Now this is a story all about how a presupposed innocent interview got flipped, turned upside down. So I'd like to take a minute; just sit right there. I'll tell you all about some DJ's called Dead?Wait!
After Alessio Summerfield, manager of Dead?Wait! told me that I would be picked up and taken to an unknown location for the interview, I knew this wouldn't turn out to be your typical, nice-to-meet-you interview.
I also knew it wouldn't turn into some creepy scenario, as I have mutual friends with Alessio (at least that's what Facebook told me).
I researched Dead?Wait!, checked their Twitter presence and listened to some of their tracks in order to prepare for the interview. But I was mostly concerned with how I would differentiate between the two. Thing One? Thing Two?
I arrive to our meeting place alongside Rebecca Croomes, our photo editor. A sedan and a U-haul roll up, and out come Alessio and his crew, festooned in ties and video cameras.
As I depart with Alessio, he politely explains that his fiancee had to use his car, and he was stuck with the U-haul.
I thought, "Well, at least Dead?Wait! will have more room to stretch their legs back there."
We arrive to our location off the beaten path of God-forsaken Opelika Road at what appeared to be an empty parking lot.
Alessio reveals Dead?Wait! from behind the U-haul, and they adorn me with a corsage and a bouquet.
"Who, me?!"
The duo of Dead?Wait! are also dressed to the nines...with the addition of anti-hero Deadpool masks, a little more on the casual side.
We begin the interview, and I'm a little nervous, partially because of their intense eye contact and good listening skills. Like I said, not your typical interview.
At first, they're extremely shy and would only speak through Alessio and Issac Lim, their public relations representative.
They slowly open up a bit more when I ask them about their creative process as they present their MIDI controller, iPod and speaker.
"Highly Suspicious" by My Morning Jacket begins to play, and I'm a bit suspicious about that because My Morning Jacket is my favorite band.
I didn't even think twice about it though, and I was just naively happy about it.
I also kept trying to see if I could recognize their voices or notice a familiarity in their eyes, but there was nothing, just a total mystery.
The rest of the interview unfolds with more questions and some possible bets on what it would take for them to reveal themselves.
But, Dead?Wait! said that'd be selling out.
As we pack up the truck and say our goodbyes, Dead?Wait! hands me a letter with a note scribbled on the front that read DO NOT OPEN UNTIL YOU ARE HOME.
Once home (or in my car), I opened it and read, "Thank you Melody. Here's to you interviewing My Morning Jacket in the future?!"
Well played, Dead?Wait! Well played.
Did I know more about Dead?Wait?, or did they know more about me? Decide for yourself.
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