06/15/2026
Thanks, Ruta 66 - Tiempos de Rock & Roll and Eduardo Izquierdo for this long-form interview. Translated below here to English, it's available in Spain & at this link: https://www.ruta66.es/2026/05/encuentros/dash-rip-rock-crunchy-guitars-humor-desafiante-y-resistencia-surena/
๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐จ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐, ๐ฟ๐๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ค๐๐ ๐๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ๐ค๐ข๐๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ง๐ค๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐๐๐ฅ๐. ๐๐ค๐ค ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ๐๐ค๐๐ค๐ญ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ง๐ฎ, ๐ฉ๐ค๐ค ๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ๐๐ค๐๐ค๐ญ๐ฎ, ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ช๐ก ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ง-๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ค ๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐ช๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐๐ง๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ช๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐จ, ๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐ข๐ค๐ง, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ช๐๐จ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ฎ. ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ผ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ค๐ฃ๐โ๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐-๐๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃ, ๐๐๐ง๐-๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ช๐ข ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐ช๐๐๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ค๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ค๐ฃ (๐ฟ๐ง๐๐ซ๐-๐ฝ๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐ช๐๐ ๐๐ง๐จ, ๐๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ญ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐จ) ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฌ๐จ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐๐ค๐ง๐๐จ ๐๐ค. ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฅ๐ค๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ฃ ๐ฝ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฟ๐๐ซ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐ข๐ค๐ง, ๐ฝ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ง๐ข๐, ๐ช๐ฃ๐ก๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง ๐จ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐จ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ช๐ฃ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ง๐ค๐๐ '๐ฃ' ๐ง๐ค๐ก๐ก ๐๐จ ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ข ๐ค๐ ๐ง๐๐จ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐.
๐ญ. ๐ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ป ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ฝ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ. ๐ช๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ต๐ ๐ด๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐, ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐-๐ฎ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐๐บ๐?
When we play live that's what you get โ three guys playing the f**k out of our instruments. But thatโs not as easy to capture on tape as you would think. Bobby Matt Patton & the audio engineers he assembled got the sounds. Henry Barbe, Clay Jones & Starlin Browning played a big part. There was a lot of skill in that room. Go look at their Discogs- Clayโs worked on projects from Buddy Guy to Modest Mouse. Henry has worked on projects for Drive-By Truckers and Against Meโs Laura Jane Grace. Starlin has great ears for mixdown. Also, thereโs some amazing vintage gear at Dial Back we grabbed off the walls.
๐ฎ. ๐ฌ๐ผ๐โ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐บ๐ถ๐
๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐๐ป๐ธ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ โ๐ฎ๐น๐-๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐.โ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐๐น๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฎ๐น๐ฏ๐๐บ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐น๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐ด๐ถ๐ฎ?
I donโt have a formula, and Iโve never played just one type of music. I was born in New Orleans and lived in New Orleans and Louisiana my whole life except for a few years in Nashville. My mom was from Georgia, so I have a Southern accent. Rock, cowpunk, whatever I doโฆmy Southern accent might slip out, which is gonna make people call me alt country. Ha. Itโs true Dash was one of the first bands doing punked covers of things like "Jambalaya" and "White Lightning"- and thatโs because I grew up dealing with the bu****it in Louisiana and the Baptist church and got into rock and new wave and punk early on. And my dad loved real country music. Since I started, Iโve never stopped writing new songs- rock, cowpunk, or indie ballads that are alt-country or jangle pop.
And as far as nostalgia goes, Dash has never stopped gigging or recording since I started it. No time for looking back when youโre busy playing and writing and loading the van. Any heartfelt music thatโs a blast to perform will never lose its excitement for me. In New Orleans you see so many amazing musicians with long careers just getting better and better. When I was young, I thought the old guys were the coolest. I could picture myself being a grizzled gunslinger like Bo Diddley or Carl Perkins one day. I got to pick up Bo Diddley at the airport once and got to carry his guitar. It was one of the heaviest things I ever had to carry in my life.
๐ฏ. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐ฏ๐๐บ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐๐ผ๐ป ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ-๐๐ ๐ง๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐. ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ถ๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐ฆ๐ผ๐๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐?
Bobby Matt comes from a Southern punk headspace like me. I first met him when he was in his old band the Dexateens. We sort of cut our teeth at some of the same venues, festivals, house parties and sh*tholes but during different years, though we did play the Nick in Birmingham with the Dexateens one night. This was before his time with the Drive-By Truckers. Matt enjoys our haywire humor and knows the history of the band and is familiar with our records. Heโs a musician-producer. At Dial Back, he had a solid idea of what he wanted out of this record and he steered us right to it. He's soft-spoken and Southern, so he had a polite way to word his ideas. Plus he's funny as hell in a real dry way. We trusted his advice & direction.
๐ฐ. ๐จ๐ก๐๐จ๐ง ๐บ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ (๐จ๐) ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ธ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ โ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ต๐๐บ๐ผ๐๐ฟโ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ. ๐๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ด๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฝ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฝ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐น?
