“Never Erased” from Fade In/Fade Out

“Sing it Soft” from Fade In/Fade Out

Interview with Cam and JoJo:

The recording of Never Erased (download here) was much different. When writing the song Hawks and I worked on creating counter-melodies with our guitars that would work off of each other. During the chorus of Never Erased you can hear me playing the rhythm part in your left ear and Cameron’s response, in a higher tone, coming from your right ear. Each of us having our own speaker –or our own ear for you headphoners– accentuated the call-and-response of the guitar parts. The vocal line screams at you from both speakers coming straight from the middle. The vocal line too is a call immediately followed by the response of two lead guitar parts mimicing the vocal melody in harmony.

In order to make-up for any loss of the full sound we had achieved with previous recordings, Eric’s drums have more presence and a warm saturated room sound. Colby, who loves to track last, strings together his own melodies that then fill-in any spaces left open in the array of sound.

It all adds up to a sound more reminiscent of our live show. Simpler maybe. But then again, don’t tell that to our producer Chris Cosgrove. He would tell you anything but.

Fade In/Fade Out (2013)

I wrote “Sing it Soft” for my mom, right before she lost an ongoing battle with pancreatic cancer in July of 2010. After a four year struggle of our own to finish our second album – which included a third of it being erased by a click-happy studio intern – The Dead Girls had finally released Out of Earshot the previous April. Never in my life have I experienced such highs and lows…and it all happened in a span of four months.

A few months before my mom passed, I moved back to Manhattan to be closer to my family. I had already decided I was going to try to write as many songs as possible, one for each room in my cavernous family home. I ended up with around ten, but “Sing it Soft” felt special because it took hardly any effort to complete – and when I say complete, I mean that when I first played it with its final lyrics and arrangement and everything, I knew it was done. It didn’t need anything else. It’s not very often when you know right off the bat that you’ve just literally completed the song, with all it s essential components, in less than 20 minutes.

My mom, Tammi Hawk, and my brother Skyler

Written in my first bedroom, “Sing it Soft” was born of memories of my mother singing me to sleep as a child, as well as recollections of bits of songs that either she used to sing to me or we both loved together in later life. There are references to The Beatles and the Bee Gees, the two groups for which we shared the strongest affinity. But the song is really about figuring out how to keep someone alive in your mind and to the rest of the world when they leave your life forever. I think one of the most natural ways humans do this is by singing to their children the songs that were sung to them in their childhood. In my case, I believe it made a rock solid foundation for my love and passion for music, and I could never thank my mom enough for giving me that, as so many people struggle every day to find what they really love. Aside from always supporting me in my crazy or risky musical endeavors, she was always my biggest fan, and every song I write is for her.

Though this is a side not often seen of The Dead Girls, I wanted everyone to have this song because I have friends that are parents, or some friends that are newly married and probably having kids soon. Singing to your children is one of the most natural ways to connect with them, to tell them you love them. That is the purpose of “Sing it Soft”.

1. Welcome to Daytrotter
2. The Beast Inside
3. Never Erased
4. Girl In Fatigues
5. Naysayer
6. Chasing Clouds
   

From Sean Moeller, head Daytrotter dude and all-around nice guy: “The characters in these songs are handfuls, causing all kinds of drama, losing their shit and just generally freaking out. It doesn’t mean that any of this was a bad idea though. You can tell that these are people who might actually thrive on the unpredictability of good looking babes. Hawk sings, “Whatever it takes, I’ll find a way/To get you to show me the shape of your body/It seems it’s all I ever think about these days,” and it could be the root of the problem, but it’s not like it matters all that much. It’s always gonna be hard, ya know? As long as you can spin the troubles of the odd couple into some shredding rock songs, it’s all good.”

We hope you dig the four new tunes and our full-band electric version of “Chasing Clouds” from the Te Quiero EP!

Click on continue reading to hear about the process of recording Fade In/Fade Out.

There were really 3 stages to the recording of this album. It began as we started to write a lot of the new material about the time we were mixing and about to release Out of Earshot. We were playing a lot of shows to promote OOE and both Hawks and Longbottom (myself) were writing a lot of material as a result.

