Country Fried Rock 1201: Dawes on Food, Fun, and Funky Sounds on Tour
Summary
Back in 2011, we chatted with the guys from Dawes. Sloane Spencer kicks things off with an easygoing chat with Dawes, and it’s anything but your average interview. They dig into the band’s musical origin story, tracing it back to a family that didn’t just play music, they lived it. Picture jam sessions in the living room, with dad laying down the soulful grooves that sparked a lifelong love for sound.
As they swap stories of sun-soaked California days and the wild mix of influences that shaped the band’s vibe, one thing becomes crystal clear: collaboration isn’t just part of Dawes’ process: it is the process. They dive into how songs evolve on stage, sometimes turning into something completely unexpected (and even better) than what was captured in the studio.
Sprinkled throughout are laughs about life on the road, local food gems, and the never-ending hunt for a decent cup of coffee. It’s a conversation that proves music isn’t just about the notes; it’s about the ride, the stories, and the people you meet along the way.
Links
- REMINDER: IGNORE ANY LINKS OR DATES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE
- Dawes
- You may enjoy this conversation from 2015 with Lilly Hiatt
- Toss a few in our Tip Jar!
Show Notes
In this episode, it’s less of an interview and more like a jam session with friends. Here’s what goes down:
- The hosts sit down with a musician whose roots run deep in R&B, funk, and soul, thanks to a dad who could play piano like nobody’s business.
- Growing up in a household where family dinners came with a side of singing, music wasn’t just around, it was a way of life.
- They talk about how California’s rich and eclectic music scene helped shape his sound from the very beginning.
- The conversation flows from early influences to the evolution of his band, Dawes.
- Songwriting? It’s a team effort. He brings in the bones—chords and lyrics—and the rest of the band helps build it out into something that truly connects.
- Live shows are a different beast altogether. He shares how songs take on a whole new energy on stage, sometimes changing entirely from the studio version.
- They swap stories about memorable gigs, unpredictable venues, and the unique energy each audience brings.
- And of course, there’s plenty of humor, warmth, and behind-the-scenes moments that show the human side of being a working musician.
At its core, the episode is about more than just music. It’s about collaboration, creativity, and what happens when you grow up with rhythm in your bones.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Country Fried Rock
00:19 The Influence of Family on Musical Journey
05:20 Exploring the Road: Food and Music
11:32 Transitioning to New Beginnings
15:26 The Resurgence of Vinyl and Gear Maintenance
Takeaways
- The guest grew up in a home where R&B and funk were just part of the daily soundtrack. That early exposure shaped who they are as an artist today.
- Dawes isn’t a one-person show. Songwriting is a full-band effort, with everyone bringing something to the table to shape the final sound.
- Playing live is where things really come alive. Songs often shift and evolve on stage, making every performance feel fresh and unpredictable.
- Life on tour isn’t just about the music. They’re also big on checking out local food spots. They aim to eat healthy...but they’re not skipping the good stuff either.
- The band is all about keeping things real in the studio. They stick with analog gear and an old-school recording vibe, largely thanks to their producer’s influence.
- Moving from openers to headliners didn’t happen overnight. The band reflects on the ups and downs of that journey, and how they’re planning smart for what comes next.
Mentioned in this Episode
- Dawes
- Vetiver
- Bright Eyes
- Alison Krauss
- Brett Dennen
- Otis Redding
- James Brown
- Joni Mitchell
- Jackson Browne
- Grateful Dead
- Warren Zevon
- Whole Foods
- First Avenue
- Delta Spirit
- Langhorne Slim
- Romney Rye
- Steve Soto
- The Full Tones
Recommended If You Like
country music podcast, musician interviews, songwriting inspiration, creativity in music, Dawes band interview, California music scene, funk and soul influences, acoustic guitar arrangements, live music performances, touring experiences, band dynamics, music production process, vinyl records resurgence, healthful food on tour, coffee culture in music, local dining spots, music collaboration, festival performances, artist influences, music gear and equipment
Transcript
Speaker A
Welcome to Country Fried Rock, where we talk with musicians to find out what inspires their creativity. Country Fried Rock Music Uncovered Hey, Taylor. This is Sloan Spencer from Country Fried Rock.
Speaker B
Hi.
Speaker A
How are you doing?
Speaker B
Great.
