Mad Decent is a punk dub rock band from Burnaby, BC with a confident sound that can get wickedly heavy. Probably best known for their fearless stage presence, the band is still something of a hobby to its four founding members… but after sweeping victories on the Van Sessions stage, we’re hoping the members of Mad Decent are going to make a go of it.



Having played with other rising Vancouver bands like Good for Grapes, Mad Decent has earned a strong following on their local scene. Last year they won 2nd place in the Band on the Run series, and did it again at the Van Sessions this Fall. In November Mad Decent returned to take on the next round of competitors and grabbed 1st place, winning 12 hours of recording time at EarArt studios to lay down their tracks!

Mad Decent hasn't looked back since, and will next hit the Road to CMW at The Roxy on February 16th, 2012. The winner will play Toronto's Hard Rock Cafe for a showcase during CMW 2012, and if anyone deserves the opportunity it's a talented outfit like this one.

As they gear up for this huge performance, we managed to grab the band for a quick interview with Marco and the other bandmates...

Introducing Mad Decent:

Zac "shitstorm" McMillan - vocals

Mitch "the bullet" Santaga - bass

Nik "slimjim" Dagsvik - guitar

Marco "di spirit of sound" Di Spirito - drums


So what got you where you stand as a band today?

Marco: Zac and Mitch were friends since elementary school and introduced themselves to Marco in Grade 8. We formed a band but eventually the band fell apart; until Nik moved to Burnaby and started going to school with us in grade 11. Eventually Nik and Zac started a duo, Mitch joined them on bass, and they asked me to fill in on drums a few weeks later. We instantly started having fun again, and that's how the band was born. Now we're pretty okay.

As it stands today, we're sort of uncertain about where we are as a band. Nik and I are in school full time, with Mitch and Zac also working. That being said, we all know that we love playing in this band together. I think that eventually we'll be staring a decision in the face - whether we're going to make a full time commitment to the band and try to take it somewhere, or to keep treating it as a hobby. For now, we're just having fun doing what we're doing and taking things as they come.

It seems to be working out... How would you describe your music?

Our sound is created using a really weird combination of influential ingredients. Zac listens to hip-hop and blues rock, while Nik listens to mainly punk and ska. Mitch and I share a common love of metal - particularly Lamb of God - but Mitch enjoys a lot of folk... and Taylor Swift. I come from a classical and jazz background, and now I'm into a lot of heavier stuff. Put all that together and you somehow get Mad Decent's sound.

I think the sound is mainly derived from Nik's songwriting on guitar, while Zac's lyrics and singing obviously play a huge part in defining the band. One band all four of us love is Coheed and Cambria. We also sound nothing like them. Yup.

So in terms of music in general, is there such a thing as ‘bad’ music?

Quite a touchy topic. We think that as long as there are people who love and enjoy certain music, it's not bad - whether it's radio-friendly R&B or death metal. HOWEVER, I'm not saying in any way that the number of fans of a certain artist or style is correlated with how "good" that music is. I won't give bad music a definition, but maybe a definition I'd give good music is music that inspires other musicians to make more music.

So what is the most rewarding thing about playing music?

Marco: I play music for myself, so for me the most rewarding thing is just the feeling I get while we're playing together. Whether it's just a jam session or playing in front of a crowd, I get the same high from being able to create this kind of music in the moment. All that being said, having people tell you they loved your song or your set is really rewarding and is always a great motivator.

Zac: The most rewarding things for me are setting foot on stage, and the feeling I get when I'm writing and when a song comes together the way I hoped.

Nik: The pussy.

Mitch: I get to hang out with my friends all the time.

Hmm, a variety of benefits then. What is the biggest challenge faced by new artists?

The emergence of social media and online networking has made it a lot easier for bands to get their name out there in our generation. However, we feel that the sheer number of bands and other artists out there provide the biggest challenge for a new artist. No matter how hard you work, sometimes it comes down to just being lucky.

Very true. How did your band find Supernova?

Zac stumbled upon Supernova on craigslist. We'd tell other bands about what Supernova did for us - gave us a solid start (our first few shows as a band were Supernova shows) and provided a great opportunity to gain some experience dealing with the challenges of playing a show, as well as win some great prizes.



So far, what is your most memorable moment as a band?

I think all of us agree that going into EarArt studios and putting together our first professional-quality recording with Tim Neuhaus was really memorable, mainly because Tim did such a good job. Playing a show with our great friends Good for Grapes was also an awesome experience.

Any other Artists who you’d consider ‘mentors’?

Zac: Our mutual friend Seth David Duncan, who challenges me every time I play with him.

Nik: My stepfather, for teaching me guitar.

Mitch: Jean-Luc Tatto, he knew all the scales.

Marco: My high school jazz band teacher, Ingrid Balchen, was probably the biggest mentor in my music life. I've had a ton of music teachers, and most of them were amazing, but none really mentored me like Ms. Balchen did. She constantly gave me advice about the reality of the music industry and what I'd be facing in the future. Her playing also inspired me to pick up the saxophone in grade 10. I always had musical instrument ADD, and she was always totally supportive of it.

As potential mentors yourselves, what advice would you give to fellow 'indie' artists?

Be bold and wear a rubber. Indie chicks tend to get around.

Haha... better safe than sorry, anyway. Is there anything else that new listeners should know about your band?

Our music is known to satisfy women in ways their boyfriends and husbands cannot (or will not).


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Mad Decent is currently waiting on the fan voting results from their most recent gig at The Biltmore where they tore it up the Van Sessions Finals. Whatever the outcome, this band has come a long way over the past year in tuning their sets to perfection; the fans love it!

If you missed the show, fear not! You can catch the punked up dub rock energy of Mad Decent LIVE at The Roxy, as the band competes in the Road to CMW on February 16th, 2012.

Come support these talented young artists as they play to win an industry showcase at Toronto’s Hard Rock Café for CMW 2012!