The Devil Wears Prada are one of those bands that have always strived in moving forward, be that in the studio or on the road there never seems to be a dull moment! Having been around since 2005 and with their first album under their belt the following year they quickly established themselves as one of the most successful and foundational bands of the genre with the likes of “Plagues” and ‘With Roots Above And Branches Below” still holding up to this day. 

With such a rich history in the scene, it was a treat to catch up with the vocalist of The Devil Wears Prada, Mike Hranica ahead of their show at the Electric Brixton, London in support of Landmvrks to chat literature, tour life and even an exclusive teaser on a potential follow up to their EP ZII!

by George Read | 22nd May, 2024

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“Hey, what’s up! This is Mike Hranica from The Devil Wears Prada. So my favourite venue I’ve ever been to. It’s got to be tough. It would probably be something over here. Europe, I think, treats with us with much more hospitality than commonly in the United States. But I don’t know. There’s definitely been some good ones, I’ll have to think on it.”

What are three records that changed your perspective on music? 

Three important records to me. I always kind of go to ‘Turn on the Bright Lights’ by Interpol. I would certainly say ‘Out O Step’ from Minor Threat. Another one, maybe ‘Whodini’ by The Melvins. That one’s definitely up there for me. 

Can you share three new artists at the moment that you just can’t get enough of? 

“Recently, there’s a Brooklyn band called Model/Actriz. Not exactly sure how to say it, but I just saw a poster. They’re coming over here. They put out a record called ‘Dogsbody’. It’s really good. In terms of something newer or up-and-comers. Man, I’m at a blank. This is what happens at the end of the tour. I just snagged Sideline to, which is a project from Stephen O’Malley. I’m a big fan of, and I think that collaboration with this dude, I think is Francois is a newer thing, although Steven is anything but an up-and-coming artist. So I’m looking forward to spinning that at home.

I kind of always go to Portrayal Of Guilt. They’ve been around for a while now, but I feel like they’re wildly, wildly underrated, so. Well, they’ve been around for a few years, I think. I think that’s a good one too.” 

What would you say is your biggest influence on The Devil Wears Prada?

“For me, the biggest influence all around is anything literature I like to read a lot and that informs really everything I do, whether it’s music, my own writing or even woodworking and crafting different kinds of art. I think literature is what spoke to me the most as a kid. Literature is, I think, a huge proponent of why Join The Devil Wears Prada when I was 16 because I liked writing lyrics and I felt I could do that in a band. So really primarily fiction, I think is the most informative thing in any regard to that which I create.”

That’s awesome, that was going to be on my next question because I know you’re a big literature guy. I was going to say, do you have an essential book that you bring with you on tour? 

“In terms of a favorite book. It’s usually something different. I’ve tried to make more of a habit of rereading books. I love collecting books. I aim for my home to be a library as I get older. Just records and books everywhere, but I don’t think I have any that I bring with me consistently. Right now I’m reading Milan Kundera “Life Is Elsewhere”, which Milan wrote “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”, which is a classic, and my family’s Czech.

I’m Czech, so being a Czech writer has a special place in my heart. So I think I snagged that in Prague because you could find it translated in English all over the place. So yeah, reading more Kundera right now.”

As a fan of literature I’d love to ask if you have any favourite lyrics you could share?

“I think the what I most gravitate to for what I like producing comes directly from that which I consume. So I think of ‘To The Key Of Evergreen’, which is written off of ‘Lolita’ by Vladimir Nabokov, and I think ‘Lines are your hands’.

I think that song is a solid one. And while not directly derivative of literature or a certain story, I think it reads in play as well. And, then I guess for a newer song, I would say ‘Hallucinate’, which I wouldn’t consider to be any, sort of the densest material. But one of my favorite writers is Karl of Knausgaard, and he wrote a book, I think it’s called ‘The Morning Star’. It was the morning star that has a bunch of different characters, and one of the characters is a nurse who’s following a patient with a brain tumor. And when that cancer is happening in the tumor, expanding in someone’s brain causes these severe hallucinations, which I just thought was very radical and influenced the song ‘Hallucinate’ from ‘Color Decay’.”

Yeah. I would agree with a ‘Lines Of Your Hands’ being one of my favourite songs lyrically.

“Yeah, I haven’t played in a minute. I like playing it too, but it’s been a year or two.” 

Any chance of playing it on the headliner? 

“I don’t know whether we’ll see. I you know, you can be forceful in making a set list, but at the same time, John makes the setlist these days so I don’t have to work as hard. So while I don’t get to be as biased, I also don’t have to work as hard. So I’ll be I’ll be lazy in such regards.”

“On the down low fans can expect not a ZIII but a little something coming up we’re working”

Mike Hranica

Let’s say we finish off with some quickfire questions. 

Europe or USA?

“I mean, I love being in Europe. I feel like I spend so much time in the US in the same old places. I love being over here and exploring. So while my bills and my bank account say USA, because I have to make a living like everyone does, my fascination with culture and history and learning is Europe. So hopefully that doesn’t piss anyone off.”

The bandwagon or nightliner? 

“Nightliner oh nightliner definitely. Yeah. Although unless it’s the mini nightliner, then bandwagon. Bandwagon over mini nightliner.

I will say as far as touring the United States, the bus situation is very luxurious. A lot of American bands hate these buses, but it’s been lovely. Our driver Michael is a delight on this tour So, but the mini nightliners, those are tough. Very tough.”

Your EP Zombie? Or ZII?

“It’s a shame because we haven’t been playing anything from ZII on the last tour, this one. But I’m, I’m proud of ZII. On the down low fans can expect not a ZIII but a little something coming up we’re working on so let’s throw that tease in there. I’ll say ZII.“

The Devil Wears Prada are touring the UK next year – get your tickets now