Speaker A
Fantastic. So thank you much. I appreciate you being with us on Country Fried Rock.
Speaker B
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker A
How did you get into music as a kid?
Speaker B
My brother and I grew up in a musical family, and whenever there was time to. For, like, you know, at the end of, like, family dinners or holidays or anything, we don't. Everyone would just always been singing.
Our dad was a great piano player and songwriter, so he doesn't go much anymore. But, yeah, he brought us up very much in love with music, and we never really felt like.
We never really made a choice of, like, oh, this is what we're going to do. It was always just already agreed upon saying that music was what our lives were going to be all about.
Speaker A
Cool. So what kind of stuff did your dad play?
Speaker B
It was more R and B, funk and soul kind of stuff, like Otis Redding and James Brown, and so that's what he brought us up on.
Speaker A
Where'd the band name come from?
Speaker B
That's me and the drummer's grandfather's name.
Speaker A
Where'd y' all grow up?
Speaker B
Los Angeles, California. Different parts. Started out in, like, Glendale and went to high school out in Malibu and different areas of la.
Speaker A
The whole Southern California area has a lot of different musical influences. And your dad was into the funk in the R and B. What other kind of stuff played on your interests? As y' all were developing Thoughts was.
Speaker B
Coming together, I started listening to a lot of stuff that I wasn't really thinking about it. I was just really getting into Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne and the Grateful Dead and Warren Z. Von.
As time went on, I started to realize that all these artists, they were all California artists.
And I didn't even realize that at first, but I guess there's just something that permeated with their songwriting personalities that resonated with me that might have been that the fact that we were both coming from that same world. So that was a big.
That was like, in terms of what California music comes from, that was a big deal for me, even though I wasn't even quite aware of it. And I think that even made it that much bigger of a deal.
Speaker A
Even though y' all are on the same page creatively and with what's influencing you since you've come together with Dawes, how does that work for you all? As you all work together to develop a song as A group?
Speaker B
Well, we. We. I write the song by myself, and then we all kind of come together to arrange them.
When it comes to, like, how we're going to represent, how we're going to present the song, and we sort of lean on each other for what they're good at. You know, I'll have a song on acoustic guitar, and then I'll bring it to the guys and be like, how do you think we should do this?
And then we'll kind of go through the different ideas till we arrive upon something that everyone feels like this is a good way to show people, this song. So we definitely lean on each other. I don't really, like, decide upon anything until we're all together.
The only thing I do is the chords and the words and the melodies and then. And then everything else. What the drummer plays. The drummer decides what the bass player plays that he decides.
Speaker A
Y' all really have refined what it is people expect when they come to your shows. Are there any songs in particular that have evolved a lot for you all? With all of this time on the.
Speaker B
Road, I think, like, with certain things, we end up. It ends up growing on stage and, like, you know, like a song like Love Is All I Am or a song on the new record called A Little Bit of Everything.
Like, the dynamics don't get that big. It tends to be a smaller. Less like a smaller something that suits the song and just something that's mellow all throughout, and that's that.
But then live, they end up having, like, an arc to it where they start at that level and then with the lyric and with the feeling of the song tends to grow a little bigger than it does in the record and then kind of come back down. So it. It doesn't kind of stay on this one level being this ballad, it turns into more of, like, a parked experience.
Speaker A
Y' all are on the road quite a bit, obviously. What can you agree on to listen to?
Speaker B
Well, whoever's driving tends to put on the music.
You know, some guys are doing different stuff, so someone might be reading a book in the back and have the music faded up so they don't have to hear that or whatever. Or we're all listening to stuff. I mean, we all have different tastes, and they're sometimes sort of dictated by instrumental. Life is kind of cool.
Like, our bass player listens to a lot of the R and B and, like, soul music and a lot of stuff that's, like, really bass driven, and it's perfect for him to be listening to that.
And then I might listen to a lot of song based stuff, stuff that the band might not want to even sound like, but stuff that I respond to as a songwriter and you know, like along those lines, like we all kind of have our own tastes, but the same taste kind of.
Speaker A
Do you get the opportunity to listen to any of the bands they're opening for you all?
Speaker B
Totally. I tried. The band's gonna open for us. We want to make sure it's something that we want to be represented by as well.
