Meet the brains behind Death Cult Electric
Hailing from Cardiff, Death Cult Electric have been creating fuzzed-out alternative rock, fronted by Steffan Pringle, since their inception in 2019. Rattling through riff after riff, at breakneck speed, DCE’s ferocious live show has handed them support slots with bands such as Future of the Left, Mclusky, Himalayas, John, and more.
With a new single on the horizon, we managed to have a chat with the guys in Death Cult Electric and the only way we can describe this interview is; unhinged.
Photo: Nadine Ballantyne
How did you get to Death Cult Electric as a band name, and were there any other names in the mix of options?
Steff - I was walking down an undisclosed location and there was a cave and there was a shining light and it was a dark tunnel cave and there was a light shining on a lever and I pulled the lever and it turns out it was a “cool band name generator” and a ball popped out and there was some paper in it and it said “The Rolling Stones” but then I thought “Death Cult Electric” is much better.
Pretend someone has no idea who you are - describe your music in 3 words.
Steff - Deleter. Deleter. Deleter.
Alec - Latin jazz mariachi
Chris - Dystopian, authoritarian apocalypse
Rich - We’re a band?
If you could go on tour with any artist/band, who would you go with?
Steff - ABBA (The Holograms, I only want to tour with the tech crew. I’m sure the band are nice people, but I only want to tour with the holograms)
Chris - Smashing Pumpkins, cus I want to start a cult with Billy Corgan
Rich - Probably Mclusky. I need Damien to teach me how to move my hips like he does.
Dream venue to play?
Rich - Scala in London. I saw Dinosaur Pile-Up there in 2014 and Matt jumped off the cage over the sound desk, and since that day I want to do that. I don’t even care if no one catches me.
Alec - The Duke in Neath.
Chris - O2 Academy Bristol, first venue I went to.
Steff - Pompeii, I want to show Pink Floyd how it’s actually done. Fast and sloppy.
Are there any cities you'll be playing in soon that you've never played in before?
Rich - We’re heading back to Birmingham on 15th November to play with &U&I at Muthers Studio, and we’re back at Clwb in Cardiff to support the killer Pulled Apart By Horses on 7th November which we can’t wait for.
You all need to switch roles within the band - who would be the worst for each?
Chris would suck at drums, Rich hates Bass, Alec doesn’t believe in any other instruments, and Steff on rhythm guitar and he’d die of an ego shock. And we’re all on Theremin.