A Dirty Dozen with MATTHEW PAUL and ROB FERREIRA from DEAD FISH HANDSHAKE – November 2025

Photo Credit: Laura Desantis-Olsson

According to a recent press release: “Northeast rockers Dead Fish Handshake return with their first new music in five years, “Traveling at the Speed of Life.” Faithful to their hard rock roots, the booming track kicks off with a mighty riff but quickly reveals the band’s evolution during their downtime. A steady bass groove props up dance rhythms and a light falsetto from vocalist Matthew Paul. Any rebirth journey is bound to hold road bumps. Lineup changes were in store for the band, steadily consisting of Paul and guitarist Rob Ferreira throughout the group’s career. Joining drummer Mark Birkelbach, Vito Rauseo Jr. on guitar and Ant Salcedo on bass round out the band’s roster for their 2026 release, Safe in the Harms of Love.” We get the band to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Matthew: Our latest offering is a single, “Traveling At The Speed Of Life.” It’s the lead single from our upcoming album Safe In The Harms Of Love. One thing I’m asked constantly is “Who is doing all the vocals on the song?”. They are referring mainly to the falsetto verses in the song. I think most diehards know me for my smooth baritone quality so it’s interesting to see their reaction hearing me mainly in a Prince-esque style of singing with equal contrast. The guitar work here is really interesting too because it features dual lead-work from Rob and Vito. That’s a new dimension this time with the band as a whole. Having two guys capable of lead guitar. The first lead in the song is Rob’s and the solo is Vito’s. It was important to introduce and showcase Vito to the fans right off the bat and I feel like this song really does a great job at not only showing his ability but how the overall interplay between him and Rob really helps build an identity for us. Lastly, the bass synth on the song is really the unsung hero in my mind. It adds such a “danceability” that you might not have heard in a DFH song before. So between that and the steady locked in drums from Mark, I think fans can enjoy moving around and having some fun to a song that carries some heavy lyrical themes at times.

Rob: Sonically, it’s layered — there’s a lot happening beneath the surface. If you listen closely, you’ll catch subtle themes and callbacks that tie the songs together, almost like a conversation between tracks. Some of those connections probably won’t stand out on a first listen. There are also a few little Easter eggs in there for longtime fans — small lyrical nods and production choices that echo moments from our past records. They’re not obvious, but they’re there for anyone who’s been with us for the long haul.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

Matthew: I was fortunate to have parents and older siblings who were music lovers. My grandfather was a fan of Italian opera and that love cascaded down to my father and his love of crooners i.e. Sinatra, Humperdinck, Cole. My mother, though not a trained vocalist, has a wonderful voice and her love of Johnny Mathis and the Bee Gees was always a staple in our house. But it wasn’t until my sister came along with 3 cassette tapes (Pearl Jam’s Ten, Nirvana’s Nevermind, and Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magik) that I stole and listened to on repeat that I decided to dive into rock. As a depressed teen trying to find out who he was in those formative years, those songs helped me develop relatability. From there I discovered U2’s Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby, Soundgarden’s Superunknown and Nine Inch Nails’ Downward Spiral and from that moment I knew I needed to be a singer.

Rob: I’ve always been drawn to the uniqueness of music. Within seconds of hearing something, you can feel whether it’s happy, sad, tense, or full of energy. Music does in an instant what a book or movie takes its time to deliver — there’s nothing like it. That magic has always pulled me in. Being able to create that feeling is such a rush.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Matthew: Not to be redundant but U2’s Achtung Baby and the Zoo TV tour really changed my life. The ability Bono has to connect is something I am forever chasing. He gets so much unnecessary hate but to me he is the ultimate frontman. As for my musical taste as a whole, I think Soundgarden’s Superunknown is the best rock album ever. I like to think somewhere between those two albums you find “me.”

Rob: I’ve been blessed to have caught some incredible live shows, but without a doubt, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant at Madison Square Garden in 1995 was THE ultimate game-changer for me.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Matthew: I think I would choose Trent Reznor. Genius is a title that gets thrown around a lot but when it comes to industrial music I truly believe he is one. I’ve always wanted to do a record that revolves around electronica. We don’t get to typically do that in DFH so it would be fun to delve into that.

Rob: I’ve been a big fan of Daniel Johns since he first hit the scene. Watching his growth as a musician over the years has been really inspiring. His ear for melody and songcraft is next level.  I think collaborating with him would be an incredible way to push a song in ways I couldn’t do on my own.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour? What do you like to do to unwind?

Matthew: I am a wine collector. I collect Italian, French and Spanish wines. I’m also a huge NHL Hockey fan. Give me a bottle of Sassacaia while I sit in a jacuzzi watching a Blackhawks game and I’m a happy man.

