Interview with Christian "Opus" Lawrence of Dead By Wednesday

February 13, 2023

Interview with Christian "Opus" Lawrence of Dead By Wednesday

By Mick Michaels

COSMICK VIEW: Hello! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it is greatly appreciated.

CV: What do you feel sets the band apart from other bands, especially those of similar sound and style? What's the specific allure your sound and style has that gets people taking notice?
Christian "Opus" Lawrence: What sets us apart is our diversity. We are a multi cultural band with many different backgrounds & also different musical tastes & influences so when we come together it’s very original & powerful. A bit of old school mixed with some new school heavy music & then boom, you have DBW!

CV: For any band, dynamics is key to grabbing an audience's attention. What do you feel is the main ingredient to having such a captivating dynamic and being able to bring something more to the music?
Opus: We bring a very entertaining energetic live show every time. We play 100% whether there are 30 people in front of us or 30,000. It doesn’t matter. We have come to the conclusion that we do this for us & for our fans, not the industry so it’s important to have fun & bring it every night!! We also have different unique looks as a band & when we play live our character’s & charisma shine through as well.

CV: How would you describe the ultimate musical experience for your fans? And how does the band go about creating that musical vision, while generating the impact the band wants to have on its audience?
Opus: Well some of what I said above rings true in this answer as well but we feel that it’s all about the music first then the show but the show should be there because it’s also about image as well as the music even though the music should always be first. So having full stacks of our endorsed Randall cabs, & strobe smoke lights & backdrops, etc all play a part of what we do! Like the bands we grew up watching had…the days of the no frills 90’s too cool for school stuff is out the window. Personally I dig some of that Seattle grunge era stuff but people want to see a show when they pay to go out. Not just see a bunch of jabronies in flannels & blue jeans any longer. You want to be a rock star, play, act & look like one!

CV: The music business has always been one that regardless of who you are, where you came from or where you've been, you can either sink or swim. Does this type of realism have any effect on how the band drives itself to succeed?
Opus: Again, if you are only doing it just to “make it” or please the industry, you will find out the hard way & probably fail. This business is for the real people who have the desire and music burning in their souls. If you are not doing it for the right reasons, that will shine through. You have to realize there will be many ups and downs like a roller coaster & you have to take each punch & get back up. There will be many “no’s” but you cannot accept defeat. This biz is not for the weak. We have been doing it so long that nothing anyone outside of our trusted circles says gets any consideration. We are our own team, the underground is very strong & you must bring the industry to you! Don’t chase it…very important. We are in it for the music & to please our fan base, not for financial gain or stardom. Obviously if that came organically, we would happily accept it. Anyone who says otherwise who plays in a band is a liar.

CV: In your opinion, is there any middle ground for a band or is it a do or die climate in today's music industry?

Opus: Well it depends again on why you’re doing it. If you want to be a weekend warrior cover band guy who is just doing it for some extra pocket money & free beer & maybe one night stands here & there then ok, but for us & for many serious touring pro bands out there, it’s shit or get off the pot. There is no try! As Yoda says… for us… it’s… “Do or do not, there is no try!” With so much competition out there being such as over saturated market, you have to be “all in” and diehard to even come close to any success at all. So yeah, we are do or die!

CV: How would you describe the band's internal energy? Does the band’s outward appearance align with its true inward nature from your perspective?
Opus: Yes, absolutely! Like I said, we bring the heavy & lots of visual energy live so we also try to match that with our appearance. Everyone is health conscience & physically, fit, and ready for war!

CV: What's at the core of the band's songwriting approach? Are there certain elements that are considered when a song begins to take form and evolves?
Opus: Well, usually our guitarist Dave Sharpe will demo some guitar riffs to a click & then pass them to me to arrange & sort of structure them into a song being the drummer. Then after that we pass them on & layer them with our bassist & vocalist. But this is not always the case, sometimes we also just stumble upon a few cool riffs & start writing & developing something in the room as well while all together. So although there is a formula, it’s never set in stone. We are very big on not stifling creation in any way or form.

CV: Do you allow things to just happen when writing; seeing where a song goes, or is there a certain course of action and structure you keep a song on, thus, essentially making it destined to achieve its overall potential?
Opus: Yea, we def sometimes like to think outside the box when it comes to song writing & let the song flow or write itself in a sense but we also follow the normal song writing process as well so that way it’s understandable & uniform too. There is not right or wrong way to write a song but you also have to keep in mind that it must appeal to the common folk, listener no matter what style it is.

CV: Do you feel how the fans and critics describe the band’s music accurately reflects how you would describe the band’s music?
Opus: I guess it depends on who you ask. Most of our fans & people get it, and even some who are not into metal say that they respect & dig what we do as a band. Of course there will always be that kid with his arms crossed that we call the “metal elitists” who criticize everything that’s not either old school power metal or death, and will never except or appreciate anything else outside their closed ‘lil metal minds. But again, we don’t do this for them… we do this for us & for the people who appreciate what we do already as well. There will always be critics, you can’t please everyone… I mean, look at Metallica, they are huge & not everyone likes them either. We are an acquired taste. Either you love us or hate us, there is no in between. But that’s ok!

CV: Walk us through a typical show for the band...what can fans who have never seen you perform expect?
Opus: The lights are out… the intro begins, which is the acoustic beginning of our new song “Invincible” off our current album “Capital Conspiracy”…similar feel & style to the acoustic intro of the Metallica song “Battery,” then the cymbals swell & once the song it kicks in, total chaos erupts! From that point on, there’s hardly any breaks or stops as the music continues from song to song pummeling you with energy and power in your face until the end when we give you our big epic rock n roll ending!

CV: What more can fans look forward to seeing coming from the band?
Opus: Well, we just dropped a kick ass stop motion animated one of a kind metal LEGO music video which is taking off on the inter webs & then we have our debut European tour in April happening with select festivals this summer / fall as well. We are also in the process of putting together a short follow up EP with some of the left over tracks & cover songs we had hanging around for our last album…kind of similar to the whole “Garage Days” vibe.

CV: Thank you again for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. I wish you all the best and continued success.
Opus: No Thank you for your support & help spreading awareness about the band.

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.