Dead Pioneers vocalist, Gregg Deal, Indigenous artist of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, started Dead Pioneers as an extension to a performance piece titled “The Punk Pan-Indian Romantic Comedy”. With the intent to create original music for this performance piece, the band was born! Dead Pioneers is guitarists Josh Rivera and Abe Brennan, drummer Shane Zweygardt and bassist Lee Tesche (who is also lead guitarist for Algiers), with Gregg Deal on vocals. “We are together in all we do.” explains Deal. “Our process is one of unity and no ego. Obviously I wouldn’t be here without them. The shared vision is paramount to making this work properly.”
They have now released the first single ‘My Spirit Animal Ate Your Spirit Animal’ from their upcoming second album, PO$T AMERICAN out 11 April 2025 on Hassle Records. Gregg Deal says of the single:
“In a world chock full of both macro- and microaggressions, the overarching concept of cultural appropriation is frequently overlooked, lost in the systemic consumption and theft of culture, wares, and even religious or spiritual practices. Appropriation is frequently done in the so-called spirit of “honour” or “inspired by,” with no restitution for the Indigenous people these things are frequently taken from. The song’s title highlights and demeans the concept and use of “spirit animals” carelessly taken from Native communities. Their use is rooted in stereotype and racism. Jabbing at it in the title serves to draw you in—the song will eventually take you out.
‘My Spirit Animal Ate Your Spirit Animal’ is scathing, funny, and, above all, honest. It covers ground, from the assertion that taking anything from Native culture without permission is thievery, to observing that one of our great Indigenous actors, Lily Gladstone, was robbed of the Best Actress Award at the 2024 Oscars. The sentiments throughout the song are a big middle finger to the dismissiveness of Native issues like existence, representation, and the continued thriving—and surviving!—of our living and breathing culture.
There is a lot that informs the content of “Spirit Animal”. Cultural references, of course, but the social and political reference is in place. Additionally, there are some musical influences throughout, but lyrically? There is a nice little Idles reference in there. I’ve been obsessively listening to Idles for the last 5 years. Idles is one of those bands that gives me hope for the future of music. How could I not nod in their direction? That you can somehow “be us”—while actively ignoring your privilege, the problematic aspects of your consumption of our culture, likeness, and overall existence—is an incorrect assumption. Strange that this needs to be said out loud, but pretending to be an Indigenous person of a colonized land isn’t okay. Colonialism coming full circle is marginalized communities that managed to survive a settler colonial American Genocide only to have their identities co-opted by the very forces (or their descendants) that nearly eliminated them.
This is the first single for our imminent LP PO$T AMERICAN—it was an easy choice. Our writing and recording sessions tend to go quick, in general. “My Spirit Animal Ate Your Spirit Animal” is no different. It came together in a day. It’s always nice when that happens. But some songs, in addition to emerging with alacrity, foster a spirit of electric anticipation as well. This is one of those songs. You can sometimes tell when you’ve got a banger on your hands—something catchy, rocking, and thoughtful. You might not think the topic of cultural appropriation screams first single material, but we think it does. It’s a commentary on representation, equality, injustice, murder, consumption, class war, historical malfeasance, identity assertion, and colonial oppression.
That’s a perfect place for our new record to start.”
Dead Pioneers will be opening for Pennywise on their Reconstruction Tour next May in Europe.
Dead Pioneers Live Dates
Reconstruction Tour opening for Pennywise
May
16 – ES Barcelona, Poble Español
17 – IT Milan, Carroponte
18 – CH Zürich, X-tra
20 – SI Ljubljana, Kino Siska
21 – AT Vienna, Arena Open Air
23 – DE Augsburg, Gaswerk Open Air
24 – BE Berendrecht, Booswegske
25 – DE Wiesbaden, Schlachthof
27 – DE Cologne, Live Music Hall
28 – NL Amsterdam, Melkweg
29 – DE Hamburg, Docks
31- DE Berlin, Zitadelle Spandau
For more information on Dead Pioneers please check their facebook and instagram.