The Pier caught up with hip hop/dub rock music sensations “The Dirty Heads” here in Denver, CO for a quick back stage interview before their set. Here is what they had to say…
The Pier: It’s great to see you guys again. Do you guys have any pre-show rituals in the bag before you start the night?
DH: We have a pre-show song and a post show song and it changes. Usually, every tour we try and get a new one. Right now before we go on, Dave makes us chilled shots of Jack Daniels or Vodka and we listen to the Black Keys song Ever Lasting Light. We also like to do a jump circle and get the security guards in on it and put them in the middle and it makes them feel awkward.
The Pier: Nothing like a dash of awkward to get the night started! You guys did a brilliant live acoustic session with Billboard.com covering Rolling Stones’ Paint It Black. On YouTube, there was the Acoustic Raw Sessions performances that included a Cold Play cover with Viva La Vida. It seems like the group takes pride with its acoustic sound. Has it been talked about at all amongst you guys in releasing an Acoustic Album down the line?
DH: Yes. It is 100% in the works. We started off acoustic and we have always wanted to keep that vibe, so we were thinking that in between our albums. It would be cool to release EP’s with acoustic stuff.
The Pier: Keep it coming! With the alternative rock to pop cross over with Lay Me Down being played on pop radio stations, how will that affect or influence song writing while moving forward?
DH: That will not affect us at all. It’s funny because the one song that did get on the radio and is now considered pop, we did not really do with any producers or anything. It was just for fun in the back yard. We were having a BBQ and just happened to write it. We are not going to limit ourselves to the pop demographic of people that want to hear our music, nor are we going to change our sound and who we are.
The Pier: We understand that you guys plan on recording after the summer. Have you guys started on material already and what direction do you want to take the next album?
DH: The next album will be less eclectic. With the first album we had so many different styles and said here is The Dirty Heads and this is where we come from musically. Now, we have played so much together and we have been touring and writing a lot and our sound as The Dirty Heads is honing in and tightening up. There won’t be as much hip-hop influence on the next album but it’s definitely still there. The fans gravitate more towards songs like Lay Me Down, Neighborhood, Shine, and Believe. That is really where The Dirty Heads sound really is rather than songs like Hip Hop Misfits, and that’s the direction we are gravitating to, which is good, because the fans are as well.
The Pier: When you guys aren’t touring in the studio, what do you guys like to do for fun?
DH: Hanging out with our friends and family. We like to skate and surf a little bit. It’s funny, because you get home and all your friends wanna party and we are kind of sick of partying. Therefore, we like to stay home and BBQ with our close friends and family.
The Pier: How has your family contributed to your success?
DH: (Duddy) Big time! When we were younger, my dad would build sound proof rooms in our garages in two different houses and everyone in the neighborhood would be hanging out jamming ‘till like four in the morning and that’s how Jared and I really became friends. (Dirty J) The thing is, when you are on the road and your touring and not making a lot of money, you can’t have a day job as well. So, I lived at home with my parents for a while and they supported me and had my back and they always believed in me and never ridiculed me for being in a band and now that we are making a little bit of money we are definitely helping them out.
The Pier: Much love to your parents! If we found your iPod what would we find?
DH: (Dirty J) On mine, it would be The Black Keys album The Brothers and a lot of dubstep. (Duddy) Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Pandora radio. Van Morrison has been one I have always listened to, as well as Beastie Boys, and Willie Nelson is one of my favorites.
The Pier: Thanks for your time guys and good luck with the new album.
– Interview by: Chad Hillje
– Edited by: Kyle Hillje
