Pitchfork Festival Interviews: Deafheaven

By Lisa White in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 22, 2014 6:00PM

(Kerry McCoy of Deafheaven by Jessica Mlinaric)

If you missed out on Deafheaven's set Sunday at Pitchfork Festival, you missed out on witnessing one of the biggest mosh pits we've seen at the festival since it started many years ago in Union Park. We already spoke about the raw intensity the band brought to the field, as evident by the bodies surfing over the crowd, both fans and lead singer George Clarke. Clarke brought to the stage an almost primal feel, clawing his face and bulging his eyes as he screamed incredibly honest and sometimes painful lines into the microphone, backed by some of the most mathematical metal music the festival has seen in recent years.

Deafheaven was started as a project between Clarke and guitarist Kerry McCoy and after a rotating cast of musicians, has finally found its footing as a full band in a live setting. Thankfully so, since their gorgeous critically acclaimed album Sunbather deserves to be experienced in a live setting. After cooling down a bit, McCoy was able to chat with us backstage about the band's writing process, how they prepare for a show and his earliest influential music memory. As it goes with recording at festivals live, anything can happen, so don't be surprised if you hear some of Schoolboy Q's set rattling in the background or hear the not-so-subtle beeps of the Goose Island beer truck interrupting our chat with McCoy. It wouldn't be a festival without a little background noise.