So like last fall when we went out and Vetiver was main support, that was a big deal for us because they're there. Those guys are heroes of ours, really. We've admired that band for a long time. Stuff like that.
We always make sure that we feel represented by the band that's opening for us. So we always make sure to like give it a good listen before and during the tour.
Speaker A
Have you had anyone in the last year or so that you really were just turned on to because of that?
Speaker B
You know, we actually like, like everyone that we've gone out with hastened to be.
Bands that we were already familiar with, like the Romney Rye were friends of ours beforehand and, you know, it was really fun to get to play with them every night. And then Vetiver were, you know, some heroes of ours. So, you know, examples like that.
But there hasn't really been that many groups where we didn't know who they were before the show.
Speaker A
So as y' all are on the road, where do you like to stop and eat?
Speaker B
We always like to try to find local cool spots. I wouldn't call us health nuts, but we're definitely. We don't ever eat in any fast food places or anything.
Not because we're against it, but just because I feel like once we open ourselves up to that being okay, I feel like we can get carried away.
Speaker A
And it'll just be who's in charge of deciding where you go.
Speaker B
I mean, I guess we all are, but. But we always have to really cater to Wiley, our bass player. He's, he's, he's. He's the one that doesn't eat any meat ever.
So if there's a spot that's like a really great barbecue spot, like the only way we're gonna. We feel okay going there as if we make sure that he's taken care of when we're going somewhere else that can eat at.
But we're all pretty healthy guys every time. Every city that we find a Whole Foods in, we're pretty excited about that. But like Today we're in Asheville.
We just ate at an incredible breakfast spot, and we all had really weird local selections that were delicious, but it's not like. Yeah, but it wasn't like, oh, I'm gonna go get some fried biscuits and gravy or something like that. Early girl.
Speaker A
Early girl. Is that where y' all went?
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
Oh, that place is great.
Speaker B
You've heard of it?
Speaker A
I love it.
Speaker B
Yeah, it was incredible. That's what we just say is insanely good.
Speaker A
I'm in the south, so I can say this, and I'm from the South. It can get difficult to find healthful food options on the road around here.
Speaker B
Yeah, totally.
Speaker A
I mean, I really respect the challenge that. That is for Wiley.
Speaker B
Yeah, yeah, I know. It's. It's. It can be hard, but we figured out, I mean, the bigger cities always have a Whole Foods, right? As long as there's a Whole Foods, we're.
We're pretty. We're all fine. Yeah, I mean, like, we. There's always like, a Thai place or something nearby that's. That makes it all right. So we don't.
We don't get stuck with no options ever. That. That's good.
Speaker A
So are y' all coffee people?
Speaker B
Yeah, I'm a big coffee guy.
Speaker A
What do you have to have?
Speaker B
I don't know. I just like to find a strong cup of coffee wherever I go. I mean, if I. If I. There's nothing else than Starbucks.
Even though it's not, like, my favorite, I at least know it's got some strength to it. But.
But, I mean, like, there's some really awesome spots around the country, like, yeah, Intelligentsia and Blue Bottle and Stump Town and really cool beans that local spots sometimes brew. And that's always really fun to come across those spots.
Speaker A
I mean, gosh, it's only been, what, five years? Is that right?
Speaker B
Yeah, yeah, I guess so. I mean, our album came out officially about a year and a half ago.
Speaker A
Or two years ago, as you all are moving then into this next one. Have you been road testing these songs?
Speaker B
Yeah, we've been playing the new material on stages for a long time.
I feel like most people that are familiar with Dawes know just about every song a new album, which, you know, for some people might be a bummer, but I think for most people, they'll be excited that these songs, they've sort of grown, like, they've watched the songs grow in front of them, and I.
And, you know, the song that they might want to always hear live when they come to the show now they're going to get to have their recorded version finally. So I think it's a cool thing. But yeah, we've played our new material on stages more than I think other bands even tend to want to.
Speaker A
Has anything changed in particular over time from when you first started playing it live to as you went into the studio with it?
Speaker B
Not really. Like, some songs there'll be subtle changes that we'll learn that work better than others.
Like, okay, we shouldn't do that, or we should trim that part down or make that part longer just for the sake of like, what worked on stage and what didn't. But.
But overall there haven't been like these wild changes to songs for the sake of like, like, like, you know, between the first time we put it on stage and then by the time we.