The second stage started when we booked dates with Chris Cosgrove to track drums and so we started hammering out many of the songs live and in practice sessions, being sure that we had them arranged exactly the way we wanted, but leaving plenty of room for changes and/or extrapolation. Some of the songs we played quite a bit live and some were simply songs that either Hawks or I brought to the table that had personality so we began adding to them in different ways… whether it be adding drums on top of the mix or no drums at all. At this point, we had the majority of drums tracked along with some of the raw basic rhythm tracks and then we focused on playing live shows for a while.

I am not sure that any one of us knows exactly what happened in between the second or third stage of Fade In/Fade Out. A sabbatical? For about a year, we just kept playing live shows and making changes to the songs here and there. But honestly, I am glad that it happened and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

… … … still on sabbatical… … …

About sixth months ago, armed with 3 new tracks and new approaches to the previous 9, we began stage 3. The time off gave us a refreshing point of view. Hawks and I came up with ideas in my studio on Ohio St. and then took ‘em to Cosgrove. We tracked almost everything at his studio, but saved some vocals and psychedelic licks for the comforts of home. Of course, at the very end Colby added his bass lines as he likes to do so we “don’t walk over all of his melodies” with vocal harmonies and guitarmonies. So it goes.

Hawks recording Vocals at Cosgrove Audio

Welcome to stage 4 where Fade In/Fade Out is in the hands of Chris Cosgrove. After he puts his stamp on the record, we will collaborate from their for our final mix. Then off to mastering, and finally to the Love Garden and other delightful stores where YOU can get your hands on it. As Tom Petty says, “The waiting is the hardest part!“

Schedule for MidCoast Takeover at SXSW, 2012

Hey there, rockers!!

I really can’t stress just how excited The Dead Girls are to be a part of MidCoast Takeover this year. This showcase has become the premiere non-official SXSW event for Midwest bands, so tight that even a score of national bands clamor to be added each year. I’m not totally sure how this year’s lineup stacks up to those of past years, but 2012’s collection of KC area and national bands would be enough to make me want to hitchhike down to Austin if my band wasn’t already playing.

Twenty-six KC bands have been chosen to represent this year, and while that is quite a lot, I have no doubt in my mind they are all great choices. I haven’t heard them all, but I look forward to finally hearing some bands that people have been buzzing on for awhile, like We Are Voices, The Empty Spaces, Maps for Travelers, and so many more. For the sake of getting down to the nitty gritty of just how awesome this MCT lineup is, though, I’m going to do a breakdown of some of the bands I have already come to know and love, and the bands with whom I am most excited about causing a good old-fashioned Austin ruckus.

O Giant Man – We finally got to play with these guys at Eleven Productions’ big Eleven Eleven festival in Lawrence a few months ago. They have a knack for great melodies and good, straightforward, unpretentious songwriting, and you can tell they love what they do. Plus – and this may be what I love most about them – they all just look like normal dudes who live to play music. They don’t dress to impress – they ROCK to impress. I know that saying isn’t as catchy as the normal one, but it’s true.

The Figgs – One of the few national acts MidCoast was lucky enough to be graced with this year, New York’s The Figgs have been kicking ass onstage and in the studio for a good twenty years or so now. They would probably take names, too, if they had any time between shows and recording, but the reality is they have remained one of the hardest-working rock bands in America for most of the time they have existed. They never disappoint live; in fact, they usually tend to mop the stage with any band they share a bill with, so at least for this showcase, they will have a lot of mops. They recently released a live album that was recorded at the Hurricane in KC back in 2001 – I’m pretty sure I was at that show, too.

Everyday/Everynight – There are so many indie pop bands who think it is somehow a crime to rock, and I’m pleased to say that Everyday/Everynight are NOT one of these bands. They do provide a great dose of that indie whimsy and playfulness, but never shy away from a killer riff or an opportunity to freak out onstage. Their sound is a mix of the contagious vulnerability of the first two Rogue Wave albums, the angular riffs of Bloc Party, the fist-pumping melodies of Arcade Fire, and even a bit of that loveably awkward but straightforward feel of Weezer.

