If you recall, there were a handful of bands playing Pitchfork Music Festival we were both intrigued and excited to catch during the weekend. Among them was Deeper, a four-piece, indie-rock quartet based in Chicago who recently signed with Sub Pop and released their third album and label debut, Careful!, on Sept. 8. NPR dubs them as jagged, rowdy post-punk music and what I really think is, it doesn’t matter what we call their music. All I know is I like it and they continue to hit all the necessary notes for me to keep listening and wanting more and more of it. So what better way to bide the time until their next record than to get to know the band a little better and see how they answer a bunch of questions I like to ask musicians. 

Given both the weather and craziness of Saturday, we got a chance to shoot some portraits with the band but opted to pass along our interview questions, which singer/guitarist Nic Gohl and guitarist Drew McBride were kind enough to delve into and get their responses back to us. 

What are five words you would best describe your music to someone who has never heard you before?

NG: Angular pop music with swagger

What was one positive thing that came out of the pandemic for you as a musician(s)?

DM: The songs on this record! The pandemic afforded us a new way to look at writing. The new approach was much more iterative and focused on each part serving the song. I think the end result is something more mature and interesting.

If you were to create a piece of art to best visualize the music you create for someone who has never heard it, what would it look like and what sort of medium would you use?

NG: I would build a concrete brutalist inspired building with an overflowing garden on the roof. Architect.

If there were any character in history from any medium (TV, literature, film etc.) that you’d best liken yourself to. Who would It be? Why?

DM: The only character I can think of whose story feels similar to writing and releasing music is Sisyphus. Writing music is sort of like pushing a boulder up a hill and then the end of an album cycle is when it rolls back down lol. All you can do is enjoy the act of creating music and not be focused about if the boulder is going to reach the top of the mountain.

First word or thing that comes to mind when you think of Chicago?

DM: Lake Michigan. It gives me a great sense of calm to walk by the water.

What are five songs released so far that are still constantly on repeat for you?

NG and DM: Freak Heat Waves — "The Time Has Come"
Bar Italia — "Punkt"
Alex G — "Powerful Man"
Sword II — "Master Plan"
Yves Tumor — "Noid

What’s your favorite kind of hot dog? (from my daughter, Ande)

NG: Love me some Maxwell dogs.