Episode 225: Dead Tooth

Episode 225 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Zach Ellis of Brooklyn post-punk phenoms Dead Tooth. After an eventful 2022 that saw Dead Tooth release a well-received EP called Pig Pile, take home the top prize at the annual Our Wicked Lady Winter Madness tournament, and make an indelible impression at South By Southwest, Ellis is keeping the momentum going in 2023. Dead Tooth hits the road later this month for their biggest gigs yet in support of Bass Drum of Death and has plans to release more new music in the coming months. But it took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears for Ellis to get to this point. After coming to New York at 19 years old, Ellis cut his teeth as the drummer of notable 2010s Brooklyn indie rockers Haybaby, before branching out on his own with his first solo project,  The Adventures of the Silver Spaceman. It was then that Ellis developed a creative relationship with DIIV guitarist Andrew Bailey, and the folk-inspired sounds of Silver Spacemen slowly evolved into the fierce, frenetic post-punk of Dead Tooth. Zach and Tom chatted about all of this and more, including his 2022 experience at SXSW and memorable moments from years past, including a chance encounter with Daniel Johnston, how he’s fully embraced the performance aspects of being a frontman, and much more. Ellis also picked some excellent records, including great cuts from Neil Young, ESG, Liz Phair, and more. You can follow along with his picks via the official playlist for Episode 225. Dead Tooth is about to hit the road for a string of dates with Bass Drum of Death, including on March 31st at Music Hall of Williamsburg and April 1st at White Eagle Hall in Jersey City. Check out the Dead Tooth Bandsintown page for a full list of dates. You can purchase Pig Pile on limited edition cassette via Bandcamp. Their music is also available on all streaming platforms. Keep up with the project by following them on Instagram.