Interviews: Golem Dance Cult

On this new occasion, we had the opportunity to interview the Industrial Rock band Golem Dance Cult from the USA. Check out the interview and enjoy the band.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name? Did you plan it, or did it come out just like that?

Charles Why: When the time came to find a name for our band, this one popped out, like a spur-of-the-moment inspiration. Golem is a reference to the myth of this man-made creature that protects the oppressed, and at the end goes out of control. The foreboder of Frankenstein, some say... (and we love Frankenstein!)

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Laur: I'm not sure what genre we really play. We're somewhere in the middle of many different genres, which is something interesting but probably a bad selling tool in 2025... We play this genre because it's a mix of our various influences. 

Charles Why: Our main starting point was: “hey, let’s do something like an old Hammer horror movie directed by Dali and recoloured by Andy Warhol” but at the end of the day, our “genre” is based on how we filter what we hear in our head and how it is translated into songs.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Charles Why: Laur and I are both from a small French town. We met as pre-teenagers, as we were the only fans of Motley Crüe there. We quickly started our first band together, he on drums and I on bass. Then life separated us musically, but we always kept in touch as friends. Fast forward to 2021, during the lockdown, I was in the UK, and Laur was in France. I sent him some ideas I had for a new musical project, the ball started rolling, and Golem Dance Cult was born.

4. Each band member's favourite band?

Laur: When I was a kid, my favorite band was KISS, then Motley Crue as a teenager. It would be very difficult to pick just one know. In the long term, over the years, I think David Bowie and the Manic Street Preachers are the ones who had the biggest impact on me.

Charles Why: Same as Laur for Motley Crue, which is forever my “Madeleine de Proust”. Now, I have very eclectic tastes from Electro to Hip Hop, Jazz, and Classical. I have a real sweet spot for the music of Ennio Morricone, and in Rock, I love Killing Joke, Faith No More, The Cult, … And yes, Bowie is the King!

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Laur: Life, stories, feelings, emotions...

Charles Why: it can be anything, a discussion with someone, a book I’m reading, a fleeting sensation, a smell. In terms of music, I’m a human jukebox and always have a new riff or melody in my head.

6. Where was your last gig?

Laur: We haven't played live yet, but my last gig as a solo artist (under the name Other-ed) was here in Besançon, France, last April.

Charles Why: with my previous band, L-DOPA, in Paris.

7. Where would you like to perform?

Laur: Anywhere we can would be nice.

Charles Why: Following the release of our new album “Shamanic Faultlines” (on Friday the 13th of June), we will see how it goes for the touring side. A summer tour of some clubs in Australia would be really cool if we find good opportunities.

8. Whom would you like to perform with?

Laur: Stylewise, I think opening for Jane's Addiction or Peter Murphy would be really cool!

Charles Why: Oh yes, Jane’s Addiction! Or The Kills, The Cult… Would love to play with King Gizzard too

9. Who not?

Laur: I wouldn't enjoy playing with bands with racist, pro-animal-killing members, etc.

Charles Why: Agreed. I would not see us sharing the stage with “modern” Ted Nugent, for example…

10. Have any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that?

Laur: Of course, it happened to me before, but I think it's part of the game. A drink might help, though! Haha

Charles Why: Yes, that is perfectly natural. I found that noodling on my instrument (bass or guitar) helped tremendously. This gives something to focus the mind on and, at the same time, sharpens the senses.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Laur: Bowie, Manics, New York Dolls, Lords Of The New Church, Sex Pistols, Hanoï Rocks, Sparks, etc. Hardcore bands like Minor Threat, Fugazi, Gorilla Biscuits, and industrial hip hop band Consolidated inspired me a lot, too, when it comes to music and messages.

Charles Why: Dead Kennedys, Black Sabbath, Captain Beefheart, and Nine Inch Nails were important “foundational bands”. I recently rediscovered Bauhaus, and what an amazing band they were. Beastie Boys have always been a big inspiration due to their capacity to always evolve.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

Laur: Nothing I can think of right now, or maybe I've just been lucky so far! Haha 

Charles Why: With one of my previous bands, Nexus, in Praha, someone from the audience asked me to help them tie a rubber around their arms to do a fix. Of course, I refused, but that was gruesome and weird. The venue was an old church “reconverted” as a club. That adds to the weirdness of the situation.

13. What do you think of your fans?

Laur: That's a difficult one since we haven't met many of them physically yet, but the ones who get in touch online seem to have great tastes in music! :)

Charles Why: Let’s get real, even if our video and streaming numbers are encouraging, we are a “niche” band, like every good cult should be, ha! Ha! And that is perfect, as we really do this music primarily to please ourselves. That being said, some of our fans are extremely supportive and understand the code of our own little universe, which is really cool

14. What do you think of our site?

Laur: It looks great and seems to have a wide variety of genres and hardcore subgenres.

Charles Why: Great, keep up the good work

15. Something to add?

Laur: Thanks, and keep on supporting the underground!

Charles Why: on our new album “Shamanic Faultlines” we were lucky enough to collaborate with several musicians friends of ours, such as Dick Dens from the band “The Irradiates” who played guitar on two tracks, Boris Boublil (founder of Mu and musician with Emilie Loizeau) played Moog and organ, Loki Lockwood (creator of Velatine and boss of Spooky Records) the synth, amazing Jean-Philippe Feiss on Cello, beautiful Inga Liljestrom lent us her amazing voice on a few songs, the great Peter Miller on Theremin, multi-instrumentalist Blair Manie on Oud, Alex Zillon on vocals…. Super talented folks, the album. Will be out on Friday, the 13th of June, 2025, on vinyl (including splatter), CD, and digital.   Apart from some brick-and-mortar shops, it will be available on Bandcamp (the only artist-friendly platform?) Check our website for updates www.golemdancecult.com. Thanks for your time. Cheers!