Within the wider Delaware music scene, there is a vibrant DIY niche in the Wilmington-Newark area that is home to plenty of DIY venues and local staples. If you’ve ever attended a show at The Temple or Rainbow Records in Newark, you’re likely to know the name Death by Indie. Formed nearly three years ago, their time as a band has so far been spent playing 50 shows across six states, releasing four EPs and one LP, and preparing to drop their sophomore album 7 Day Farmers Market. It isn’t every day that you find an album that prominently features a kazoo solo. Luckily, you’ll get just that and more on Death by Indie’s latest (out on May 4). I had the chance to talk to bandmates Mike Edwards, Declan Poehler, and Isa Teixeira about the album, their involvement in the local scene, and how they plan on ringing in the release.
Congratulations on the upcoming release of your sophomore album! Which part of this release are you most excited for?
“We’re beyond ready for some of these songs to finally come out of the bars and basements and into the world! It’s the longest we’ve ever worked on a release, and many of these songs are already beloved by fans in our live catalog, while others have never been performed live.”
What sets this album apart from your other projects?
“It’s our most collaborative effort to date, where most of the songs were worked out as a full band. It’s our biggest sounding set of recordings and the most accurate depiction of what we try to convey at shows. We’ve been playing a good bit of these songs for the past year and a half. These songs carry more weight than previous releases where we maybe weren’t as serious in nature with songwriting.”
What inspired the name 7 Day Farmers Market?
“7 Day Farmers Market was an international grocery store in Wilmington, Delaware. It closed down in the fall of 2022, and we miss it dearly. It was a part of our weekly routine and a space that served such a wide range of our community. It was always an adventure, you really never knew what you’d find! Giant pickles, curly cord wall phones, waterfall displays, piñatas and flags all over the ceiling, murals everywhere. It was such a positive, stimulating environment that left us inspired for life and music and everything in between. ‘Flansong’ was even recorded on a cell phone en route to the Farmers market one evening.”
How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never listened to your music before?
“An art punk explosion with diversions into experimental kazoo and cowbell. You’re bound to find a song you like because we truly can’t stick to one sound! Each band member brings something unique to the songs- bass melodies backed by driving drums and rhythmic guitar provide a strong background to power pop inspired vocal melodies – and sometimes yelling.”
You’re very active and involved in the Delaware music scene, constantly on the lineups at DIY venues and local stages. How has being involved in this scene helped you grow or evolve as a band?
“The Delaware DIY scene has been the backbone of everything we do – it’s what inspired us to give this whole band thing a shot to begin with. We’re thankful to have a diverse audience between the Newark college scene and the Wilmington dive scene. It’s pushed us to strive to always play for the enjoyment of the music as opposed to trying to entertain a certain crowd. We’ve had to work incredibly hard with venues and business owners and friends to put together shows over the years but it’s only taught us how important it is to nurse those relationships to keep the whole thing alive.”
Which tracks on this album stand out to you the most? Which do you think regular fans or new listeners will gravitate towards?
“We always love to include instrumental tracks to break up albums. ‘As the Fern Unfurls’ is a percussion based track in the middle of the album, it’s more of a soundscape than a song and we’re excited to share that side of our music. ‘Taking Off’ is a song that’s had amazing reception at shows since it was first introduced, it’s a more down tempo shoegaze-esque track that seems to resonate with people for a variety of personal reasons – it’s a song you can easily lose yourself in and a nice introduction to our instrumental dynamics.”
What can you tell us about the release party for the album?
“We’re so excited to be putting together an event that highlights some of our favorite musicians in DIY and folks in the local community! We’re going to have artists and small businesses selling their wares, two local food trucks, and two food distribution aid organizations. We’re beyond excited to be headlining the Arden Gild Hall, where some of our favorite bands Ought and Yo La Tengo have played, in the beautiful woods of Delaware. Mavis the Dog will be coming from Philadelphia and Perennial will be coming from Connecticut as support. We can’t wait to bring an affordable DIY show to a space where lots of our fans wouldn’t normally find themselves.”
For more information on the release party or to purchase tickets, click here. To support Death by Indie, stream their music on Spotify or keep up with them on Bandcamp.
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