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Every Monday we will be bringing you interviews with UK or Ireland artists for Independent Music Monday. Recently we caught up with Somerset based artist DEFACED to find out more…

Where are you from and how did you first get into music?
I’m originally from Mid-Wales but for the last decade have lived in West Somerset, placed equally distanced from Glastonbury and Bristol. I’ve been in bands and making music since I was 12 years old, DEFACED specifically, started as a studio only project and acted as a catch all for anything and everything I was writing and releasing at the time, after 8 years, much growth and many different chapters DEFACED is now seeing a complete rebirth in 2024.

Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
I have an eclectic taste but my main influences over the years have been Linkin Park, The Prodigy, SiM, Stray from the Path and Incubus, to name a few!

How would you describe your sound?
DEFACED was once described as Hatebreed fronted by Zack De La Rocha from Rage Against the Machine, I’d say that’s pretty accurate.

What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
Reignite is DEFACED’s comeback track for 2024. I’d describe it as Dark, Aggressive, and Intense. It’s a very personal and self reflective track about the last year or two of my life, before bringing DEFACED back I took a hiatus from music as a whole due to mental health reasons, Reignite is that story, it’s about rising from the ashes of the past to reinvent yourself bigger and better than ever. It’s about getting back up no matter how many times you get knocked down. The sound of the track is full on and intense and encapsulated the pent up aggression and frustration that has come from my life whilst going through this experience. I hope that it can inspire others to pick themselves up no matter how dark and bleak life sometimes may seem and hopefully show those that listen that life can get better.

What’s your local music scene like?
Locally it’s very thin on the ground but I’m lucky to be within an hour of Bristol, Glastonbury, Cardiff, Bridgwater and Exeter, between those there is always a great show to go to almost any night of the week, all year around. I truly believe the South West has immense talent that often gets overlooked by the rest of the UK.

What do you have planned for the next 12 months?
Oooh, now that would be telling wouldn’t it, follow me on my socials and all will be revealed in good time.

Is there anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
There’s those White Whales out there for sure, people like Thom York or Paul McCartney, but more realistically I’d love to collab with Fellow UK Nu-Metallers, Black Gold, they’re great at what they do and I think our sounds would mix so well.

Any funny stories surrounding your live performances?
I think climbing on top of my drummer’s Bass drum mid song and swinging from a pub light fitting before shattering it all over my drummer’s head is pretty hilarious in hindsight, can assure you it wasn’t at the time, poor dude.

What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
Without music, and making music, I wouldn’t be alive right now. It’s as simple and blunt as that. It’s saved my life and continues to every single day. It’s therapy for me, therefore I’ll always do it and I’ll always write from the heart about my life and my experiences and try and use that to inspire and help others.

You can find out more about DEFACED via Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Threads, TikTok, Twitch or YouTube.