David Vincent Discusses His Drinkin’ With The Devil Album, I Am Morbid And More!


David Vincent is letting his love of music take him in several directions this year, and it all begins this month. The legendary frontman will finally be releasing his outlaw country record, Drinkin’ With The Devil, to the masses, plus he recently announced his new I Am Morbid project. While it seems like the man may never sleep, as you’ll read in the interview below, he’s just having fun every day, and he’s more inspired than ever before.


Metal Mark: David, thanks for taking out the time to chat today. You are finally going to release the Drinkin’ With The Devil record, as well as play the first ever I Am Morbid shows this month, so how excited are you right now?

David Vincent: Good to hear from you Mark. It’s always a pleasure. Yea, I got a lot of stuff coming up, and I would say I’m as excited, as I am inspired at the moment right now. The Drinkin’ With The Devil record has been so much fun, and now it’s time to get out there and share the music with people. We shot a few music videos the other day for the record, and the album drops on the same day as my South By Southwest showcase on March 14th. So I’m geared up right now man. I’m excited as hell.

MM: I’m excited for you man. When we talked before, it seemed like people were still in that “holy shit David Vincent has an acoustic guitar and cowboy hat on” mode, but now that you’ve played more shows, and people have seen more footage, it seems like people are really digging what you’re doing.

DV: I do feel that way, but ya know, when you do something new and completely opposite of what you’re known for, people are going to react. It’s human nature. I knew people would be shocked, but ya know what, I’m having a blast with this new music. Once I moved to Texas, and immersed myself in this culture, it really had an affect on me, and I think people who hear this new music can hear that. Honestly, there is less hate than I expected (laughs). I think it’s because people can see that I’m doing something I love, and the music speaks for itself.

I’ll tell you this too, my folks are really happy about this stuff (laughs). They’ve always been very supportive of me in my musical journey, but they never really liked or understood the metal side of me. So when I showed them some stuff off of Drinkin’ With The Devil last Summer, they were ecstatic. It was really nice to see them smile at something I wrote for once (laughs). It’s not the reason I did it, but to see them enjoying this music was an added bonus for sure.

MM: It’s always good to make the parents happy, and you seem as happy as ever, which is all that matters. Let’s talk about the record for a bit, because people are excited as hell to hear it. We’ve seen you play originals and covers live, so what can we expect on the record? All originals?

DV: The record features mostly original songs that I wrote, but I do throw in some covers from artists that I like, and artists that inspire me. The thing about when I do covers, is that I make them mine. I’ve never understood the point of doing a cover just like it was, because that’s nothing new. There’s no creative process in that. It’s just flipping a burger. So I like to put my stamp on these songs, and bring new life into them. Music is very personal to me, so if a song connects with me, that’s everything. I’ve always been that way. I can hear someone going through the motions right away, but I can also hear someone that truly puts their heart and soul into it, and those are the songs that I want to cover, and make my own.

MM: At each of your shows, we’ve seen you perform alongside Danny B. Harvey and a backing band. Will they be featured on the record as well, or is this solely just on you?

DV: Danny is there on every song. He’s my partner on this, and it’s been that way since day one. We work so well together, and he’s a great friend, so he’s made this process go a lot easier than expected. Without him, I don’t know if this would be possible, but he’s been there for whatever I need, and we are having ourselves some fun.

MM: It seems like you guys have great chemistry from the videos online, but it’s time I get to see this live (laughs). You mentioned the South By Southwest performance earlier, but is there more touring in the works?

DV: We’ve got a lot of stuff in the works, but I’m just trying to focus on what’s ahead of me right now. Danny and I have a lot planned, but I also have a lot planned in the metal world as well. We are getting together shows for I Am Morbid, plus I have a special project planned that I wish I could tell you about. It’s going to be huge for metal fans, but I’m forced to be silent on it at the moment (laughs). Like I said, I’m staying busy man, and staying inspired. That’s what it’s all about.

MM: Yea I thought it was funny when the Drinkin’ With The Devil live video came out, and fans were like “Oh, he’s not metal anymore,” and then you announced I Am Morbid. The metal is still there!

DV: Totally. Like I said before, I get why people may have been taking back or surprised when the live videos from Texas came out, but I’m still a die-hard metal fan. Ever since I first heard Black Sabbath when I was six years old, it’s been in my blood. Even if I tried to not play or enjoy metal anymore, I don’t think it’d be possible. I created this path for myself many decades ago surrounding metal, and I’ve been fortunate enough to where it has now allowed me to do other things, and still be happy. What’s wrong with that? Nothing. I don’t let one thing define who I am, and I don’t think anyone else should either.

MM: I totally agree, and with the announcement of I Am Morbid, fans quickly realized that metal was going nowhere in your mind. I read in a recent interview that this project was talked about, even before the split with Morbid Angel last year. When exactly did this all come together?

DV: It’s been discussed off and on for a few years now, but as they say, actions speak louder than words. While it was exciting to discuss, it was held off for a few years until I decided to go through some personal changes in my life, and really absorb the possibility of it happening. I went ahead and focused on my roots music, but this kept lingering, and now it’s time for I Am Morbid to finally happen.

MM: I Am Morbid is confirmed to play only material from the first four Morbid Angel albums, and so the set list must be a pain in the ass. There are a ton of hits, but I know you want to bring out songs you haven’t played in a while too.

DV: Yea, like everything I do, I want to make this special. This is very different from Morbid Angel. If you want to see a Morbid Angel show, you know where to go, but this isn’t it. I’m only going to be performing songs that I wrote on this tour. If I didn’t write it, we aren’t playing it. We are going to throw in things, here or there, to make things more unique, but it’s going to be one brutal show. I can promise you that.

MM: With this lineup, how could it not be? We know what you and Tim are capable of from your years with Morbid Angel, but why were Bill and Ira the right choices for this?

DV: I’ve been friends with Bill and Ira for many years now, so it just made sense. This will actually be the first time I’ve ever performed with Ira, so that’ll be awesome. These two guys can absolutely shred on the guitar, and anyone who’s seen them play can attest to that. They both come from different backgrounds as I do, but that makes it cool. They are able to bring something new to the group, and man, our practices have been incredible so far.

MM: Plus having Tim behind the kit doesn’t hurt.

DV: No, not at all (laughs). First and foremost, Tim is a great guy and a great friend. We get along really well, and we have a great chemistry when we perform together. When he hit me up about playing again, it was a no-brainer to bring him along. In my opinion, he is, one of, if not the most talented drummer out there. You’ve seen him play, you know. The guy is just a monster behind the kit, and he can do so much more than people know. He really takes on any challenge musically, and doesn’t even blink. It’s kind of scary how good he is, but it’s a great thing for this band. Plus, he’s just as excited to get out there as I am, so we are ready to hit that stage. Once the first I Am Morbid shows are done, we’ll figure out what the future holds, but we are going bring a true death metal assault to stages this year. That’s a promise.

MM: David, thanks again for taking out the time today. It’s always a great time catching up with you, and best of luck with your busy 2017. I hope to see you at some point this year!

DV: Thank you for the continuous support Mark. You’ve always been a huge supporter of what I do, and it’s great appreciated. I’m very thankful at my age to have people interested in what I’m doing. I know what I’ve accomplished over the years, but I also know how the industry is, so to still be alive in it, and having fun, it’s a cool thing.

Like I said before, there is some more big news coming soon, so stay tuned. This year is going to be a busy one, but that’s a good thing. When I’m bored, it’s no good, and I don’t intend of being bored for a long time.

Pre-order Drinkin’ With The Devil today!

For more details on I Am Morbid, head to their official Facebook page!