING PROLAPSE!!! Who the FUCK in their right mind would name a band that??? It cracks me up. Probably would have been better to just name the band Dinosaur, I actually think that’s pretty sick. But hindsight is 2020 and I was literally 20 when I named the band so yes, I made a complicated band name. I realize that now. I guess the thing people get wrong about us is that we’ve been grinding for 12 years, and not 2. And that sometimes getting to where you want to go isn’t easy, and it takes a long ass time.
What are some of Dinosaur Pile-Up’s biggest influences?
Gonna reel this off real quick: Rage Against The Machine. Foo Fighters. Smashing Pumpkins. Nirvana. Deftones. Weezer. The list goes on. You get the vibe.
What does 2020 hold in-store for Dinosaur Pile-Up? Any new music? What are you most excited about?
Well 2020 will be a busy year for DPU. We’re gonna be touring the US a bunch, we’re playing our biggest show to date in London at the Kentish Town Forum, and I’m starting to write and figure out new music for the next record I guess. That’s as much as I know right now, but that will definitely definitely definitely change, as I’m usually the last guy to know where I’ll be and at what time. But I’m ok with that I guess. I’m just happy to be here.
Dinosaur Pile-Up 2020 North American Tour Dates:
04/16 – Cape Coral, FL @ Dixie Roadhouse
04/17 – Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena *
04/18 – Orlando, FL @ Central Florida Fairgrounds *
04/20 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
04/21 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
04/23 – Syracuse, NY @ Lost Horizon
04/24 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center *
04/25 – Worcester, MA @ DCU Center *
04/26 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Anchor Rock Club
04/28 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
04/29 – Harrisburg, PA @ HMAC
05/01 – Norfolk, VA @ Lunatic Luau *
05/02 – Charlotte, NC @ Epicenter *
05/03 – Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees *
05/05 – Johnson City, TN @ Capone’s
05/06 – Huntsville, AL @ Sidetracks Music Hall
05/08 – Jacksonville, FL @ Welcome to Rockville *
05/09 – St. Louis, MO @ Point Fest*
05/11 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
05/13 – Toronto, ON @ Hard Luck
05/15 – Lansing, MI @ Overdrive
05/16 – Columbus, OH @ Sonic Temple *
05/18 – Kansas City, MO @ The Truman ^
05/19 – Wichita, KS @ Cotillion Ballroom ^
05/20 – Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep
05/21 – Denver, CO @ The Marquis Theater
05/22-23 – Pryor, OK @ Rocklahoma *
05/24 – Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion *
* = festival date
^ = opening for Starset
Get tickets at: https://www.dinosaurpileup.com