Speaker A
Recorded it, you've really, you've been on the road a ton. What kind of venues have really been a pleasant surprise for you in the recent past?
Speaker B
We'll get to some cities and we, we won't really have any idea as to how many people will come out and they'll just be, you know, like, we put. When we played First Avenue in Minneapolis, I didn't really think that we would, we would, we should be playing that venue.
But then it ended up...
Transcript
Welcome to Country Fried Rock, where we talk with musicians to find out what inspires their creativity.
Speaker A:Country Fried Rock Music Uncovered Hey, Taylor.
Speaker A:This is Sloan Spencer from Country Fried Rock.
Speaker B:Hi.
Speaker A:How are you doing?
Speaker B:Great.
Speaker A:Fantastic.
Speaker A:So thank you much.
Speaker A:I appreciate you being with us on Country Fried Rock.
Speaker B:Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker A:How did you get into music as a kid?
Speaker B:My brother and I grew up in a musical family, and whenever there was time to.
Speaker B:For, like, you know, at the end of, like, family dinners or holidays or anything, we don't.
Speaker B:Everyone would just always been singing.
Speaker B:Our dad was a great piano player and songwriter, so he doesn't go much anymore.
Speaker B:But, yeah, he brought us up very much in love with music, and we never really felt like.
Speaker B:We never really made a choice of, like, oh, this is what we're going to do.
Speaker B:It was always just already agreed upon saying that music was what our lives were going to be all about.
Speaker A:Cool.
Speaker A:So what kind of stuff did your dad play?
Speaker B:It was more R and B, funk and soul kind of stuff, like Otis Redding and James Brown, and so that's what he brought us up on.
Speaker A:Where'd the band name come from?
Speaker B:That's me and the drummer's grandfather's name.
Speaker A:Where'd y' all grow up?
Speaker B:Los Angeles, California.
Speaker B:Different parts.
Speaker B:Started out in, like, Glendale and went to high school out in Malibu and different areas of la.
Speaker A:The whole Southern California area has a lot of different musical influences.
Speaker A:And your dad was into the funk in the R and B.
Speaker A:What other kind of stuff played on your interests?
Speaker A:As y' all were developing Thoughts was.
Speaker B:Coming together, I started listening to a lot of stuff that I wasn't really thinking about it.
Speaker B:I was just really getting into Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne and the Grateful Dead and Warren Z.
Speaker B:Von.
Speaker B:As time went on, I started to realize that all these artists, they were all California artists.
Speaker B:And I didn't even realize that at first, but I guess there's just something that permeated with their songwriting personalities that resonated with me that might have been that the fact that we were both coming from that same world.
Speaker B:So that was a big.
Speaker B:That was like, in terms of what California music comes from, that was a big deal for me, even though I wasn't even quite aware of it.
Speaker B:And I think that even made it that much bigger of a deal.
Speaker A:Even though y' all are on the same page creatively and with what's influencing you since you've come together with Dawes, how does that work for you all?
Speaker A:As you all work together to develop a song as A group?
Speaker B:Well, we.
Speaker B:We.
Speaker B:I write the song by myself, and then we all kind of come together to arrange them.
Speaker B:When it comes to, like, how we're going to represent, how we're going to present the song, and we sort of lean on each other for what they're good at.
Speaker B:You know, I'll have a song on acoustic guitar, and then I'll bring it to the guys and be like, how do you think we should do this?
Speaker B:And then we'll kind of go through the different ideas till we arrive upon something that everyone feels like this is a good way to show people, this song.
Speaker B:So we definitely lean on each other.
Speaker B:I don't really, like, decide upon anything until we're all together.
Speaker B:The only thing I do is the chords and the words and the melodies and then.
Speaker B:And then everything else.
Speaker B:What the drummer plays.
Speaker B:The drummer decides what the bass player plays that he decides.
Speaker A:Y' all really have refined what it is people expect when they come to your shows.
Speaker A:Are there any songs in particular that have evolved a lot for you all?
Speaker A:With all of this time on the.
Speaker B:Road, I think, like, with certain things, we end up.
Speaker B:It ends up growing on stage and, like, you know, like a song like Love Is All I Am or a song on the new record called A Little Bit of Everything.
Speaker B:Like, the dynamics don't get that big.
Speaker B:It tends to be a smaller.