The Beautiful Bodies – We played with these guys and gal at Kanrocksas last summer, and they proved to be just the sort of fiery dance-rock people needed, despite the fact that it was probably over 100 degrees outside. In the vein of bands like Franz Ferdinand or even former local party-rockers The Noise FM, TBB take a no-nonsense approach, and their unrelenting attitude is only one aspect of their impressive stage show.

Vi Tran Band – This is one artist whose music I have yet to hear, but the few times I have met Tran out on the town in KC have helped to build anticipation for hearing his music. Anyone not new to the KC music scene can tell you of Tran’s magnetic persona and his unrelenting love for performing and creating, and no matter how talented an artist is, it’s always better to have this sort of excitement at the base of that talent. Plus, I hear his music is a somewhat eclectic mix of Americana and Power Pop, which of course intrigues me greatly.

David George and A Crooked Mile – David George has been making music in the area ever since I was a spoiled-rotten seventh grader who thought my In Utero shirt was too cool for school (after I wore it there and they made me turn it inside-out, I realized it was). I remember seeing his bands Deege and Moaning Lisa play these summer festivals in my hometown of Manhattan, KS, and to see him still rocking and making his best music ever is such a great feeling.

Oriole Post – In perhaps what may have been the oddest mismatched lineup in KC show history, The Dead Girls played with Oriole Post at the Brick a couple years ago, just as this band of country/folk/bluegrass artists was getting its sea legs. As usual, we were loud and borderline obnoxious (in only the best ways, of course), but then these guys came up and proceeded to bust out one perfectly crafted folk tune after another. They have a strong country sensibility, but adamantly mix in as much of the straightforward folk approach as possible, giving their sound an exciting rural quality, like the Dixie Chicks if they could be as cool as Lucinda Williams.

Quiet Corral – At the beginning of 2010, Quiet Corral released an EP and began casually playing Lawrence venues, honing a sound that mixes Arcade Fire-style indie rock with a more traditional Americana feel. Just a little over two years later, they have already undergone several tours with an impressive array of acts, and are playing multiple showcases at this year’s SXSW festival. Having maybe the most impressive work ethic of any band at MidCoast, QC has been writing and recording relentlessly as well, and will release their first full-length album in 2012. The Dead Girls recorded the A-side of our new single, “She Laughed A Little”, at QC’s studio, The Art House.

Sons of Great Dane – One of my favorite KC bands, the Sons come the closest to presenting rock music as I want to hear it – with huge, pummeling guitar riffs that hook deep into your subconscious and very little pretense to what the whole purpose of the affair should be. This is music that is made simply for the love of big guitars and the worldwide need for songs that truly stick with you. For some reason, they kind of remind me of a somewhat southern-fried Built to Spill, even though they aren’t southern – probably the combination of the wizardry of the guitar solos, the downplayed vocals, and the overall sum that seems so much bigger than its parts.

Cherokee Rock Rifle – I will settle this now, just in case some feel this is up for debate – there is no better way to end MidCoast Takeover than with a blistering-ass set from these guys. Featuring former members of National Fire Theory and Thunder Eagle, CRR may be a little too “rock and roll” to be called metal by the pickiest of metal heads, but no other genre describes them as accurately. Taking equal parts influence from classic metal like Metallica or Slayer, and mixing in elements of the stoner guitar riff rock of bands like Red Fang or Queens of the Stone Age, these guys are going to reduce the Shangri-La to rubble, and I can’t think of a better way for KC to say farewell to Austin, until next year.

This shindig will get started at 9pm on Valentines Day with a screening of Season 2 of the zombie web series Dead Wait, followed by performances by The Dead Girls and Last Night’s Regret. There will be contests, door prizes, dancing, and more–zombie attire encouraged by not required!

Doors open at 9pm, Screening starts at 9:30p, Rock begins at 10p

Tickets $5 in advance on the Record Bar website (www.therecordbar.com), $7 at the door and all proceeds go toward making a Dead Wait feature film!!

You've been Dando'd!

Some of you might be wondering, “Hey haven’t you played with these dudes before?” You would be correct, wise man…but not with this record and not with this band. In fact, the last time the Dead Girls played with Evan Dando, we were the Lemonheads. In the most improptu clusterf#ck fashion, Evan spastically agreed to a few songs, we learned them in the living room of our friend’s house, and played them that night at the Starlight. It was amazing, and amazingly awkward with Dando’s incessant nervous ticks and bizarro behavior. He borrowed my axe, strummed a few ditties and then disappeared in the shadows. Last thing I remember is waking up with a silver bullet hangover and a missing guitar tuner…

…at least he left the guitar.