I guess Iโm a cynical but hopeful person. The world is so bizarre right now you almost have to bring humor in to counter the hideous reality. But Iโve always noticed the ironies. I donโt think I write as a coping mechanism. Songs and lyrics pop into my head. I can sit down and write, but just as often a line pops into my head. Itโs fun to deliver clever songs live and get an immediate response. I like bands that have fun and are secretly cracking jokes all the time, and it's up to the listener to sort it all out. Wade Hymel, our drummer, is an amazing writer who is another cynical/hopeful type. His song โ2 Much 2 Doโ on this record is super weird and heavy.
๐ฑ. โ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฃ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐
๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒโ ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐บ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ด ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ด ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. ๐๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ, ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐บ, ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ?
The chorus came from a disagreement I had about whether things like Tylenol or hot sauce or pickles expire. The rest of the song grew from there. Itโs an anthem for rocking on in spite of it all. Itโs about the tragic absurdity of so many people getting grifted by you name itโ corrupt preachers, drug companies, the crappy conditions of their lives, even themselves. It deals with a country pill freak point of view and how things can always go from bad to worse. Itโs about seeing all that is pitiful and hateful and stupid and conniving and rocking on anyway. Recording this with Bobby Matt was perfect--he got the gist of this song immediately. He came up with the Rush Limbaugh line which we loved. โPain Pillsโ is not just about Louisiana or the South โ the garbage and grift is widespread in America and the world.
๐ฒ. ๐๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ฝ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด. ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ธ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐?
Iโm expressing my worldview in my music. Nobody loves being preached at. I love people and connecting with them at showsโ but in the U.S. Iโve had a lot of experience standing onstage playing guitar in a room full of people who are throwing bottles at each other. Iโve played Europe several times and love the folks there. Our old friend and producer Jim Dickinson had a name for universal rock โnโ roll - he called it world boogie.
We think itโs time for a Dash European goodwill tour to mend some fences after we finish these Belize and Honduras dates. So call 1-800-DASHKICKSASS if you need a high octane Louisiana band ready to blow minds.
๐ณ. ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต โ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ ๐ฟ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑโ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ป ๐๐ฝ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ต๐ผ๐ป๐ธ๐-๐๐ผ๐ป๐ธ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐. ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒโ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ผ๐๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ?
The Beatles loved New Orleans music. They were huge fans of Fats Domino, Frogman Henry and Allen Toussaint. We started doing Mean Mr. Mustard as if Huey P. Smith & the Clowns got a hold of it. It's a '60s juke joint style boogie, and it always brings out the dancers. The Beatles original on the Abbey Road album was just a snippet, a quick pass buried in the Side Two medley. I grew to like Lennon's demo on Anthology which included a chorus. So we added the chorus back and I did a ripping solo. It's a trippy gulf coast party banger. We like experimenting with other peopleโs songs.
๐ด. โ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ปโ ๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐๐โ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐๐. ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐?
A couple of DJs on Sirius XM Little Stephenโs Underground Garage started playing that songโ Palmyra Delran and Manfred are both garage musicians, so I'm really glad that they took a liking to it. It's got fun melodies and harmonies, and the guitars are super crunchy. Plus Izzy Grisoliโs crazy melodic bassline.
๐ต. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐ฏ๐๐บ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐. ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ, ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฎ ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ?
We have learned to record live in the same room at studios. We squeeze in and talk things out face to face. It's the most natural way. We don't respond well to old studio techniques of separation and sterility. It's rare to capture the power and glory of live Dash in a studio. A lot of the raw energy on A Song In Everyone is the walls and the microphones, plus the guys twisting the k***s.
I definitely write songs to be performed live with an audience. But sometimes even our live records don't transfer the huge room aura of the power trio. The Dial Back room was as close as we will get to an aesthetically perfect environmentโ old wood paneling, record covers, bare bulbs, folk art, T-Model Fordโs chair.
๐ญ๐ฌ. ๐๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐, ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฝ๐๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ต๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ?
I record and tour because of my love for music. Our time onstage is a gift and it's a tiny time bubble of love and energy. And I write because the ideas keep popping into my head. It feeds the live beast. There are a billion songwriters out there these days spit-balling, work-shopping, pitching and plugging. Songs have lost their poetry, meaning and power as more and more people flood the ears of the world. I'm inspired to keep making music because Dash gives me an awesome platform to deliver songs to happy crowds.
๐ญ๐ญ. ๐๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ฝ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ, ๐ฎ๐น๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ. ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐ด๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ, ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ โ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒโ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ๐ปโ๐?
We can achieve a tightness where we read each other's minds. It's a lean rocking machine without any extra weight to cloud things. Drums-bass-guitar is the perfect rock formula no matter what anyone says. It's mathematically sound. With the right players a trio will do anything an 8-piece band can do with stripped down perfection. I have never been tempted to expand our line-up. It's always been just right. We resist being cleaned up, processed and stuck in a box.
๐๐. ๐๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฅ๐ "๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ง ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐" ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐. ๐๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ, ๐จ๐ซ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐๐คโ๐งโ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ?
The title is optimisticโ there's good in everyone and there is a song in everyone. But in the context of โTaking You On,โ the song that title comes from, the music industry is a backstabbing business and songs are weaponized. My belief is that music is spiritual โ it occurs in nature, in the ether. There's music and a song in the wind and rain. Humans can act horribly or beautifully โ either way, music is always there as an accompaniment. So yeah, I think everyone writes their own song and keeps it in their head. It's innocent at first, then once you release a song, the business side of it is brutal. It's human nature to create and hum a melody. At that creation point, it's truly yours.
