Echo Rebel Artist Feature: Dinosaur Death Pose – Apocalypse in Stereo
Loud. Fun. Apocalyptic. That’s how the Dundee-based four-piece describe themselves — and after hearing their cinematic concept EP No Sign of Life, it’s hard to argue. Dinosaur Death Pose are one of those rare bands that manage to channel chaos into clarity, weaving heavy riffs and punk energy into something raw, melodic, and emotionally honest. But before the broken broadcast interludes and scorched-earth sonics, this band was just four mates jamming in a room for the love of it. We caught up with the crew to dive into their origin story, creative obsessions, and what comes after the fallout.
Meet the Creatures Behind the Chaos
So, who exactly makes up Dinosaur Death Pose — and what does each member bring to the table (besides noise and riffs)?
John Edwards takes the mic and rhythm guitar, Daryl Robertson handles lead guitar and production, Connor Reilly holds down the low end on bass, and Simon Cruickshank commands the drums. Daryl’s described as the creative engine — he’s the main songwriter and also the one behind the artwork and production — but they all insist it’s a fully collaborative process. “We work things out together in the room,” they explain, “bouncing ideas off one another and won’t move on until we’re all happy.”
If we threw you all into a post-apocalyptic bunker with only three albums each, what would your survival soundtrack look like?
Connor’s going for …And Out Come the Wolves (Rancid), Ace of Spades (Motörhead), and The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.
Si would bring Employment (Kaiser Chiefs), Riot! (Paramore), and From Under the Cork Tree (Fall Out Boy).
John keeps things classic with Rumours (Fleetwood Mac), The Division Bell (Pink Floyd), and Revolver (The Beatles).
Daryl? The Colour and the Shape (Foo Fighters), Smash (The Offspring), and Good Apollo I’m Burning Star IV (Coheed and Cambria).
When did it feel like you were officially a “real” band?
They laugh at the idea. “Honestly, we still don’t really feel like a real band. We’re super casual. We don’t rehearse as much as we should, and we don’t gig as often as we could. It’s more of a creative outlet — we jam for fun, make music because we love it, and this EP just kind of grew out of that.”
Who’s the most chaotic in rehearsals? And who keeps the chaos in check?
No hesitation here: “Si is the chaos — but drummers usually are, right?” Daryl gets the honour (or burden) of being the band parent, reigning everyone back in when the jams go full Metallica.
And offstage? What fills your time when you’re not making music?
Daryl writes for Guitar World, MusicRadar, and Guitar Player. John’s a landscape gardener. Connor and Si both work in the bar industry. Comics are a big shared love between Daryl and Connor, while Si’s surprisingly obsessed with golf — and even more obsessed with Pringles.
Was the sound always going to be this intense and heavy?
Not intentionally. “It mutated,” they say. “The sound is a mix of everything we love — heavy riffs, catchy choruses, punk energy. The intensity just came naturally.”
And who’s most likely to accidentally set something on fire at a gig?
“Si again. No hesitation. He’s a liability.”
A World Without Signals: The No Sign of Life Concept
Let’s dive into the EP. No Sign of Life is a full-blown concept record. Where did the idea come from?
“It came from wanting the release to feel like more than just a bunch of songs,” says Daryl. “We’re all into comics, books, films — the idea of a story that linked our songs felt exciting.” He credits Sweet Tooth as a major influence on the tone.
Were the broadcast-style interludes always part of the plan?
“They actually came later,” they explain. “The songs were already written, but we realised the themes were all connected — and if we tied them together with broken transmissions, it suddenly felt like a world.”
Is there a defined storyline listeners should follow — or is it open to interpretation?
“There’s definitely a full story in there — but it’s not linear. Think of it like scattered diary pages from different survivors. We like that people might interpret it differently.”
Were real-world experiences part of the inspiration too?
“All of the above. Dystopian films, politics, personal chaos — but most importantly, the songs are personal. Chasing Ghosts is about fear of moving on. Hurricane is about losing your footing. Whispers isn’t really about a monster — it’s about running from your own demons.”
It’s clear the emotional weight runs deep. What were you processing when making this?
“Life, mostly,” Daryl says. “The usual end-of-the-world-in-your-own-head kind of stuff.”
Is No Sign of Life the start of a longer story? Or a one-off concept?
“We’re not sure yet. We’d love to expand the world — but we also love the idea of doing something totally different next. We’re even talking about an alien theme for the next release.”
Building After the Collapse
What’s next now that the EP is out?
“A bit of everything,” they say. “We want to write more, maybe release stripped-down versions of the songs, and definitely gig more. We’re also playing with bringing the concept into the live show — integrating the radio segments and building an atmosphere onstage.”
How does the live show differ from the recordings? Are you bringing the concept to the stage?
“Right now, it’s more about raw energy and fun — just plugging in and letting loose,” they say. “But we haven’t performed the concept live yet. We’re starting to build that into the show now, thinking about how to work in the radio transmissions and make the stage feel like a continuation of the world we built on the record.”
Any dream venues or wild ambitions?
“The Barrowlands in Glasgow. Hands down. Iconic, loud, packed with history. Just thinking about hearing one of our riffs echo off those walls is enough to keep us going.”
If someone hears Dinosaur Death Pose for the first time today — what do you want them to walk away with?
“If a chorus gets stuck in their head, then we’ve done our job.”
Dino Data Card
- Band Members: John Edwards (Vocals/Guitar), Daryl Robertson (Guitar), Connor Reilly (Bass), Simon Cruickshank (Drums)
- Hometown: Dundee, Scotland
- Top 3 Desert Island Albums: See bunker picks above ☢️
- Favourite Gear: Daryl loves weird pedals. John’s Gibson SG is his weapon of choice. Si swears by his cymbals.
- First Gig Ever: A tiny DIY space with borrowed gear and nerves through the roof.
- Dream Venue: Barrowlands, Glasgow
- Weird Fact: Si is equally passionate about golf and Pringles. Truly unhinged.
Echo Rebel Summary
After catching up with the guys from Dinosaur Death Pose, one thing is absolutely clear: this band isn’t short on ideas — or heart. Behind the post-apocalyptic aesthetics and cinematic scope lies a creative unit full of humour, honesty, and raw passion for music-making.
They may joke about not being a “real” band, but make no mistake — what they’re building is very real. No Sign of Life is more than an EP; it’s a creative statement that blends world-building with vulnerability, and riffs with resonance. It’s DIY done with brains and guts.
We talked concept records, broken transmissions, chaotic jam sessions. Whether it’s a dystopian live show or an alien-themed sequel, Dinosaur Death Pose are dreaming big and laughing loud while doing it.
There’s something undeniably magnetic about a band that doesn’t take themselves too seriously, yet still manages to deliver a project this layered and emotionally potent. If they can build an apocalypse this compelling from scratch, imagine what comes next.
Echo Rebel sees it — a bright, bold future full of strange stages, sonic experiments, and maybe one day… a full-blown Dinosaur Death Pose: The Musical. We’d buy front-row tickets.
