DZ Deathrays Share Thrashing New Single: Paranoid
‘Paranoid’ is a driving track, punctured by syncopated rhythms, buzzing feedback, and a fiery chorus.
DZ’s sound sings through the piece, with heavy double and triple-octave riff instrumentals reverberating on the lyrics:
“Oi, oi, ya paranoid, hanging at the back waiting to get destroyed.”
The track features notable nods to classic Aussie rock, percussive built-up introductions, howling vocals, and driving repetition, demonstrating DZ Deathrays’ lasting ability to deliver carnage-inducing riffage.
Speaking to the meaning behind ‘Paranoid‘, lead vocalist and guitarist Shane Parsons says,
“I think at the time I was thinking about the way I kept questioning myself in different aspects in life. Loosely it’s about that, wanting to go in a certain direction with something but having this lingering thing stopping you or setting up roadblocks here and there.”
“The track was a real collaborative effort with Simon and Nathan Sheehy, who produced the record with us, putting the drums together.
Nathan had a particular direction that the drum performance needed to go to and once we got it all together it was a really fresh approach to that part of the song for us.
There’s also demo parts in there too, including Lachlan’s partner Eileen yelling “Oi, oi, ya paranoid” into a phone after chorus one and the out-of-phase claps that bring in the song.
The multi-ARIA winning group has come a long way since the first house party gig they formed for, cultivating a global following for their addictive punk energy and sheer volume. From their inception, DZ Deathrays remain one of the most recognizable acts in the contemporary Australian rock canon, most notably with the success of their debut album Bloodstreams which made DZ synonymous with thunderous.
Quickly followed by their second album Black Rat signifying a maturer sound, they expanded beyond their garage roots into an award-winning machine, touring the world countless times over, supporting The Foo Fighters stadium tours, Ratatat, Biffy Clyro, Grinspoon, and more, headline slots across The Tivoli, The Enmore and The Forum, to collaborating with a Wiggle.
Amongst DZ’s enduring fanbase, they remain festival favorites with performance tallies across multiple years at Splendour In The Grass, Falls Festival, St. Jerome’s Laneway alongside international appearances at SXSW, Reading, and Leeds Festival, and multiple entries in triple j’s Hottest 100. Coupled with their more recent LPs Bloody Lovely and their critically-acclaimed twin concept albums, Positive Rising: Part 1 and Part 2, the project of Shane Parsons, Simon Ridley, and Lachlan Ewbank has long cemented DZ Deathrays’ staple status — it’s not every day that a band gets stronger and more popular with time. Looking to the future they affirm that the party never dies.
