Contributor’s Note: JEREMY SPENCER, former drummer and co-founding member of Five Finger Death Punch, has unleashed a new project stemming from the darker corners of his psyche with the industrial-tinged gothic rock band PsychoSexual. Taking the persona of front man Devil Daddy, Spencer has created a dauntless soundscape for listeners that is equal parts horror and fantasy. In celebration of the macabre for Halloween, PsychoSexual have unveiled their new charmingly grim new single “I Wanna Be The Blood In Your Cut” with an anime-inspired music video to coincide with its chorus sung entirely in Japanese. The song, taken from the band’s debut full-length album TORCH THE FAITH, premiered on October 27th via Alternative Press who dubbed it as “deftly navigating the realms of industrial metal and gothic mystery.”
PsychoSexual is rounded out by guitarist Crucifier, bassist Astaroth and drummer Volac, and they plan on hitting the road to torch the masses in 2021.
Mark Dean of Madness To Creation sat down with Jeremy “DevilDaddy” Spencer of PsychoSexual to talk about the formation of the band, transitioning from being a drummer in Five Finger Death Punch to fronting PsychoSexual and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fans can find PsychoSexual at the following locations:
www.facebook.com/thedevilsmusic666
www.twitter.com/ThePsychoSexual
www.instagram.com/psychosexualofficial
Mark: So, how are you doing?
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: Excellent. Thank you very much.
Mark: It’s a difficult time for the world. I just wondered how you’re bearing up, both physically and mentally.
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: Everything’s good. I’ve been working so much on music that not a lot has been affecting me, really. I kind of just do my thing, and I’m not really out around the chaos or any of that stuff. So nothing really seemed to change in my world.
Mark: As an artist, have you not had to consider other sources of revenue, income, and explore any other avenues of bringing in some cash?
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: Well, I was in a band prior to the band I’m in now, and we were fortunate enough to have had some success, which has allowed me some freedom and not to stress so much about the financial part of life. So, I’m very blessed. I’m very fortunate and very grateful that that band did well enough for me to survive times like these.
Mark: What about physically? Have you had to stop drumming completely these days?
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: Well, I haven’t done much drumming. I’m physically able to. I did get a back surgery to help repair everything and I’m feeling really great. It took a while to recover. That’s a big setback when you get a back surgery. But as far as drumming, I haven’t done a lot of it. Sometimes I do it, but I’ve just been mainly focusing on my new band where I’m singing, and it’s definitely less intense and destructive on my body as the drumming was, especially playing the metal stuff that I was playing.
Mark: What about that transition from drummer to front man? Has that been pretty seamless for you?
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: Yeah. You know, I thought it would be scarier, but we did a live stream show and I felt really comfortable. I mean, it’s just performing, at the end of the day. And all it is, is instead of being 10 feet further in the back playing drums, now I’m just closer to the audience. I don’t consider myself some great singer, this is more about character and performing and theatrical and fun. So I’m not trying to go out there and be like I have to nail a Pavarotti performance. You know?
Mark: I did actually catch that live stream that you did, and yeah, it’s quite a departure for you.
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: Yeah, it’s definitely different. It’s a lot of fun. I mean, I wanted to do something that was theatrical and fun to experience live. And I’ve been a fan of bands that are theatrical, like Kiss and Ghost and stuff like that throughout my life. So I wanted to do something where it’s just fun to look at while you’re there and have a lot of crazy stuff going on.
Mark: What about the concept of the band? Was that something that you worked on after you left Five Finger, or was that something that had been going on for quite some time?
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: Well, I was working on some solo music while I was with Five Finger, but after I left, I was like, “I kind of want to have a band and make this a little darker and heavier, and be able to play live,” rather than just do… I was doing some new-wavy ’80s pop style records. And I was like, “I miss the heaviness. I need to have that in there as well.” So then it kind of took a darker turn and that’s when the band came together, and I decided, “Well, let’s just go all the way with it and make it a theatrical rock band experience.”
Mark: What about the video that you’ve brought out for, “I Wanna Be the Blood”? Was that something that you edited and directed yourself?
