Del Asher Interview

We were lucky enough to be able to talk to Matty Murphy of Del Asher. He let us in on what the band members are doing now and what the local scene was like for them. Here is what he had to say:

Info

Genre: Rock

Years Active: 2004-2009

Hometown: St. Catherines, Ontario
Record Label: None

1) What's your name and role in the band? 

Hey, I am Matthew Charles Patrick Murphy, I know it's a long one. My role in the band, Del Asher, was drummer and co-writer.

2) Which genre would you consider your music and why did you choose to write this style?

Hahahaha the infamous band question. Well I would straight up just say rock music but we have been placed into so many different genres over our career; everything from metal to emo to pop. But yeah, Alternative rock I guess.

3) Your band is from St. Catharines, What was the scene like there compared to now?

Well not to sound like that typical old man, where everything was better back in the day but I do believe we came up in a golden age of exceptional music in St. Kitts. From Alexisonfire to Jude the Obscure to Attack in Black just to name a few. I guess that was also the downfall for us and probably why we played mostly with hardcore bands; the scene really wasn't built for a band like Del Asher.

4) Why did you decide on the name Del Asher? What does it mean?

That's easy, it's Julian, our lead singer's middle name. Except for him it is all one word. Julian started the band and had come to the table with that name already chosen. We all loved it. Very Bon Jovi of us. Hahaha.

5) How would you describe Del Asher to someone who never heard you guys?

Again it's a tough one. We were a rock band at heart but I feel like between Jules, Chris and myself we all took a little from everywhere. Some tracks do have really heavy parts and some are pop music. At the core it is crazy melodic guitar riffs with me hitting as hard as possible on the drums.

6) The band had a pretty unique sound, what do you think it was that drew people to the band?

Well surprisingly enough we found it really hard to get momentum in St. Catharines. We did much better in markets like Toronto and London. Especially with all the radio support we received from FM96 in London and to a lesser extent the Edge in Toronto. Radio still plays a huge role in what popular music people listen to. One thing for sure was our stage show. We had a bet every night between us to see who could physically rock out the hardest. On top of that Julian would be slaying some insane lead guitar line and singing over top of it. Kids loved that.

7) When you broke up, you guys were in the process of making a new album, how did it differ from the 3 song EP?

Honestly not a great deal. We just got a lot better at writing together and more comfortable with Julius Butty, our producer. I feel like we all trusted each other and what role we played in the process.

8) I really like the songs “Until We Fall” and “Wake Me Up” any insight into/details of those songs?

Man that would be a great question for Jules. For me those are my two favourite songs to play. It's probably the most intricate drums I have ever written but at first listen they sound so straight forward. Wake Me Up is about the general theme of HOPE. It's the idea that things can and do get better and learning to be comfortable with who you are. Like Jules says “All I am is what I have and all I have is who I am.”

Until We Fall, I remember working on that beat in the studio for so long, like hours on where each individual tom hit belongs in the verses. For me lyrically this song acts as an olive branch. It's a way of noticing someone in your life struggling and just saying I am here for you; let me try and help. This song also features like five part vocal harmonies, which sound incredible. Again, Julius Butty is a genius.

9) The band played some big shows like Warped Tour and Taste Of Chaos, What were those shows like for you?

Honestly, unreal but highly stressful. Not to speak ill of Warped Tour but when you are a small band playing a twenty minute set, you are a low priority. We all also got sun stroke on that show and had to play a second show in London that night. We really didn't have an opportunity to enjoy the moment. Taste Of Chaos was a blast. All the bands were so nice to us. I remember really coming to love all the dudes in Aiden because our merch was set up right beside theirs and they gave us lots of free stuff. Again though Chris and I were so sick that day but I still made the best of it. Oh yeah, the whole stage rotated 360 degrees, so that was cool.

10) What is the biggest memory that sticks out to you while in Del Asher?

That's a tough one. I mean the friendships we forged during that time with fans and friends bands. I still see and hang out with all my buds in London. As well, just grinding away on little van tours. At one point we went out east with 12 of us in a 15 passenger Ford Econoline; that  was interesting.

11) What are the members up to now post band?

Well, Jules and I are still recording and touring musicians for our jobs. He is in L.A. just dominating and I play with USS based out of Toronto. Chris owns a successful record store in St. Catharines called Mindbomb Records, so we have all stayed connected to music somehow. As far as bass players, we had thirteen in total I believe and I really haven't kept up with many of them. Once we lost our first bassist, Nick Czarnogorski, it became a revolving door. I guess Byron would be what we consider our bass player and he is just living in Saint Catharines and doing well.

12) What was it like working with Brandon Eedy, and what did he do for the band?

Eedy, as he is affectionately known, was one of the first people to really believe in what we were doing. One of the best dudes and I feel bad cause I would jokingly call him once a week and tell him the band broke up. I was a cruel dude. As far as what he did, name any big show we ever played and he was the one that made it happen. He was and still is a positive guy who always had our back.

13) Which bands from around the local St. Catharines scene would you suggest to someone looking for new music?

Is it bad if I say I don't really go to that many shows anymore. I am 37 now and go to bed at 9 pm. I would say The Lucky Ones, only because I use to play in that band. There is so much talent here, don't get me wrong, I am just sorta out of the local music scene loop ever since SCENE Music Festival came to an end.

14) Do you miss playing in Del Asher? Is there a chance to ever see one more show?

Funny you ask that. Julian and I talk about this all the time. He just got married so maybe after their honeymoon and when he comes back to visit we can get something going. Obviously if we did it would be in London, we just gotta get the Salt Lounge to reopen!!!

Published May 30th, 2017