Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Interview: Ken Geiger Chats with Portland, Oregon-based Band, Drunk Dad, About Their Latest

Feelings Party

By Ken Geiger

Noise rock. The term sounds broad enough, right? There could be a million things going off in your mind right now that could be considered noise rock: The Melvins, Unsane, The Jesus Lizard… All different sounding bands who fit under the noise rock tag. If there is so much diversity of sound among those forefathers of the genre from way back when, why is there very little that is unique about the noise rock bands popping up now? I feel like with most noise rock bands that come out in the modern age, you can easily tell who their influences are. While it is great sometimes when bands wear their influences on their sleeves, it fails to help grow and develop the genre they reside in. There must be bands out there in the noise rock world who try to push the envelope of this label, right?

Enter Drunk Dad. This Portland, Oregon-based group delivers an extremely frantic and punishing form of noise rock that I have never come across in my prior musical experiences. You can never quite tell where the songs on Feelings Party are going to end up; or, sometimes, if you are even listening to the same song you were when you started. I found this record to be extremely refreshing to come across during a few weeks where I have felt like nothing interesting has come out at all. I just could not believe this insane band was virtually an unknown name, even in underground circles. I knew I had to learn more about them; so I reached out to the band to figure out some answers about just what Drunk Dad is, and what their musical adventure holds for the people who dare to listen.

K= Ken DD= Drunk Dad

K: Could you give a brief history of Drunk Dad? Who were some of the influences you had in your early beginnings?

DD: Drunk Dad started in 2010 with a different rhythm section than we have now. In 2011, we recruited Jose De Lara to play guitar; and, in 2012, Joseph Naylor jumped in on drums. We went through a few bass players; and, eventually, Jose started handling the low end. We had a noise guy named REDNECK that would tour and record with us for a while, but around 2015 we started writing as a three piece and have kept it that way.

In the beginning, I was just trying to write a newer, shittier KARP song. To date, it hasn't worked.

K: How is the scene around Portland where you guys are from? Did it have any influence on your sound, whether it be from other bands or just your surroundings in day to day life there? A band that sounds like this is certainly not one I'd associate with the current hipster world of Portland.

DD: Portland, and the northwest in general, has been a huge influence on what we do. We really wanted to be a band that was in the tradition of groups like The Wipers and Melvins and Mudhoney. You know, obscure and completely inaccessible. Portland used to be a really wonderful place for musicians. We come from a more weirdo, aggressive kind of music scene that Portland wasn't known for. Our kind of city is rainy and dreary and depressed. We missed the whole Portlandia buzz.

K: The new record. I love it. When did recording for it start? How would you approach the songwriting on it? Who were some influences this go-round? It seems to just be constantly on the fringe of falling apart with each song. It really grips me as a listener. It seems like it's supposed to come off like that?

DD: The last tracks were the first ones recorded. We did those st Sharkbite studios down in Oakland while on tour in 2014. They were engineered by Scott Evans from Kowloon Walled City. The other songs were recorded by Jose and our good friend Andrew Grosse at Caravan recording in Portland. We are pretty consistent with our songwriting. We always try to push our own boundaries which can end up with us writing parts it takes a while to really nail. So that sound of the wheels coming off is us trying to keep our shit together! From our earlier stuff, we've gotten tighter and faster; but we always try to push it. That's what keeps us making music. We can always play a part heavier or faster or harder.

K: Do you have any plans to play out live in support of this record? If so, do you think the songs will translate well in the live setting?

DD: We've been playing some of these songs live for close to three years, so they're pretty tight live. Our whole point of putting these songs out is so we could clean the closet and start writing new ones.

K: Looking into the future, does Drunk Dad have any long term plans coming? Are you considering new stuff yet, or will the band hibernate for a little?

DD: Our long term plans involve touring, writing, and recording; but, you know, on our own schedule. We've been a band for a while, so we've learned the value of being patient and letting things happen. I think our work schedule is a good part hibernation. We've tried to sprint the marathon before, and it always ends with getting burnt out. We're in it for the long haul, so there's no rush. We're doing just fine.

Feelings Party is now over at Drunk Dad's Bandcamp.



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