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: No. Our bass player had a friend who is an animator and I like what I saw of his reel. And he did a really good job. So, we just kind of gave him the reins, let him come up with the storyboard, and then we tweaked a few things here and there to make it something that we all were comfortable with and that we all could agree on. And I think he did a really good job. And the anime world is something to me that I wasn’t super familiar with, but it is intriguing and the more that I see of it, it’s like, “Wow, this stuff is really cool.” And it seemed to lend itself perfectly for that song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-qw-cAgwNc&ab_channel=PsychosexualMark: Has it inspired you now to learn how to speak Japanese a bit more?
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: I haven’t really yet. It’s very difficult, I noticed, even just learning the chorus that I did for the song. But I was fortunate enough to have somebody that was really patient and really good at helping break it down for me. And after I finished recording it, I played it for some people that are Japanese, and they’re like, “We’re actually really surprised that you did as well as you did.” So I was like, “Thank you, that’s a compliment. I’ll take it.“
Mark: How would you describe the band’s sound? Because there’s some songs there that are quite catchy. I can nearly hear them on the radio.
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: Yeah. I mean, at the end of the day, it’s always going to be about a song. You have a strong chorus and you have to have hooks, and you have to have something that people can latch on to, whether it be the lyrics or melody or something. So, I’ve always been about the song. Even in my previous band, we were always song oriented and very focused on that. But I also don’t want to pigeonhole myself into one style, and being in a band that’s a theatrical band, we can kind of branch out and try different things. And it’s more forgiving that way. I just think that we want to make different sounding records each time that we do it, and never really bore ourselves or pigeonhole ourselves into a corner on one particular style.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVbc7guyozA&ab_channel=PsychosexualMark: What about the other members of the band? Obviously, they’re shrouded in mystery in terms of their identity. Are they band members that are going to remain with you? Is this a solid band? Or I guess it gives you that flexibility to mix it up in the future, should you choose to.
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: Well, I mean, the plan is to keep it together. Obviously, you want to have a solid lineup and have a chemistry that works with people you get along with. And right now that’s the case. It’s fresh, it’s exciting. So, that’s the plan. But also, since we do wear masks, if somebody caught the flu and couldn’t perform, you could also put somebody else in the mask and they could stand up and perform the show.
Mark: The album’s been brought out on your own record label. Is that something that you’ve just recently devised and created your own record label, or is that something that’s been ongoing for quite some time?
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: No, that’s a recent thing. I’ve had record deals in the past with the previous band, and it seemed like there’s so much stuff you can do on your own that the labels do, that you really don’t need them. And I don’t need a loan from a record label to make an album. I pay for it myself, I do it all, I can control everything, I can get songs on playlists. It’s just, times have changed so much where you really don’t need labels like you used to.
And they always want to take your masters and keep your masters, and it’s just like, “Well, hold on. I paid for it, I did all the work. Why do you just take my master?” I just don’t think that that’s cool or fair. So it’s like, “I’m going to try running my own label and see what it’s like.” And it’s hard. It is hard, I won’t lie. I mean, you have a lot of responsibility, you wear all the hats, you have to do every little detail. But at the end of the day, I love doing this. It’s what I want to do, so it’s fun. I just make it fun.
Mark: Do you envision more expansion for the label then bringing in other bands, other acts, and releasing other albums by new artists?
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: Yeah, that could happen down the road. Right now, we’re so new and we’re still trying to push this thing so much, that I don’t really have extra energy for outside acts or anything like that. But I’m not opposed to that, and that would be cool maybe down the road.
Mark: I see outside of music you’ve done some directing and acting last year on Lady Killer TV. Is that something you want to explore further artistically or was just that a fun project and a one-off?
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: No. Okay, it started out as the idea we were going to make a TV series that was a streaming series. And we pitched it to some people and they were like, “Well, we’re not really interested in this series, but if you turn it into a feature film, we would be interested in maybe releasing that.” So I was like, “Okay.” So I kind of cannibalised the episodes in the series and turned it into three feature films, actually. So they’re going to start coming out at the beginning of next year. That’s in the works right now, so I’ll be announcing that a little bit further down the line.
But I enjoyed directing and writing and acting and being part of it. I’ve always been a fan of the horror genre and using adult stars to do parody scenes and stuff. It was just a fun environment because it was beautiful, sexy women and horror, and it was just a really great time. It was a good blend. And everyone has a blast on the set. So I’m definitely down to do more of it, but there will be three movies coming out, Lady Killer TV movies.
Mark: Obviously, live gigs are on hold for everybody at the moment. I just wondered, thinking ahead, did you have dates lined up scheduled for Psychosexual?