Rob: When I’m off the clock, I’m just trying to enjoy the little things in life. Living in the moment the best I can. There’s so much to see in do in our brief time on this planet. I’m an avid movie and sports fan too, so whenever life takes me on location to a film set or sports stadium, I’m game.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

Matthew: I tell people we are a “modern rock” band. Not because we use synths but because we are playing rock music in the modern day. And if you are doing that today, then chances are you are pulling from a lot of different periods of rock music. And I think you can hear an influence from every decade in our music. We love Elvis and The Beatles as much as we love Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. We love The Smiths and the Cure as much as we love Guns N Roses and Metallica. We love Pearl Jam and Radiohead as much as we love Linkin Park and Shinedown. I think at the end of the day, we just want to be a natural evolution of all the influences we have and hopefully we’ve begun to solidify our OWN sound with thanks to our predecessors. The only thing that makes me “cringe’ is someone only hearing 90’s vibes in our music. We pull from so many different things and we strive to make each record sound different than the last while maintaining who we are. And who we are…are fans of music.

Rob: I get that reviewers have to make sense of it somehow, but comparisons to high-profile bands always sets up hate on some level. “How dare that comparison be made,” yknow? It’s endearing and flattering to ever even be mentioned with our musical heroes, but at the end of the day, our music is about connecting on its own terms.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Matthew: Well this band begins and ends with Rob Ferreira. He is the proverbial cog that keeps this machine going. As a producer and principle writer we feed a lot off of him. It’s a thankless job sometimes but he always leads the ship in one way or another. I, on the other hand, am the thunder and stormclouds that are on the horizon while he’s steering. Hahaha! Mark, Vito and Ant are the deckhands battening down the hatches to make sure we don’t tip over. Hahaha! The storm usually passes and we don’t have any men overboard! Ha!

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

Matthew: Rob met Eddie Vedder in Seattle at an Alain Johannes record store performance. I was so jealous. He called me and we acted like fangirls who just saw Elvis. Ha!

Rob: I remember that day. Easy Street Records in West Seattle. What are the chances? And he was the nicest. He gave me the time. And I could’ve probably hung out with him even longer but I totally fan-boy’d and couldn’t wait to call Matt.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

Matthew: When you have a microphone in front of you, you inherit a wonderful responsibility to impact someone and leave them better than how you found them. Realizing that and mastering it is the best part of being a musician. It’s the best part of being human actually. If you live long enough to realize it. Musicians just have a chance to find out faster. And I don’t think any job is a dream, work is a nightmare. But I think we all want to sit back and look at the fruits of our labor and feel a sense of accomplishment. My “Dream” is to see peace in the world and an end to human suffering.

Rob: The best part of being a musician is connecting with people through the music — whether it’s at a live show or when someone tells you a song meant something to them. There’s nothing else quite like it. If I weren’t a musician, I’d still want to be involved in the arts somehow — maybe film, or helping other musicians bring their ideas to life behind the scenes. Music is such an integral and powerful part of life, even if, sadly, it’s often treated as a valueless commodity these days.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

Matthew: I just wish journalists would ask questions that have an uplifting quality to them as opposed to baiting for a controversial soundbite. Authenticity is lost in this day and age. But on the flip side, I also wish people had an appetite for something good instead of being first in line for someone’s downfall. I think I’m tired of being asked about the band name. You either love it or hate it. Just listen to the music. Ha! What’s a Limp Bizkit anyway?

Rob: A question I’ve never been asked but wish I was is something like, “Is there a song of yours that tells the story you’ve never told out loud?” There are always parts of your journey that don’t make it into interviews or social posts. The band name inquiry comes with the territory when you have a band name like ours. I get it. It’s an ice-breaker question. I’m always looking forward to getting past that one. Haha!

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Matthew: Well, we’ve had a lot of missteps in our lives but I think the fact that we are still together standing unified is a more interesting topic to focus on. Through everything we’ve never given up on each other. Hopefully that resonates with people. You aren’t your mistakes. As long as they didn’t become habits.

Rob: I think we’re a lot more prolific in our songwriting than our discography shows. There are songs that have sat on a proverbial shelf for years — moments captured in time. Not that you can’t resurrect something later, but sometimes you never quite revisit the headspace you were in when you wrote it. Any time a great idea gets pushed off “until next time,” it sticks with me. Maybe one day we’ll find a way to officially release those tracks as part of our catalog.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Matthew: Well, in terms of being able to learn from pure genius, I think I would choose Pet Sounds – Beach Boys. But for my personal taste The Cure – Disintegration. I know you asked for one so…Radiohead! But not OK Computer! Great record but Kid A is the choice.

Rob: Like Matt said, I can’t quite narrow it down. There are so many classics to just be a fly on the wall would be incredible.

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Category: Interviews