With some unexpected time to really get things together, Megadose was able to focus on making the most of an odd, worldwide situation. We kicked things off there but as we went along, we got into America’s nerve, being carefree in the kitchen, and more like their new album, ‘Heating Up,’ which is due out on January 20th. All that and more awaits below…

Kendra: Y’all came together not too long before the world took a turn. Do you think that was a blessing in disguise that you had a bit more time to allow the band to marinate without any big expectations? 

Megadose: It would be difficult to call the pandemic any kind of blessing, but it did result in having a lot more time to sit around and write music (a story that has become somewhat of a cliche for so many artists by now, but that doesn’t make it any less true for me). And once the songs were filled out enough to share with the band and actually start recording, the fact that we weren’t distracted by playing shows or promoting definitely helped to keep us focused.

Kendra: Seattle is widely known for one major scene in music, but for those coming up there – what’s a little-known fact about the Seattle scene that only locals would know that you find to be most rewarding?

Megadose: Seattle’s not as big of a city as a lot of people think it is. What I love about playing music and going to shows here is that you see a lot of the same folks around; if you’re open to making friends, it doesn’t take long before you can count on showing up to just about any show all by yourself and bumping into someone you know. I originally come from a much smaller town, so I find that really comforting and fun. 

Kendra: So the lead single from 2023’s ‘Heating Up,’ “Hey 911” kicks off with a sentiment that is one of the most on-point lyrics out there, “This country’s lost its nerve.” How much of the record was guided by the devastating reality of existing in America in the 21st century? 

Megadose: “Hey 911” is actually the only one on the record that deals with the pandemic more head-on. But one thing about writing all of these songs during the darker days of the pandemic is that it made me feel more drawn to the escapism of writing from the perspective of new characters. So while the record definitely has quite a lot of oblique references to the pandemic, it also contains shifts in voice and direct subject matter. 

Kendra: While America is a nightmare, the video has a fun vibe to it – dancing in the kitchen, who doesn’t love to do that? With that, other than “Hey 911,” what’s your go-to artist of choice when you have chores to do?

Megadose: Who do I like to dance to in the house? A few of my old standbys would be the B-52s, Talking Heads, XTC. There’s so much more in the rotation though – Amanaz, Haruomi Hosono, Broadcast, Air, Solange, Prince, Bowie, Daft Punk, Green Day. I recently got turned onto an EP by Le Commandant Couche-Tôt that I can’t stop listening to.

Kendra: “Hey 911” also reminded me a lot of watching Vh1 back in the day and seeing videos from the ‘80s. Does the rest of ‘Heating Up’ share that same vibe? 

Megadose: There’s a lot of that same kind of playfulness throughout the record, but it definitely takes some interesting turns. It does have its darker, more earnest moments. One lyrical theme that stays pretty constant is there’s a fair amount of nihilistic shrugging throughout the record. A sense that the character singing the song is trying to convince you he doesn’t care when he obviously does.

Kendra: Also, being that it’s a new year, have you set any sort of music resolutions for yourself?

Megadose: Writing this record was an exercise in not boxing ourselves into any set tone or musical style. We’d like to continue going where the songs lead us and make some new discoveries.

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘Heating Up,’ out on January 20th, what lies ahead for you? 

Megadose: We’ve got release shows in Seattle and Portland, a West Coast tour in February, and some more shows in the works for Spring and Summer. We already have some songs written for the next record, so we’ll be sneaking some of those into our sets to see how they feel before spending time in the studio later in the year!