Interview: DiePrincessDie

by Jeremiah Griffey

Few bands build such a foreboding, blood-stained live resume as Die Princess Die. These L.A. and San Diego based punks played one of the most notoriously short live shows in SXSW history last year. Vocalist/guitarist Pete Chekvala went mental institution crazy and threw his guitar into a wall then picked it up and threw it into another. He then proceeded to dive into the rhythm section thereby ending the bands show. His reasoning? None.

Then there was the time drummer Danny Harmon threw a cymbal, slicing open the head of vocalist/guitarist Bryce Martin. Martin had to go to the hospital to get his head stapled. These accounts even neglect the bands notorious shows at Scolaris Office with partners in grime Mr. and Mrs. Tribute to Ugliness.

Musically, the band, like their geography, straddles the line between early-to-mid 90s San Diego punk rock and contemporary Los Angeles punk. Die Princess Die recall everyone from Heroin to Antioch Arrow to Angel Hair, while still fitting in nicely with L.A. contemporaries like Abe Vigoda, Silver Daggers and The Pope. Their new album, “Lions Eat Lions” (Gold Standard Labs) was recorded with reputable punk producer Alex Newport and probably hasn’t sold any copies. But the band, judging from their answers to the following questions, probably wouldn’t have it any other way.

I understand youve had some legendary shows with Mr. and Mrs. Tribute to Ugliness at Scolaris Office in San Diego. Walk me through a typical show.
Pete: DPD and Mister and Misses have a lot of friends in San Diego, so what that equates to is lots of drunks at the shows.  Friends and booze in a bar with very little, or no security, leads to questionable decision making. One evening Harmon thought it was a good idea to linedrive a beer bottle into the bar mid song. The bottle shattered behind the bartender. Luckily, it only slightly cut the bartenders leg. She walked it off and continued to pour the stiffest drinks in San Diego. Kara, what an angel!
Danny: These shows were always like reunions, like homecomings after leaving San Diego, regrouping with friends, and getting fucked up and rowdy together. Good times. They should serve drinks in plastic cups though. That glass is dangerous.

“The Racer” is totally epic and seems like a tad of a departure for you guys. How’d the song come together?
Pete: “The Racer” was Ely’s baby. Born out of mounds of coffee, cigarettes and marijuana.  Which may help explain why the song comes off like a trip, or journey. When a song is born in the mind of a crazed man what do you expect?  God only knows what goes on upstairs in ElyWorld.  Probably lots of monkeys swinging from trees, women fanning men with giant leaves, rabbits riding scooters, stock quotes running along the bottom 24 hours a day.  Maybe it rains chocolate covered strawberry shoes there, I’m not sure. It started with an Ely sample and bass line. From there I can’t really say what happened.
Ely: “The Racer” just started out as some electronic loops I came up with and it just evolved from there. That song brings good balance to the record so everything doesn’t exactly sound the same. Also, it’s good to have a few epics or else our album would be like ten minutes long.

Give me a three-to-five word combo to describe your music, you know, in the vein of post screamo electroclash…
Danny: Short, barely-significant chapter in rock.
Ely: post-9/11 chili wack.
Pete: Honestly I dont understand “post screamo electroclash” enough to answer this.

Whats with the lions?
Danny: Because lions eat lions and Pete will eat your face.
Pete: The name for the album came from the lyrics in the first song “Check”.  Lion eat Lions is about relationships. Specifically female/male, boyfriend/girlfriend crap. If I have anything to do with any given song, album, project or whatever, it usually revolves around love. Sounds gay, but it is what it is. Lions eat lions made sense to me. Sharks are another animal that could be used to get this same coded point across, but using a shark head on a beautiful womans body didn’t look as nice for the cover. Cats are beautiful animals and I love them.
Ely: Nothing but bitches and money.

dieprincessdie.com

2006 Lions Eat Lions (Gold Standard Labs)
2004 Self-Titled (Rococo)