Interview mit Dávid Makó von The Devil’s Trade

For a long time, THE DEVIL’S TRADE was seen as “that dark one-man project with the banjo” – but with the last album, that changed. What made you take this step?
I have never tried to create anything other than what naturally comes from within me, so as I changed year by year my music changed too. Most of the songs on „What Happened To The Little Blind Crow“ were made with the idea that if I had wanted there could have been drums, synthesizers and even more distorted guitars, but the goal then was to have only as much on the record as I could perform alone. Then in 2022 I reached a point where with this approach I could no longer express what was inside me. That year I was able to give three concerts at Roadburn. I consider this peak the end of the one-man-band era.

The stylistic shift – especially with the new album in mind – is so drastic that it’s not guaranteed fans of the early records will follow you on this journey. Did you ever consider releasing the heavier guitar music under a different name?
It may seem drastic for those who haven’t heard my previous album „Vidékek Vannak Idebenn“. That was also a natural step forward after „The Call Of The Iron Peak“. If I focused on what would be the guaranteed good strategic decision I would put on a mask and try to make some kind of pagan tribal neofolk, some generic stoner music. Realistically, so few people listen to or follow what I do that the amount I could lose with the new album is about the same as what could come in through it. However, making an album while keeping such aspects in mind is so against reason I engage with music.

But the banjo wasn’t featured on your last few albums anymore – have you put it away for good?
I need to clear this up. At one point, I started my concerts singing through the body of the banjo. Then there was one more song performed on banjo in a forty-five-minute-long set. To answer the question, I still play solo when I am invited so. This year I had two tours that I had to do solo – unfortunately. However, if I can, I don’t take the banjo with me. Nowadays, my two-year-old son plays more on them than I do.

When you perform live, do you focus exclusively on songs from the last two albums now, or do you rearrange old songs for the full band lineup?
It mostly depends on whether I perform solo or with the band. When solo, I usually go back till „The Iron Peak“. With the band last year we still played songs from “What Happened To The Little Blind Crow” too, but now we only play from “Vidékek Vannak Idebenn” and the new album.

Musically, I feel the new record is a big step forward. In my review, I wrote: “While Vidékek Vannak Idebenn was still audibly a vision in transition, THE DEVIL’S TRADE now sound like they have arrived.” Would you agree with that?
Yes, at this moment I feel at home in what I have created. We will see where I am in two years.

I find the songs much more layered than on the last album, but also more powerful. What inspired you this time, or in what way did the songwriting process feel different compared to the previous record?
Every song on the new album processes a two-weeks-long period and the longer impact of that time. The story – and the album – begins with me having to witness my mother’s death after a ten-year-long illness, and then two weeks later my son was born. I will probably never fully process that period, but these songs help a lot with that. Especially when I can perform them live. The songwriting period was not technically different from before, but emotionally it was much more intense. There were more doubts and struggles, and at one point the possibility of giving up entirely was part of it.

You still recorded everything yourself except for the drums – even though the album sounds like a full band. Why do you prefer working alone on the songs, both in writing and recording?
If I could, I would write and record the drums myself, but I can’t play them. Fortunately, I can’t imagine a better person and drummer than Gáspár. I work alone because this is strictly and completely a reflection of my world. Gáspár perfectly helps with his world, but there is no place for anyone else in this. However, I am not working entirely alone in the sense that the sound engineer directing the recording, Szabolcs Szűcs, is also a very good friend of mine. On this album, Márton Szabó was the producer. He is my closest friend and in the band he plays the bass synthesizer and manages the other layers as well.

The album title „Nincs Szennyezetlen Szép“ translates to “There is no uncontaminated beauty.” Is that meant as a concept for the record, or what does this statement mean to you personally?
Yes, although it is an extreme statement, I believe that whatever could be corrupted, degraded, and debased has been. It is terribly difficult to find a moment, space or material that the system, or those who operate it, have not somewhat rotten away. One can find fresh air and silence for moments, but it is very hard to protect it. Yet, in the title track of the album, there is uncontaminated beauty. I sing those lines to my son. He is pure radiance. As a parent, the most important task is to preserve and strengthen that purity for as long as possible.

For Western Europeans, that title is quite a mouthful. Why was it important to you to keep it in your native language, despite the lack of “catchiness”?
In that sense, I don’t value catchiness. On the other hand, this song is the most important one on the album.

All the more surprising that the second song on the album has a German title – Weltschmerz. Given the current state of the world, the sentiment is easy to understand, but what fascinated you about this specific German word?
Unfortunately, I don’t remember where I came across the word, but I was fascinated by its multilayered nature and the fact that it is practically impossible to translate it so that the translation expresses everything it originally means. I admire, but am also horrified by, those people who do not live their lives in this state.

Is it more the bigger picture, or are it the small, personal experiences that shape your vision for THE DEVIL’S TRADE?
I have lived most of my life inside a very dark bubble. Inside the bubble, everything was shaped by my own traumas and the sufferings of other people. Then, as time passed and the bubble’s walls grew thinner, the hopelessness of the world outside layered onto my inner world. Now, these two things are inseparable. But let me make this clear as I am often labeled a dark soul and that is not entirely true. Despite all this sadness in me, I laugh a lot and in the right circumstances I am a happy man.

The sound is impressive – could you highlight the key components that made it so, both technically and in terms of personnel?
As I mentioned, the engineer I worked with again is Szabolcs Szücs, a legendary figure in the Hungarian underground and a genius sound engineer. He is someone who understands my musical vision and doesn’t try to impose his own world onto mine. He is also one of the funniest people I know, and it’s very important to laugh as much as possible when doing something this heartbreaking.
Márton Szabó, as the producer, was the clear head and ears as well as my musical conscience. A truly honest man who knows about music far more than I do. The cherry on top was my friend who I don’t think needs introduction, Nikita Kampard (DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT), another genius, who did the mastering. The goal, as always, was to capture the real sound of the instrument amps and push them towards an even more live soundscape. I think we managed to do that.

The only thing I personally find somewhat unspectacular about the album—at least without knowing the story behind it—is the cover. Why was this photo the perfect artwork for this record?
The picture you see on the streaming platforms is only half of the whole photo. My wife took all the photos used for the booklet and the video of Weltschmerz. All these places are in the area where we live, and I think those shots are breathtakingly beautiful and perfectly support the mood of the album.

What are the touring plans – when will we see you again in German-speaking countries, and in what setup will the next shows take place?
At this point, I am not too optimistic about my future. Booking tours for me was never this hard. I can only hope.

Let’s end the interview with a short brainstorming session. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the following terms:
Neurosis: The most important heavy band of my life, and among the most tragic ends
Black Metal: I love it when it is not Nazi.
Pelagic: Hope
Climate change: My son’s future
Roadburn: Gratitude for once I had the chance to be a part of it
Forest: Peace
THE DEVIL’S TRADE in ten years: I’m afraid in ten years this question simply won’t matter.

Publiziert am 4. November 2025 von Moritz Grütz

Fotos von: Afra Gethöffer-Grütz