( L-R ) PALAYE ROYALE ’ S EMERSON BARRETT , REMINGTON LEITH & SEBASTIAN DANZIG
WHAT ’ S GOING ON WITH
PALAYE ROYALE ?
Canadian Musician catches up with the fashion-art rock band amidst an incredibly hectic tour
By Manus Hopkins
It ’ s a half hour until our interview with Palaye Royale , and we still don ’ t totally know which member of the theatrical art-punk group we ’ ll be speaking with . The Canadian-American band , made up of brothers Sebastian Danzig , Remington Leith , and Emerson Barrett , have been having a rough go of it on their current headlining tour , if internet ramblings are to be believed . Daily requests from fans to the band ’ s management to give the musicians a break are flooding Twitter , and Canadian Musician is told that at least one member has been sick ahead of our scheduled video call .
It ends up being guitarist Sebastian Danzig who hops on the video call from backstage in Milwaukee , WI . He ’ s good-natured and conversational , but there ’ s an exhaustion in his eyes as he explains that he ’ s just wrapped up the VIP meet-and-greets and now has a few more interviews lined up before he takes the stage .
“ This tour has been a mess ,” Danzig admits . “ We ’ ve had three buses break down , tour managers quitting , having to fly everywhere , getting hotel rooms , and renting U-Hauls and cars just to make the shows happen .”
Because of the constant state of chaos on the road , Danzig says he hasn ’ t gotten a chance in a while to sit down and listen to Palaye Royale ’ s new album , Fever Dream . The band has been playing its several singles at live shows , and Danzig says the new tunes have been going over well with crowds , but the recorded album as a whole is a different experience than the songs in a live setting .
“ It ’ s so strange ,” Danzig remarks . “ I listened to the record religiously every single day — I would go on runs and I just listened to it because we were mixing and mastering it . I did that all the way up to probably January of this year and then just haven ’ t listened to it since .”
Though thoughts of self-doubt can creep up on Danzig and his brothers when a record release is imminent , ultimately , Danzig boldly states that Fever Dream is Palaye Royale ’ s best body of work , not just musically , but also where the world-building his band does with fashion , art , performance , and lore are concerned .
“ Now I ’ m so fucking excited because I ’ ve lived with it for so long and the world hasn ’ t ,” says Danzig . “ I have such a good sense and feeling about this album , that it ’ s really going to take us to new heights .”
Despite the difficulties Palaye Royale is experiencing on the road , there ’ s a clear sense of determination that shows in everything Danzig says — he makes it obvious that Palaye Royale is a band that refuses to give up , and
42 CANADIAN MUSICIAN