Speaker B:Less like a smaller something that suits the song and just something that's mellow all throughout, and that's that.
Speaker B:But then live, they end up having, like, an arc to it where they start at that level and then with the lyric and with the feeling of the song tends to grow a little bigger than it does in the record and then kind of come back down.
Speaker B:So it.
Speaker B:It doesn't kind of stay on this one level being this ballad, it turns into more of, like, a parked experience.
Speaker A:Y' all are on the road quite a bit, obviously.
Speaker A:What can you agree on to listen to?
Speaker B:Well, whoever's driving tends to put on the music.
Speaker B:You know, some guys are doing different stuff, so someone might be reading a book in the back and have the music faded up so they don't have to hear that or whatever.
Speaker B:Or we're all listening to stuff.
Speaker B:I mean, we all have different tastes, and they're sometimes sort of dictated by instrumental.
Speaker B:Life is kind of cool.
Speaker B:Like, our bass player listens to a lot of the R and B and, like, soul music and a lot of stuff that's, like, really bass driven, and it's perfect for him to be listening to that.
Speaker B:And then I might listen to a lot of song based stuff, stuff that the band might not want to even sound like, but stuff that I respond to as a songwriter and you know, like along those lines, like we all kind of have our own tastes, but the same taste kind of.
Speaker A:Do you get the opportunity to listen to any of the bands they're opening for you all?
Speaker B:Totally.
Speaker B:I tried.
Speaker B:The band's gonna open for us.
Speaker B:We want to make sure it's something that we want to be represented by as well.
Speaker B:So like last fall when we went out and Vetiver was main support, that was a big deal for us because they're there.
Speaker B:Those guys are heroes of ours, really.
Speaker B:We've admired that band for a long time.
Speaker B:Stuff like that.
Speaker B:We always make sure that we feel represented by the band that's opening for us.
Speaker B:So we always make sure to like give it a good listen before and during the tour.
Speaker A:Have you had anyone in the last year or so that you really were just turned on to because of that?
Speaker B:You know, we actually like, like everyone that we've gone out with hastened to be.
Speaker B:Bands that we were already familiar with, like the Romney Rye were friends of ours beforehand and, you know, it was really fun to get to play with them every night.
Speaker B:And then Vetiver were, you know, some heroes of ours.
Speaker B:So, you know, examples like that.
Speaker B:But there hasn't really been that many groups where we didn't know who they were before the show.
Speaker A:So as y' all are on the road, where do you like to stop and eat?
Speaker B:We always like to try to find local cool spots.
Speaker B:I wouldn't call us health nuts, but we're definitely.
Speaker B:We don't ever eat in any fast food places or anything.
Speaker B:Not because we're against it, but just because I feel like once we open ourselves up to that being okay, I feel like we can get carried away.
Speaker A:And it'll just be who's in charge of deciding where you go.
Speaker B:I mean, I guess we all are, but.
Speaker B:But we always have to really cater to Wiley, our bass player.
Speaker B:He's, he's, he's.
Speaker B:He's the one that doesn't eat any meat ever.
Speaker B:So if there's a spot that's like a really great barbecue spot, like the only way we're gonna.
Speaker B:We feel okay going there as if we make sure that he's taken care of when we're going somewhere else that can eat at.
Speaker B:But we're all pretty healthy guys every time.
Speaker B:Every city that we find a Whole Foods in, we're pretty excited about that.
Speaker B:But like Today we're in Asheville.
Speaker B:We just ate at an incredible breakfast spot, and we all had really weird local selections that were delicious, but it's not like.
Speaker B:Yeah, but it wasn't like, oh, I'm gonna go get some fried biscuits and gravy or something like that.
Speaker B:Early girl.
Speaker A:Early girl.
Speaker A:Is that where y' all went?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Oh, that place is great.
Speaker B:You've heard of it?
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker B:Yeah, it was incredible.
Speaker B:That's what we just say is insanely good.
Speaker A:I'm in the south, so I can say this, and I'm from the South.
Speaker A:It can get difficult to find healthful food options on the road around here.
Speaker B:Yeah, totally.
Speaker A:I mean, I really respect the challenge that.
Speaker A:That is for Wiley.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, I know.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:It can be hard, but we figured out, I mean, the bigger cities always have a Whole Foods, right?
Speaker B:As long as there's a Whole Foods, we're.