Guided by Voices Inc 2012

If there is one person I can say I have loved, hated, been obsessed with, been completely frustrated with, wished I had never heard of or wished I could be all at the same time, that person would be Robert Pollard. My feelings about the aged Guided By Voices songwriting captain (or Fading Captain, as he has come to be known) have undergone more of a rigorous emotional rollercoaster than any I have had about any songwriter – maybe even any girl. Yes, I am that gay for GBV.

Seriously, though – what other reaction is to be expected from such an inconsistent catalog of music? Those initial GBV albums that changed my life forever – starting with Bee Thousand through Under the Bushes, Under the Stars – set such a high bar for rock music back in the mid-nineties, even with all their garage-y, lo-fi anomalies. Something about the quality of that music, even when presented as shitty recordings, was undeniable. And with 85%-90% of the songwriting being credited to Pollard on those records, it would be easy for anyone to think that he was the backbone of this era of GBV.

Cut to 2005, the post-GBV years – Pollard continued to shower his fans with music…music that literally sounded like it came off the top of Pollard’s head with no editing or tweaking whatsoever. This idea could be cool and all, but after listening to his post GBV solo albums, it becomes quite clear that Pollard is just not very good at those things. What he excels at is coming up with awesome riffs and mangled bar poetry, and only after this new GBV record with the classic Bee Thousand era lineup was released did I realize just how much importance the other band members play in the dynamic of GBV; or, just how much of a band this band really is.

The main thing that made me realize this on the band’s new album, Let’s Go Eat the Factory, is the quality of contributions by Tobin Sprout and, now that he’s back, how everything just has that classic GBV feel to it. The songs aren’t as good as that, for the most part, but the consensus seems to be (and I wholeheartedly agree) that no one actually expected Factory to be this good. In reality, I don’t think people expected it to be good at all, in light of Pollard’s recent output. Now, all of a sudden, we get the old guys back together – Greg Demos and his striped pants, Mitch Mitchell and his cigarette-in-mouth mainstay, and Sprout’s tuneful wizardry to name a few aspects – and it seems to be working again, almost just as it used to. One thing I take issue with is the album cover. Pollard has become well known for his collage skills, and perhaps because he thought people would expect something really cool, he decided to opt with something that looks like it was thrown together on a home computer in less than three minutes. Obviously that was the point – the cover certainly reflects the amateur pastiche feel of the album itself – but it just seems lazy to me. That’s probably what Pollard wanted people to think, too. Oh Rob, you’re so ironic.

Why did these guys ever have to go away? Well, recent news has brought rumors of yet another breakup after the band cancelled their 2012 tour dates. This was, like, right before their new record came out, and they cited “personal reasons” as the explanation. That has to mean they are not getting along, right? Maybe someone is having a family crisis, or something, but with how important all the members are to this band, I could understand some big egos flying around. Sprout has six contributions on Factory – that might be more than he has ever had on a GBV album. I’m thinking he had to fight for a few of those – I might be wrong, but after not being in this band for over a decade and I’m sure getting a bunch of people coming up to him saying “I LOOOVE your GBV songs! Why weren’t there more?!?”, Sprout had to have been waiting for this moment, and had to have prepared himself to attempt to cage the angry tiger that is Pollard. With the quality of Sprout’s songs here, he has proven he is almost as important to GBV as Pollard – Pollard may be the mascot and the shining figure of the band, but Sprout is the guy that holds everything together and makes it all presentable…even when it sounds like shit.

According to the group’s Facebook page, the band has definitely not split, and is actually readying ANOTHER album for May of 2012 called Class Clown Spots A UFO. I am more than intrigued, wondering if it will be more or less a sequel to Factory, or if we will get something altogether different. That’s another reason why I like having GBV back with us, at least for now – you just never know with these guys.

Here is GBV in a recent Letterman performance of the lead single, “The Unsinkable Fats Domino”.