Dead Alright is a passion-driven solo-project led by the talented frontman Louis-Charles Berthiaume, known for his involvement with the bands Never Hit Again and Brand New Lungs. With a keen focus on the energetic and rebellious spirit of 90’s and 00’s pop punk and punk rock, Dead Alright delivers a sound that is not to be missed by enthusiasts of these genres.
Listeners can expect to be carried away by the fast-paced, head-bobbing beats, and catchy choruses that define Dead Alright. Whether you’re reminiscing about the anthems of your youth or discovering the genre for the first time, this musical project promises an exciting and enjoyable listening experience.
Dancing Through the End of Days marks Dead Alright’s debut album, and its release strategy was nothing short of clever. Rather than dropping the entire album all at once, Louis-Charles chose to gradually unveil his songs to the audience, releasing one song per month. This approach created an exciting and extended build-up to the album’s complete release, which finally happened on October 6th.
Recently, I got a super exciting opportunity to ask Louis-Charles himself a few questions about his band and music, and here’s what he shared with me!
Ana: Congratulations on your debut album, Dancing Through the End of Days. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the album and what listeners can expect from it?
Louis-Charles: Thank you! Well, the thing I am most proud of in the album is that it’s not a straight line; there are different moods and drives, but it manages to stay cohesive in its whole. I hate when albums sound like one long song, and I’m trying to get away from that as much as possible. There are some super aggressive skate punk songs as well as straight up pop punk songs out of the 90s in there, and I think it represents very well the music that I love most.
Ana: One of your latest singles from the album, Locker Room Mentality, has a powerful message about sexism in the punk scene. What motivated you to address this issue through your music, and what kind of impact do you hope the song will have?
Lois-Charles: Mostly, my daughter and my love for the punk scene. It’s not a secret for anyone that our scene is getting old and, and for kids to want to play music (punk or not, who cares in the end) first they need to be able to identify with someone in a band they admire. I remember looking at Green Day or Offspring when I was growing up, and it was easy to go the extra step and picture myself playing in a band. They were white dudes, just like me. I think it’s not that easy to get that itch to play music if you don’t get to look up to people that represent you, and I think our scene does a poor job of that right now. It’s getting better though!
Ana: Your music has been compared to bands like A Wilhelm Scream, Millencolin, and No Use for a Name. How do these influences shape your sound, and what other bands or artists have inspired your music?
Lois-Charles: They definitely influence the sound of my band. The song writing, the song structures and the hooks, big choruses; it’s exactly what I love and exactly what I want to do. I want to write songs that you could play on an acoustic guitar around a campfire and that would still be great, but that you would like to shout along with the singer in a live show. And A Wilhelm Scream is a big influence because everything they do is always so full of energy. I want to write songs that make you want to move, and they are so good at that.
Ana: You’ve been releasing songs from the album month by month, and they’ve received overwhelmingly positive reviews. How does it feel to see such a positive response from fans and critics before the full album’s release?
Louis-Charles: It really warms my heart! It was sort of a passion project from the start, I wrote and recorded the songs all by myself so it’s super rewarding to see that people like the 100% unfiltered version of me that is in these songs. I also hope people revisit the older songs when the album comes out and listen to the whole thing in order, because I think it’s an interesting trip.
Ana: And finally, can you tell us what’s next for Dead Alright after the release of Dancing Through the End of Days? Any upcoming tour plans or new projects on the horizon?
Louis-Charles: Definitely! Me and the live band are starting to rehearse the songs and we definitely want to do a bunch of shows off of this material, maybe go to places I never went with my older bands, live new experiences. I already started writing new material, so some new songs are bound to happen eventually!