Speaker B:We're pretty.
Speaker B:We're all fine.
Speaker B:Yeah, I mean, like, we.
Speaker B:There's always like, a Thai place or something nearby that's.
Speaker B:That makes it all right.
Speaker B:So we don't.
Speaker B:We don't get stuck with no options ever.
Speaker B:That.
Speaker B:That's good.
Speaker A:So are y' all coffee people?
Speaker B:Yeah, I'm a big coffee guy.
Speaker A:What do you have to have?
Speaker B:I don't know.
Speaker B:I just like to find a strong cup of coffee wherever I go.
Speaker B:I mean, if I.
Speaker B:If I.
Speaker B:There's nothing else than Starbucks.
Speaker B:Even though it's not, like, my favorite, I at least know it's got some strength to it.
Speaker B:But.
Speaker B:But, I mean, like, there's some really awesome spots around the country, like, yeah, Intelligentsia and Blue Bottle and Stump Town and really cool beans that local spots sometimes brew.
Speaker B:And that's always really fun to come across those spots.
Speaker A:I mean, gosh, it's only been, what, five years?
Speaker A:Is that right?
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, I guess so.
Speaker B:I mean, our album came out officially about a year and a half ago.
Speaker A:Or two years ago, as you all are moving then into this next one.
Speaker A:Have you been road testing these songs?
Speaker B:Yeah, we've been playing the new material on stages for a long time.
Speaker B:I feel like most people that are familiar with Dawes know just about every song a new album, which, you know, for some people might be a bummer, but I think for most people, they'll be excited that these songs, they've sort of grown, like, they've watched the songs grow in front of them, and I.
Speaker B:And, you know, the song that they might want to always hear live when they come to the show now they're going to get to have their recorded version finally.
Speaker B:So I think it's a cool thing.
Speaker B:But yeah, we've played our new material on stages more than I think other bands even tend to want to.
Speaker A:Has anything changed in particular over time from when you first started playing it live to as you went into the studio with it?
Speaker B:Not really.
Speaker B:Like, some songs there'll be subtle changes that we'll learn that work better than others.
Speaker B:Like, okay, we shouldn't do that, or we should trim that part down or make that part longer just for the sake of like, what worked on stage and what didn't.
Speaker B:But.
Speaker B:But overall there haven't been like these wild changes to songs for the sake of like, like, like, you know, between the first time we put it on stage and then by the time we.
Speaker A:Recorded it, you've really, you've been on the road a ton.
Speaker A:What kind of venues have really been a pleasant surprise for you in the recent past?
Speaker B:We'll get to some cities and we, we won't really have any idea as to how many people will come out and they'll just be, you know, like, we put.
Speaker B:When we played First Avenue in Minneapolis, I didn't really think that we would, we would, we should be playing that venue.
Speaker B: a headlining show in front of: Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And even just the other day we played in St. Augustine, Florida, headlining show, and we never played there.
Speaker B:So I was like, oh man, I hope, I Hope at least 20 people come.
Speaker B:It ended up being a packed room and it wasn't a huge room, it was like 200 people or something, but it was packed, so it felt really great.
Speaker B:But yeah, I mean, like, the venues, like in terms of us being like surprised by the, the sound and the vibe of the venue, that happens all the time.
Speaker B:And it's sort of like it seems sort of you just at random, it just seems like, you know, a band that loves a certain venue we might have an off night with and vice versa.
Speaker B:We might have a great night in a really dingy spot that everyone else will say is terrible.
Speaker A:So true.
Speaker B:I feel like it's always, it's always hard to say, like, what's an accurate impression from an actual vineyard for us at least.
Speaker A:Well, so you all are kind of in that transition from working it hard for years and being the band opening for the more well recognized name, but now you're the lead band and you're the headliner.
Speaker B:Well, it's actually like, you know, it's funny, I feel like it's sort of a bit of a cycle.
Speaker B:Like with.
Speaker B:With.
Speaker B:With our first album, we went out opening for bands of a certain size like do youo Tick and Delta Spirit and Langhorne Slam.
Speaker B:And then.
Speaker B:And then at the end of that touring cycle, we were the headlining band more or less on similar level as what they're on.
Speaker B:And then with this album, we're about to release it, and we're gonna be doing a summer's worth of support slots, but we've sort of stepped it up in terms of who we're opening for.
