You know that feeling when you stumble onto a band that sounds like they’re trying to rip their own skin off just to show you what’s underneath? That’s the Dead Poet Society band experience. It’s messy. It’s loud. Honestly, it’s a bit of a sonic panic attack that somehow makes you feel more centered by the time the track ends.
They aren't from some storied rock scene in Seattle or London. They actually started at Berklee College of Music in Boston around 2011. Now, usually, Berklee bands are... well, they're precise. They're clinical. They play every note exactly where it’s "supposed" to go. But Jack Underkofler (vocals/guitar), Jack Collins (guitar), Will Goodroad (drums), and Nick Taylor (bass) took all that high-level musical education and decided to use it to break things.
The first time I heard "Coquetish," I thought my headphones were glitching. The guitars sounded like they were mourning something, sliding around notes with this weird, fretless elasticity. It turns out, that’s exactly what was happening. They use fretless guitars. It’s a small detail, but it’s the DNA of their entire sound.
The Fretless "Secret Sauce" of Dead Poet Society Band
Most rock bands are bound by the frets on a neck. You press down, you get a solid note. It’s safe. It's predictable. The Dead Poet Society band threw that out. By using fretless instruments, they can slide between notes in a way that feels almost human—or animalistic. It gives their music this unsettling, microtonal quality that sticks in your brain because your ears aren't used to hearing rock music played that way.
It’s technical, sure. But it doesn’t feel like a math project.
Jack Underkofler’s voice is the anchor. He can go from a breathy, vulnerable whisper to a glass-shattering falsetto in about four seconds. It reminds me a bit of Jeff Buckley if he grew up listening to Royal Blood and Muse, but even that comparison feels like a disservice. There’s a specific kind of desperation in his delivery. He’s not just singing lyrics; he’s pleading.
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Why "-!" Was Such a Massive Pivot
When they released their debut full-length album, –! (pronounced "The Exclamation Mark"), in 2021, it felt like a declaration. Before that, they had EPs like Axiom and Dempsey, which were great, but –! was different. It was an album about the chaos of being in your twenties and realizing that nobody actually knows what they’re doing.
Take a track like ".intoodeep." It’s a groove-heavy monster. But then you have ".getaway.," which feels like driving a car off a cliff in slow motion. The production is dry and in-your-face. You can hear the pick hitting the strings. You can hear the room. In an era where so much rock is polished until it looks like chrome, this band sounds like rusted iron.
They moved to Los Angeles, which is basically the cliché move for every aspiring band, right? But for them, it wasn't about the parties. It was about the pressure. LA has a way of chewing people up, and you can hear that tension in their newer work. They aren't writing "sunny California" anthems. They’re writing about the dark side of ambition.
Breaking Down the FISSION Era
If –! was the introduction, their 2024 follow-up, FISSION, is the autopsy. This album is heavy. Not just "turn up the distortion" heavy, but emotionally heavy.
Songs like "Running in Circles" and "Hurt" show a band that has spent too much time on the road and too much time in their own heads. The track "81nd7" (Blind) is a perfect example of how they use rhythm. It’s not a straight 4/4 beat that you’d hear on the radio. It’s jagged. It forces you to pay attention. You can’t just put the Dead Poet Society band on as background music while you do your taxes. It demands you feel something, even if that something is a little uncomfortable.
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Honestly, the lyrics on FISSION hit differently. Underkofler talks about the breakdown of relationships and the breakdown of the self. There’s a line in "How Could I?" that basically guts me every time. It’s raw. It’s the kind of songwriting that makes you want to text your ex and then immediately throw your phone into a lake.
The Live Show: Where the Hype Meets the Reality
I’ve seen them live in small, sweaty clubs. That’s where you see the Berklee training actually pay off. They are incredibly tight. A lot of bands that use "weird" sounds in the studio can’t recreate it on stage. They end up relying on backing tracks or just sounding like a mess.
Not these guys.
The energy is frantic. Nick Taylor’s bass playing is physical. He doesn't just play the lines; he attacks the instrument. And because of those fretless guitars, the live sound has this swirling, psychedelic edge that you don't expect from a "hard rock" band. They’ve toured with bands like Biffy Clyro and Badflower, and honestly, they usually end up being the band people are talking about at the merch table afterward.
Common Misconceptions About the Band
People see the name "Dead Poet Society" and they immediately think of Robin Williams and prep schools. It’s a bit of a hurdle.
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- No, they aren't a movie tribute band. They chose the name because it represented a certain kind of artistic freedom, but they've grown far beyond the literary reference.
- They aren't "Prog Rock." While they are technical, they care way more about the hook and the "vibe" than showing off how many time signatures they can cram into a song.
- They aren't just for "alt" kids. Their sound crosses over into blues, soul, and straight-up heavy metal.
It's hard to pin them down. If you like Highly Suspect’s early stuff or the grit of Queens of the Stone Age, you’ll probably dig them. But they have this "it" factor that feels more modern. It’s rock music for people who are tired of rock music sounding like it’s stuck in 1994.
The Real Impact of Digital Growth
They didn't get famous because a radio station played them on repeat. They grew through word of mouth and Spotify algorithms that realized if you like "gritty" and "emotional," you’re going to love them.
"In such a crowded space, how does a band stand out?" That's the question everyone asks. For the Dead Poet Society band, the answer was authenticity. That sounds like a marketing buzzword, but in their case, it means they didn't polish away the flaws. They left the weird noises in. They kept the lyrics that felt almost too personal to share.
How to Get Into Their Discography Without Getting Overwhelmed
If you’re just starting out, don't just hit "shuffle" on everything. There’s a flow to how they evolved.
- Start with "Coquetish." It’s the quintessential sound of the band. If you don’t like that guitar slide, you might not like the rest.
- Move to ".intoodeep." This is their "hit." It’s catchy, it’s heavy, and it shows off Jack’s vocal range perfectly.
- Listen to "Running in Circles" from FISSION. This is the mature version of the band. It’s more atmospheric and layered.
- Watch a live session. Look up their Audiotree Live session on YouTube. Seeing them play these songs in a room together changes how you hear the studio recordings. You realize there’s no "studio magic"—they just actually play that well.
The Future: Where Do They Go From Here?
Rock is in a weird place right now. It's not the dominant genre on the charts, but the live scene is exploding. The Dead Poet Society band is positioned perfectly because they don't sound like a legacy act. They sound like the future of the genre—merging technical proficiency with the kind of raw, unfiltered emotion that Gen Z and Millennials actually care about.
They are currently touring heavily and building a cult following that is incredibly loyal. You don't just "kind of" like this band. You either haven't heard of them, or they are your favorite band.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans and New Listeners
- Check the fretless gear: If you're a guitar nerd, look into the specific builds Jack Collins uses. He’s been known to use modified instruments that allow for those signature slides.
- Support the physical media: Their vinyl pressings for FISSION are stunning and often include artwork that deepens the "story" of the album.
- Catch them in a small venue: Before they start playing arenas (and they likely will), see them in a club. The intimacy of their sound is best experienced when you’re five feet away from the amps.
- Follow the lyrics: Dive into the lyrics of "I'm Not Selling Out" to get a glimpse into their philosophy on the music industry. It’s a bit of a meta-commentary on their journey so far.
The Dead Poet Society band isn't trying to be the "saviors of rock." They're just trying to be honest. And in 2026, that’s a lot more interesting than a polished radio hit.