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: We were talking with a person about doing a string of dates and then we had to just shut it down like everyone else did. So, that will resume as soon as we’re able to start having people in venues again. We’ll get out there and tour every place we can, because we definitely wanted to do it. And that’s the best way to connect with people. I mean, I know online is cool, but when you can get in somebody’s face and shake their hand and take a picture, there’s nothing like that. That’s where it’s at. It’s always been fun. And seeing different places in the country and meeting new fans and seeing some old friends, it’s the best.
Mark: And will the live shows be in a similar theme for the live show that you put out online, with all the theatrics, the fire, the ladies? Yeah?
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: Oh yeah. We’re going to do as much as we can get away with. Fire, that sometimes can get expensive because you have to pay for permits and all that stuff, but we’ll figure out a way to make it as exciting as possible, to where you leave going, “Man, you have to go check out that show. That was crazy.”
Mark: So what plans did you have? Were you going to do your own shows? Maybe get on a major label band with a support? What sort of level of shows did you anticipate?
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: Well, I’m sure we will have to work our way up and do some opening. We have to earn it just like every other band, and none of us are afraid to do the hard work. And to be the first band on a bill of four, I did that before. I loved it. It’s fine. If I have to play at 6:00 PM, I’ll play at 6:00 PM. It doesn’t matter.
Mark: Just finishing up then with a few general questions. What was your first introduction to music? Can you remember?
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: Oh yeah. I was six years old and I got a KISS record. We had this department store called Service Merchandise. And I went to the store and there was this bargain bin where they got rid of music at a really discounted rate, that I guess they had too many copies so they just tried to sell them real cheap. And I saw Gene Simmons’ solo record, and I was like, “Holy shit, what is this?” And I took it home and I put it on, and it skipped. It was skipping. It wouldn’t work. And I was, “Fuck.” I was bummed, man. So I returned it to the store to try to exchange it, and all they had left was the Paul Stanley solo record. So I got Paul’s. And that was the first KISS record I got. But then after that, I started getting every kiss record I could. And I was like, “This is it. I have to do KISS.” I mean, that’s the tale of so many musicians. It was like, “KISS. KISS.” So, that started it all for me.
Mark: Do you have any spare time interests or hobbies outside of music?
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: Well, I do like to do the acting thing, the horror stuff, but those are pretty much what I rotate back and forth. I love doing it. To me, it’s not really work. It’s like I wake up every day excited with things like, “Today we get to film,” or “Today we get to sing.” It’s just what I do and it’s what I love.
Mark: What hopes, dreams, and ambitions do you still have? Obviously, you fulfilled a lot of goals with your former band. I just wondered, have you had to reset your ambitions and hopes for the future?
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: Well, I just want to keep living every day stress-free and doing everything I want to do, no matter what it is. And when you’re in a band, you’re on other people’s schedules because everyone’s got this big goal that they have to do. Now that I’m not a part of that big machine and I’m starting my own thing, it’s on a different schedule, it’s all stress-free. But we want to take it as far as we can take it. Touring is hard. We’re going to do it. We’re going to do our best to get out there and see as many people and just keep making records, and do it until it’s not fun anymore. Because once it’s not fun, then what’s the point? Then it’s a job. And I don’t want to do a job I don’t want to do. I want to do stuff I want to do.
Mark: Yeah. Just the final one then. I’m sure you’ve done many interviews. If the roles were reversed, who would you like to interview? Maybe a personal hero, somebody that’s inspired you.
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: Well, if I could have interviewed Prince or David Bowie, those would have been my two favourites, because they were my two favourite singers and artists for sure. And I loved both of them. That would be the ultimate dream.
Mark: That’s great. I’m glad we eventually got to do this, with all the tech issues.
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: Yeah, man.
Mark: Thank you very much. Love the album. Hopefully you’ll get over to Europe at some stage, to play those songs and put on your show.
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: I certainly hope so. Yeah, we’re going to try to get any place that will have us. So yeah, we would love to come over.
Mark: That’s brilliant. Thank you very much for talking to me.
Jeremy DEVILDADDY Spencer: Cool. Thank you. I appreciate it, Mark.
And there you have it! Check out the music video for “Torch The Faith” below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYX5AKH7D98&ab_channel=PsychosexualFans can find Mark Dean at the following locations:
www.facebook.com/Mark-Dean-Media-Journalist