Speaker B:It's bigger named artists like Bright Eyes and Allison Krause and Brett Dennen.
Speaker B:And so we're hoping that by stepping up the size of the artists we're opening for, then we'll hopefully, like, you know, like, it'll be a repeat experience of the.
Speaker B:Of our first record cycle, but just on maybe ideally the next tier, you know, I don't think every band does it this way, but that's the way we're trying to do it.
Speaker A:It's great.
Speaker A:Whatever works.
Speaker A:That's cool.
Speaker A:So y' all have a lot on the plate for the summer.
Speaker A:Where are you headed that stands out for you?
Speaker A:Do you do festivals?
Speaker B:Yeah, we did a lot of festivals last year.
Speaker B:We're gonna try to do a bunch this year, but, you know, a lot of those main ones don't let fans do two years in a row.
Speaker B:So we're not gonna be at Lollapalooza or Bonnaroo or the ones we did last year.
Speaker B:We're hopefully gonna end this record cycle next year doing those festivals.
Speaker A:Let me find.
Speaker B:But as of now, it'll just.
Speaker B:It's just like, you know, really cool festivals like Mountain Jam and.
Speaker B:And stuff like that.
Speaker B:So we're still doing.
Speaker B:We're still out there doing some stuff.
Speaker B:But it's not necessarily that.
Speaker A:When you all head into the studio, you've had the opportunity now to have some assistance in the production and the method in which it happens.
Speaker A:What do you all look for when you start out as a band?
Speaker A:It's, you know, hey, can we scrap together enough dollars to head into the studio?
Speaker A:And then it's, you know, you had to a level where it's like, wow, let's choose a producer for this.
Speaker A:And then.
Speaker B:Right, right.
Speaker A:You know, you've got kind of the.
Speaker B:We felt like a lot of our.
Speaker B:A lot of the good things that have happened for our band for.
Speaker B:Have been because of our producer and because of the job he did on the first one, I feel like he helped create a sound and an aesthetic for this band by, you know, insisting that we keep it all on analog and, and that, you know, none of the effects are digital and none of that.
Speaker B:I feel like that's been a big part of what people know about Dawes, if they care, you know, like if they're a fan of Dawes.
Speaker B:I feel like that's a part of the whole story thing that that's attributed to him in a lot of ways.
Speaker B:And so for us, with a lot of, you know, bands that create relationships with their producer, we feel like we're not Dawes without him when it comes to getting stuff recorded.
Speaker B:So, like, you know, we could, we could have the budget to go hire Rick Rubin or whoever, and not that we did at all, but if we did, that would still be our guy.
Speaker A:It sounds to me as if you track it live and then maybe some minimal overdubbing.
Speaker A:Is that right?
Speaker B:Yeah, more or less.
Speaker B:We track it live and then the first record, it was a lot more like, you know, as much as possible live just because we had such a limited amount of time.
Speaker B:But for the second one, we spent a month instead of two weeks.
Speaker B:And we, you know, for the most part, like, we had to keep certain things live because that's how we work best.
Speaker B:Wiley and Griffin on bass and drums are at their best when they're playing together and they're reading each other and they're following each other and that's how.
Speaker B:That's how it should be.
Speaker B:But, you know, there are certain things where, like yet another guitar or just making sure, like the vocal take sounds a little more inspired.
Speaker B:So, like, we'll redo that or something.
Speaker B:But a lot of it was definitely live.
Speaker A:So I have a random question for you that a listener of mine sent in and wants me to ask, so I will.
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker A:Do you raise those chickens?
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:That was our EPK for our first album and that we were at our piano player Tay's parents house in upstate New York.
Speaker B:They raised chickens and we had to get the CPK done, so we were like, let's just film that.
Speaker B:This school pig roast.
Speaker B:And so that was what we were walking around and at that point when I was saying those things, I happened to be next to a bunch of chickens.
Speaker A:Do you take turns with the driving?
Speaker B:Yeah, we all take turns.
Speaker B:We rotate out, try to do a full day's drive each or not a full day's drive, but like a full, full gas tank.
Speaker B:Maybe two.
Speaker A:You mentioned earlier that like obviously the bass player has more bass oriented musical interests with some soul and R and B.
Speaker B:What is he like actually right next to me here.
Speaker B:Hello.
