Experimental rock outfit Deerhoof are currently celebrating their 20th album and 31st year (That’s china and a clock, for gifting purposes.) April 25th saw the release of Noble and Godlike in Ruin via Joyful Noise, followed by the first leg of the 31 Flavours Tour, which kicked off the 1st of May. The tour will resume next week, with a return to Underground Arts this coming Tuesday, June 17th, and I recently got a chance to chat with Deerhoof vocalist/bassist Satomi Matsuzaki about LP #20 (whose title comes from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which also served as an inspiration for the album) and more than three decades of being a band.
Izzy Cihak: You kicked off the 31 Flavours Tour last month, following the release of Noble and Godlike in Ruin. How did those dates go? Any particular standout moments?
Satomi Matsuzaki: The tour went great. Our new setlist is made of songs we’ve never played before or ones we hadn’t played in a long time. It’s been 31 years since we started playing music together. That’s a big celebration—we’re still standing side by side and still listening to each other. I think that’s more important than just playing in a band.
Personally, I really enjoyed going back to San Francisco and playing with fantastic bands like the noise genius Commode Minstrels in Bull Face and hardcore ace Greyhound. I was blown away. I’m happy San Francisco is still where the action is. That’s the reason I moved there in 1995.
Izzy: The way people make, release, and consume music has changed so much in the last 31 years. Many seasoned musicians admit they don’t have solid advice for younger artists because the landscape keeps shifting. But touring might be one constant—aside from costs. Do you have advice for bands just starting to tour?
Satomi: We’ve been lucky to have good people working with us. Touring is a big challenge. Have fun, and stay safe! Also, it’s important to stay good friends 24/7 on tour. I heard a story about a band that ditched one of their members at a gas station because they couldn’t stand him anymore. That’s bad. Be nice to each other!
Izzy: Have you had any favorite fan reactions to Noble and Godlike in Ruin? Critics love it, but fan responses tend to be more emotional—and sometimes more entertaining.
Satomi: There’ve been a lot of great reactions that made us happy. Smile emoji, heart emoji, fire emoji, wow emoji, crying emoji… lots and lots of that!
Izzy: I especially love “Kingtoe,” which you’ve been playing almost every night. How did that song come about?
Satomi: I love playing that one. Greg wrote it. It’s like four different catchy rhythms with broken melodies that interlock and break down—then the music starts working again. It reminds me of my favorite movie, Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times. The way that film shows machines devouring humans in a humorous, chaotic way really mirrors the song.
Izzy: Since the album draws on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, are there other favorite reimaginings of the novel that you love? I’m between Paul Verhoeven’s RoboCop and Paul Morrissey’s Flesh for Frankenstein. Musically, I’m all about the New York Dolls’ “Frankenstein.”
Satomi: That’s fun. I think of Pinocchio, and also Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy.
Izzy: What are some of the biggest differences in how you write and record now versus in the ’90s? Has there been a clear evolution, or is it totally different each album?
Satomi: Technology has advanced a lot since we used a four-track machine in the ’90s. Greg tweaked it so much that most of the knobs melted!
In 2025, we can record separately at home and send audio files to each other. We explore all kinds of ways to write music. This time, we listened to the audiobook of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein together while touring the UK last year. I was the only one who had actually read it back in high school. The others were surprised—it’s a really tragic story about a man-made human who’s actually sensitive and smart.
Izzy: You’ve been with Joyful Noise for nearly a decade now. It seems like such a cool label—I love their recent releases from CocoRosie, Finom, No Joy, and Tropical Fuck Storm. What’s it been like working with them?
Satomi: Cool! Joyful Noise has been really great to us. We talk almost every week about all kinds of things. They’re truly more than a label—they’re family.
Izzy: You’ve played Philadelphia a ton over the years—from First Unitarian Church in the 2000s, to Union Transfer in the 2010s, and more recently, Underground Arts. Do you have any favorite memories of the city?
Satomi: Philly kids are cool. They often talk to us at shows and say our music and values resonate with them—and that means a lot. We all care. We all connect. I’m very grateful.
Izzy: What can fans expect from the live show on this run—setlist-wise, production-wise, or otherwise?
Satomi: It’s 80–90% different songs from last year’s setlist. Great production. Ed got a new costume. Immigrants are welcome. NO ICE. NO MAGA hat.
Izzy: This year marks the 20th anniversary of The Runners Four. How do you feel about that record now? I know you haven’t played anything from it yet on this tour, but you’ve brought some of it out in recent years.
Satomi: I still feel pretty good about it! We might play something from The Runners Four on this tour. I’ll have to talk to the band about it.
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