• 2001-2006, 2011-

  Sebastien GraingerVocals, drums

  Jesse F. KeelerGuitar, bass
• The members Death From Above 1979 have said that they met at a Sonic Youth concert, but that may or may not be true. As a joke, the band likes to make up stories about where they met. Some of the places they've told journalists they met include in prison, on a pirate ship, and at a gay bar. The band claims they also lived together in an empty funeral home at one time.
• Death From Above bassist Jesse F. Keeler is known for being very reclusive. Keeler lives in the East York area of Toronto with his wife and daughter, but stays out of the public eye whenever possible. He even records in his home studio to avoid being seen around Toronto.
• The group released their first EP under the band name Death From Above. They soon discovered that the name belonged to James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem. Apparently, Murphy had been using the name for a side project for quite some time. After a legal dispute with New York label DFA Records, Death From Above was forced to add "1979" to their moniker. In 2017, the band reverted back to their original Death from Above name.
• On August 3, 2006, bassist Jesse F. Keeler announced that the band had officially broken up. He claimed they had decided to split nearly a year before but did one last tour so that the people around them could earn enough money to cover Christmas presents for their families. The reason for the split was disputes over musical style and creativity.
• Death From Above 1979 vocalist/drummer Sebastien Grainger is the co-owner of a music studio. He part owns Giant Studios in Toronto, Ontario with Jimmy Shaw from the popular Canadian indie rock band Metric.
• Sebastien Grainger played drums on the K-OS song "Sunday Morning." He also appears in the song's video, playing the part of a homeless man recruited to play drums in the rapper's band.
• Keeler produced and composed tracks for the Mortal Kombat movie reboot.
• They've oscillated between the names Death From Above 1979 and Death From Above. Asked by NME for the duo's reasons for dropping the '1979' from their name, Keeler replied: "A couple of years ago we dropped it from our tour posters. No one noticed so we kept doing it."
  
  Grainger added: "The final straw was when I was making the art for our single 'Freeze Me.' I wanted to write the name out in ice, so I went on Amazon and ordered an ice cube tray in the alphabet. It came and there were no numbers. That was that."
• It took a while, but they established a rapport in their songwriting that keeps them on the same page. "We're also at a point where we can complete each other's sentences in songwriting," Grainger told Songfacts in 2021. "That wasn't always the case. At the beginning, I just took whatever he gave me and went, 'OK. I'll write on that.' But now we're comfortable enough with one another musically that we can interchange."

Comments

More Songfacts:

Goodbye Yellow Brick RoadElton John

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is one of the few Bernie Taupin lyrics that is more about him than Elton John. The song is about giving up glitz for the simple life - not exactly Elton's M.O.

PhotographEd Sheeran

Ed Sheeran thought he wrote the x track "Photograph" on 6th Street in Denver, so he got a tattoo saying 6 ST. But when he returned it turned out the street was actually 6th Avenue.

Hunger StrikeTemple of the Dog

"Hunger Strike" by Temple of the Dog features Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder, and was Vedder's first music video.

Crazy TrainOzzy Osbourne

"Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne is about the Cold War concept of Mutually Assured Destruction (M.A.D.) should any nuclear missile be fired.

Without YouNilsson

The song "Without You," a hit for Nilsson in 1972 and Mariah Carey in 1994, was written and originally recorded by Badfinger in 1970.

Freedom Of ChoiceDevo

The Devo song "Freedom Of Choice" is about mindless consumerism - how people like to make frivolous choices, but otherwise want to be told what to do.

Editor's Picks

Leslie West of MountainSongwriter Interviews

From the cowbell on "Mississippi Queen" to recording with The Who when they got the wrong Felix, stories from one of rock's master craftsmen.

WeezerFact or Fiction

Did Rivers Cuomo grow up on a commune? Why did they name their albums after colors? See how well you know your Weezer in this Fact or Fiction.

Have Mercy! It's Wolfman JackSong Writing

The story of the legendary lupine DJ through the songs he inspired.

Richard MarxSongwriter Interviews

Richard explains how Joe Walsh kickstarted his career, and why he chose Hazard, Nebraska for a hit.

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"They're Playing My Song

The first of Billy's five #1 hits was the song that propelled Madonna to stardom. You'd think that would get you a backstage pass, wouldn't you?

Charlie Benante of AnthraxSongwriter Interviews

The drummer for Anthrax is also a key songwriter. He explains how the group puts their songs together and tells the stories behind some of their classics.