Doomed Confessionary: Matt, Tyler, Josh & Adam (Old Deer)
Old Deer is a sludge/mathcore/noise rock quartet from Denver, Colorado. The band consists of Matt (guitar, vocals), Tyler (guitar), Josh (bass) and Adam (drums).
They are about to release their first full-length, »Someone In The House«, which will see the light on November 7th, 2025. Drawing from a wide swath of heavy sounds, the corners of »Someone In The House« hold notes of sludge, doom, and post-metal, woven into foundations of blistering mathcore, noise rock, and post-hardcore.
Chameleon vocalist Matt Conlee delivers harrowing, ear-shredding screams, weaponizing his vocal cords for visceral impact one moment before laying down deep, melodic cleans the next. In similarly shape-shifting fashion, the guitars and drums reel between brutal hardcore pummel and dizzying, spidery progressions owing as much to jazz as to math and noise.
Old Deer have concocted a heady, frightening brew of dangerous sonics and ill intent on »Someone In The House«, and dare listeners to take refuge within.
Can you please say a few words about your band?
Tyler: I love that people often do not know what to expect from us when we step foot on stage. We have a sort of tongue-in-cheek and personalized approach to our set which I think makes us accessible to our audience but also allows us to be unpredictable in our antics.
Josh: Corny sensations and broken sounds.
Adam: Listening to us is relatively harmless and perfectly legal in many US states.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Josh: Being in a band is like herding cats.
Tyler: Remaining on the same page creatively, maintaining motivation, and keeping priorities straight across four minds and bodies is tough sometimes. Not to mention scheduling and changes in people’s lives outside of this project.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Tyler: This album has been in the works for a long time, and I’m very excited to present our little audio baby to the world. We have really stepped up our efforts and passions to craft a creative space that breeds equal parts silliness and gnarly sludgy music.
Josh: Winning the 2024 iRacing Daytona 24. And the new album.
Adam: Looking back, the work we’ve put in over the last year is crazy. We recorded an album, then filmed four music videos, then put together a plan to release everything as well as order new merch and plan a bunch of shows. All the while maintaining a social media presence, and of course, our own personal lives and jobs. I think that’s definitely something to be proud of.
Matt: That we do exactly what we want to do artistically.
What was your biggest regret?
Josh: None. Yolo.
Tyler: I cannot believe that 9-year-old me didn’t realize that Pokemon cards would be so valuable nowadays. Would’ve had a fortune, dang it!
Adam: Not being alive during the 80’s. Man, that thrash was tasty.
Matt: No regerts.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Josh: Old Deer @ Lost Lake Denver CO. It was just supposed to be a warmup show and turned out to be fantastic.
Tyler: Yeah, the most recent show at Lost Lake was not only a huge turnout full of friends and strangers alike, but it was also a chance for us to rip up the stage with our good friends in DEADGODS again. We also made some new connections and the response to the performance was very validating, at least for me!
Adam: Lost Lake definitely stands out, but they’ve all been pretty good.
Matt: Lost Lake or 7th Circle for our first release show.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Josh: Great music exists and great music is created daily. You just have to spend 5 minutes to find it.
Tyler: Trying to find space to load in your gear and park your car in downtown Denver is an absolute nightmare, but it’s all worth it when you get to experience the crazy supportive community that we’ve met so far. People approaching us and giving their praise for our art is still surreal to us and we love sharing it with those who come out to support.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Josh: Syntheosis, Opeth, and Blind Guardian.
Tyler: Primitive Man, Body Void, Sissy Spacek (the grindcore band, not the actress-turned-singer), and always The Black Dahlia Murder.
Adam: The Faceless, Archspire, Dethklok, Meshuggah, Britney Spears.
Matt: Crippling Alcoholism, Deafheaven, Down I Go, and Oathbreaker.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Josh: “You’re not done with music.. you’re just… recharging”
Tyler: We make music for ourselves, and if people vibe with it then that’s a bonus.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Tyler: Vintage Magic: the Gathering cards, depraved noisegrind music, and Marijuana that tastes like lemons.
Josh: Synthwave.
Adam: Trivium, junk food, true crime.
Matt: PG Tips and YouTube clips.
Can you say something more about the current music scene in Denver?
Josh: The Denver music scene is thriving. No joke. It’s great.
Tyler: There’s so much cool stuff from traditional to experimental and so many talented people in this town. We are so ready to talk about getting Old Deer on the road and getting our claws in other scenes and seeing what those fine people have to offer.
Adam: We’re all pretty mad that we can’t afford groceries, and I think that brings people together, so the scene is great!
Matt: Good bands, good fans, good venues, shitty parking.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
Josh: Our remaining shows in Denver are Oct 24th at the Roxy Theater and Nov 1 at Mutiny Information Cafe with the mighty Moon Pussy. Tickets are still only $10 until the day of the show if you Venmo us directly (@OldDeerBand). We’ll have new merch options and the first copies of our brand new album!
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Josh: Immediately to start writing again. Shows outside of our region.
Tyler: I know Josh has a stretch goal of getting a music video made to accompany every track on the new record. We are already halfway done so I think that is a very attainable thing for us in the near future. If you haven’t seen our new videos, I think they are sweet and you should go watch them – perhaps with a nice cup of coffee and some good weed.
Adam: Write some new tunes and make some more ear holes happy.
How can people best support your band?
Josh: Find us on the socials! Find us on Bandcamp!!
Tyler: Please check out »Someone In The House«, streaming everywhere Nov. 7th. We worked really hard on it and quite frankly I’ll cry if you don’t listen to it. I’ll know.
Adam: Come out to live shows. Ours or anyone else’s. Never let live music die. Tyler WILL cry for several more minutes if you let live music die.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well