Speaker A:I was putting Taylor on the spot.
Speaker A:He said that you had soul and R B interest in the music that you listened to.
Speaker A:And I was putting him on the spot saying yeah.
Speaker A:So what does he listen to?
Speaker B:I listen to a lot of sax bolt records, you know, like all the Booker T Records and like anything like Duck Gun produce meters, a lot of New Orleans stuff I listen to as well, you know, like Lee Dorsey and like Alan Tusson.
Speaker B:Bunch of that good stuff.
Speaker B:And then what else?
Speaker B:Bunch of withers all the time.
Speaker B:It kind of goes on forever.
Speaker B:Delaney and Bonnie, one of my big ones.
Speaker A:So are you into any of the newer stuff that's coming out with kind of that stacks feel?
Speaker B:No, I mean I've never really heard.
Speaker B:I mean I don't really give it probably a fair enough chance.
Speaker B:I never really.
Speaker B:There's like so much like older records.
Speaker B:I'm still can go to a record store every day and pick up like 10 new records that'll like blow my mind, you know.
Speaker B:Old ones, like I'm not really giving it a chance to go around.
Speaker B:I keep feeling like I have to get all the old ones before I even start to listen to the new ones, you know.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So when you get home, do you get to listen to your vinyl or how do you.
Speaker A:On the road you can't really do that.
Speaker B:And when I'm at home it's all vinyl for sure.
Speaker B:But on the road I just buy CDs all the time.
Speaker B:Then I got my ipod out here, but I prefer it on the.
Speaker B:I got my whole like system super style thing at home, you know.
Speaker A:Cool.
Speaker A:So in terms of.
Speaker A:With vinyl having its own kind of resurgence.
Speaker B:Yeah, I mean we, we pretty much vinyls for all our stuff always.
Speaker B:And then they're all super nice like 180 gram, like double LPs at 45.
Speaker B:Both of our records are that way when we do it all at the tape.
Speaker B:So by the time it hits the vinyl for us, like no computers ever touched it.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:It's taped to the vinyl in your live performances.
Speaker A:Are y' all using like tube amps and that sort of thing too?
Speaker B:Yeah, all our gear is pretty old and I mean if, if any of it's not old, it's all like pre customized and build a lot of it for us or I try to and I maintain it all.
Speaker A:Oh cool.
Speaker A:Tell me about that.
Speaker B:Yeah, the Griffin's playing all old drones.
Speaker B:We all got two bands.
Speaker B:We have a bunch of crazy old tube keyboards and pianos and organs and all that stuff.
Speaker A:Yeah, cool.
Speaker A:I didn't realize that I haven't had a chance to see y' all live.
Speaker A:I've only listened.
Speaker B:Yeah, no, it's cool.
Speaker B:It's definitely, like, we're.
Speaker B:We definitely got the most gear out of anyone.
Speaker B:I know.
Speaker A:The tubes alone are an issue.
Speaker A:I know.
Speaker B:Yeah, I know.
Speaker B:I've got cases full of extra tubes and, like, three tool kits I carry around with us all the time, you know.
Speaker A:Do you have a favorite, favorite kind?
Speaker B:I built a couple pedals.
Speaker B:I built Taylor, like, a booster pedal that uses on all the solos and stuff.
Speaker B:There's like, a custom, like, analog, like, booster pedal.
Speaker B: ut of, like, super old, like,: Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker B:And then just like, constantly maintaining all the.
Speaker B:Keeps me pretty busy all the time on the road, you know?
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Where.
Speaker A:Where do you get all your parts then?
Speaker B:There's a couple spots in LA where I'm from, which is, like, kind of like electronic, like, junkyard.
Speaker B:You just kind of go to and, like, grab as many crazy old parts as you can find, you know, and then just, like, wait till you have a use for them, you know?
Speaker A:Is he just shipping you stuff on the road then?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Bestial.
Speaker A:Bye bye, Country Fried Rock.
Speaker A:Find the full playlist from this episode on countryfriedrock.org check us out on itunes.
Speaker A:No music, just talk.
Speaker A:Our theme music is from the Full Tones.
Speaker A:Our Country Fried Rock stinger is from Steve Soto in the Twisted Hearts.
Speaker A:Country fried rock.
Speaker A: Copyright: Speaker A:All rights reserved.
