It’s FINALLY March, and March brings the winds of musical change to the Dallas area, as our venues begin to flood with the sweet sounds of talented and buzzworthy artists. Atlanta, Georgia band O’Brother is bringing their ambient sound to Dallas tomorrow, Saturday March 10th, as they tour in in support of their debut album, Beneath Your Garden Window. I caught up with lead singer and guitarist Tanner Merritt discuss relevant music topics, such as ice cream.
For your debut record, Beneath Your Garden Window, which song was the most challenging to record?
The last song, it’s called “Last Breath.” We recorded it, and we rearranged it; scrapped a pretty good part of it several times…just the labor of love, I guess. We just wanted to make it work and finally we got it to the point where we were happy with it.
If you were describing your sound to an unfamiliar ear, what would you say about O’Brother?
It’s loud and aggressive at times, but pretty and ambient and at other times. It’s kind of diverse.
The Wall Street Journal said, “Garden Window is an album that works, not only as a recording, but as an enticement to see the band in concert.” How did that make you feel? Is the publication correct?
I think we always aspire to be a better live band and we work really hard on making the songs translate well. We put a lot into the performance. I think we always want to remain predominately a live band because that’s really important to us
I agree – especially since, as a musician – most of your revenue is generated from people coming to see the live music experience.
Yes – almost all of it!
Do you guys have any strange, weird or fun traditions before you go onstage?
We’ve had several; generally acting goofy and trying to have a good time, but for a while we would bring speakers into our dressing room. and listen to this band Torch. It’s just this really fun, heavy band. That way we’d get psyched.
It is very unique that you blogged and posted videos while recording your debut album. What gave you the idea to do this?
It was our first full length record, and a lot of people have never seen the things that go into making an album from start to finish – the time and work that goes into it – and I think we wanted to give people an opportunity to do that. We thought that maybe if they were to be there, in a sense, from the beginning, that they would feel more attached to the album.
If O’Brother was an ice cream flavor, what flavor would it be and why?
Hold on, I have to ask my ice cream specialist, Michael [Martens, Drums], he’s an ice cream fiend.
[Goes to ask Michael, muffled voices heard in the background.]
He answered it immediately. He said, “banana split sludge day”.
Can he explain the sludge part?
Well, the sludge is kind of like ambient music, kind of slow.
I would eat that ice cream.
Yeah, I would be interested to see what it looked or tasted like.
What color do you think it would be?
Probably one of those things that are ugly to look at but pretty good when you eat it.
O’Brother will perform Saturday, March 10th at the Bryan Street Tavern at 9pm. Purchase tickets here.
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Laura Stillo is the Arts & Entertainment Writer and Creative Social Media Producer for YouPlusDallas. Follow her on Twitter at @laurastillo.
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