Following on from their European Tour with Orbit Culture, fast-rising UK metal act UK metal act Defects has announced UK headline dates in support of the release of what’s been described as “a profoundly personal debut album” in Modern Error, due on 24th May via Mascot Records.
The band will be playing at The Old Blue Last, London on 28th May, Asylum 2 in Birmingham on 30th May, and Satans Hollow in Manchester on 31st May. You can get tickets from here.
“We can’t wait to play these headline shows supporting our album release,” said guitarist Luke Genders. “Our last headline outing was a great time, and we aim to top that this time. We’re hot off the tails of 2 UK and EU tours with Of Mice And Men and Orbit Culture, and with those shows being sold out prior to our announcement, this is the perfect time for our fans to see us. It will be our longest set to date with a couple of surprises and exclusive merchandise only available at these shows.”
“Our run with Orbit Culture has been amazing,” the band said. “They are like family now for sure. Great band and crew and it’s been super chilled. The shows on this run have been packed full of energy and raw intensity. It’s been overwhelming having people come up to us after buying merch and telling us that we are up there now with their favourite bands.
Singer Tony Maue said, “We’re really excited to give you even more from Modern Error. It dives into every category, and anyone can take something from it. We can’t wait to play it live with the fans, feel emotions together, and create some amazing memories. These shows will be jam-packed with relentless energy from start to finish, so don’t miss out.”
While there’s a little wait for those dates and the album, the title track is out now, as their second single from it. It’s available here and there’s also a lyric video you can check out here at RAMzine.
The anthemic title track equally crushes and paints a poignant message as singer Tony Maue explained, “We started writing the single ‘Modern Error’ back in 2019 and it came together quite quickly. I had written bits about the way the world was going and when I heard this track it fuelled me to carry on and see where it went. I think the song is a good word of warning to the people running the world and how it needs to change.”
New album, Modern Error, is said to be “breathtakingly raw with emotion”. Conceptually, it is a deeply cathartic album that acts as a vessel for singer Tony Maue to organise his thoughts on the trauma of being taken into care at a young age.
Threaded through the album are the experiences that Maue has been through, how the five members of the band are all connected and why, at this moment, right now, is the right time for this band to exist. For themselves as much as anyone else.
His having been taken into care at a young age caused Maue trauma and the experiences that followed are ones that he has battled with ever since. “The traumatic memories of going into care, losing my family when I was very young, and having to deal with that and adjusting myself to that kind of lifestyle, at the time was brutal. The only thing that helped me, and I’m not just saying this, was music.” Exrtrapolating on this, he remarked: “I use songwriting as a tool to vent rather than be poetic.
“We’ve always been told to strive for perfection, but I don’t think anyone can be perfect,” he commented. “We are all defects in a way, but that makes us all unique.”
This was the first time he could express these raw feelings in music. ‘Scapegoat’, ‘Goliath’ and ‘Echo Chamber’ are all about a family member but from different perspectives and ‘Recurring’ looks at the mental loops that come with dealing with trauma.
Previously, the band issued ‘Lockdown’ as a single – You can listen/order ‘Lockdown’ here and check out the video here at RAMzine.
Aside from vocalist Maue, Luke Genders (Guitar), James Threadwell (Guitar), David Silver (Bass) and Harry Jennings (Drums) all have their own life stories. As Jennings explained: “I’d stopped enjoying playing music, which I had dedicated my life to since I was 7 years old,” he said. “It had all fallen apart. To feel like you’ve had a dream beaten out of you destroyed me as a person. It took me down a very dark path, and I did things I regret and am not proud of. I feel I’m in a position now where I can talk about it.
“It took a lot of help from the people closest to me, and these guys threw me a life raft; I was sinking,” adding: “What connects us all is that we’ve all got our own stories, but in a different way.”
Genders remarked: “Having the freedom to write freely in a band whilst trusting and respecting each other’s vision is something I hadn’t had in a very long time; dismissive people helped me to fuel my instrumental contributions to Modern Error. For the first time ever, I learned how to channel negativity into something positive.”
Modern Error is said to hit with the heaviness and aggression of Lamb Of God and Machine Head, a Linkin Park-like sense of melody, and a touch of Bring Me The Horizon‘s fearlessness. For all its heavy subject matter, it burns with vitality, power and passion. Woven within is their outlook on the world. The title-track deals with “how the planet is going to crap”, ‘Another Heart To Bleed’ is about bad relationships, ‘End Of Days’ explores where the world is heading with greed and ‘Dream Awake’ delves into being trapped in a digital reality. The new single ‘Lockdown’ is about the mental challenges of the pandemic. Maue explained, “The lyrics are probably some of my favourites on the album as it captures frustration towards a government and the rules we were made to follow.”
Getting back on the stage for their first tour was a colossal moment for the band. “It was overwhelming,” remembered Maue. “In Southampton with In Flames, I came off stage and broke down. I was crying because I was happy. I can’t believe I’ve been given another chance to do this. Not only that, I couldn’t believe that everyone was digging what we were doing.”
They flourished, catapulting them to performing at Bloodstock, 2000Trees, The Great Escape, playing with Bullet For My Valentine, Funeral For A Friend and touring with Of Mice & Men. Jennings reflected, “I had times when I never thought I’d be here again. It was like someone put a defibrillator on me and woke me up from a horrible fever dream.”
What do Defects represent? It’s about believing in yourself. It’s a message to people to give themselves a break occasionally. Jennings remareds. “It’s fine to have bad days. I’ve had my fair share of times very recently. But y’know, everyone can pick themselves up, and go, I’m gonna do me.”
“I felt like I wasn’t worth anything,” Maue added. “But now I look back, and that was wrong; I shouldn’t have been made to feel that way. When I got older, I realised I was a good person and didn’t do anything wrong. Bad things happen to good people, and you must find a way to make life worth living.”
In reaching out to someone, there can be change; in change, there can be hope. It’s in the hope that you can try to go forward and make something of yourself. One way or another, we are all defects.
