Dredg
Encyclopedia
Dredg is an American rock group formed in 1993 in Los Gatos, California
. The band consists of vocalist Gavin Hayes, guitarist Mark Engles, bassist Drew Roulette and drummer Dino Campanella.
The band established themselves in the indie scene with their 1998 release of the concept album Leitmotif
, landing them a deal with Interscope Records
. Dredg released El Cielo in 2002, Catch Without Arms
in 2005, The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion
in 2009, and Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy in 2011.
, older friends Haye and Roulete joined the group.
The name Dredg may have come from the English word dredge, which in its verbal usage means to unearth or widen/deepen a river or channel; dredg is also the name of the device used to perform this function. In 2005, Campanela added, "It was so long ago that we named it I can't even remember. Honestly, we don't even like the name anymore. We mostly don't like the way it sounds. It doesn't roll off the tongue well."
The band's logo can be found in the book "The I Ching and The Genetic Code; The Hidden Key to Life" by Dr. Martin Schonberger on page 89. In 1996, Dredg recorded and released their first demos of original material, the Conscious EP, garnering them exposure as far away as Boston. Currently, very little information has ever been released about these demos. In 1997, they released what would become the early stages of their musical transition, the Orph EP
. It includes the group's first instrumental track, "Orph". Additionally, the track "Kayasuma" shares its title with the name of the shaman in Leitmotif
s liner notes for "Lechium". With the release, Dredg slowly built a name for themselves in the Bay Area, as well as on the East Coast, such as in Boston
and New York.
. The album was independently released in May 1998. Leitmotif was a concept album about a man traveling the world to cure his moral disease. The story was included in the liner notes, in lieu of the actual lyrics. Written by Roulete, the band had planned to release a movie of the story; however, upon the death of the lead actor, the project was scrapped.
Over the next two years, Dredg toured mostly within California, slowly expanding their fan base. The band began sending out a demo tape to several labels with four new songs intended for their next album, "Of the Room", "Redrawing the Island Map", "Running Through Propellers" and "The Papal Insignia". In February 2001, Dredg was offered a deal by Interscope Records
. As part of the deal, Leitmotif
was re-released by Interscope on September 11, 2001.
With the re-release of Leitmotif, Dredg toured nationally and internationally in support of the record with bands such as Alien Ant Farm
, Pressure 4-5
, The Apex Theory, Taproot
, Deadsy
and Onesidezero
.
's Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bumblebee around a Pomegranate One Second Before Awakening, the band expanded the focus to include sleep paralysis
after learning of Dali's own influences. As they had done with the liner notes of Leitmotif, Dredg chose not to include the lyrics; instead, they printed letters sent to them by people suffering from sleep paralysis. Several songs on the album even included lyrics taken directly from the letters.
When the band began writing material for the new album, they secluded themselves in the deserts around Palm Desert. The majority of the album was recorded at Skywalker Ranch
. The band used three producers, Ron Saint Germain
, Tim Palmer
and Jim Scott
, on the record, adding an additional layer of diversity to the album. Completed in May 2002, the album was widely available on the internet before being released on October 8, 2002. Dredg made music videos for two of the album's tracks, "Same Ol' Road" and "Of The Room".
Upon releasing the album, the band once again returned to their hectic touring schedule, including their first national headline tour with Codeseven
, a then-unsigned Strata
and either STUN or Woven supporting. They also toured with acts such as Ozomatli
, Deftones
, Chevelle
, Hoobastank
and Phantom Planet
, as well as earning a spot on the Sno-Core Tour with Sparta
, Glassjaw
and Hot Water Music
.
While touring in support of El Cielo, Dredg began work on their third album, Catch Without Arms
, spending 8 months writing material before taking another 10 months to record and mix the album. Like their previous albums, Catch Without Arms was a concept album; however, differing from the concrete stories and events surrounding their earlier releases, Catch Without Arms was about opposites, mainly focused on positives and negatives. Produced by Terry Date
, Catch Without Arms was Dredg's most successful album, debuting at 124 on the Billboard album charts and eventually reaching the top of the Heatseekers chart. The only single on the album, "Bug Eyes", was made into a music video directed by Philip Andelman.
With the release of Catch Without Arms, Dredg began a treasure hunt based around the Bay Area. The three winners each received a painting from Catch Without Arms, as well as the opportunity to name a song for the next album, "Vague Clues and Long Days".
Dredg headlined several tours in support of Catch Without Arms, playing with bands such as Circa Survive
, Day One Symphony, Delta Activity, Vedera
, Ours and Ambulette. They played the Taste of Chaos
tour in 2006 with Deftones
, Atreyu
, Thrice
and Story of the Year
, as well as shows with Coheed and Cambria
, The Blood Brothers and MewithoutYou
. Engles and Campanella also took some time to record the soundtrack for the 2005 independent film
, Waterborne.
On May 11, 2006, Dredg recorded their concert in San Francisco for a live CD entitled Live at the Fillmore. Released on November 7, 2006, Live at the Fillmore contained songs from all three studio albums, as well as a new song titled "The Warbler". A remix of "Sang Real" by Dan the Automator
was released with purchase of the album on iTunes
.
On September 14 and 15, 2006, Dredg played two special shows at The Catalyst
in Santa Cruz, California
, playing Leitmotif and El Cielo in their entirety on separate nights. During these shows the band played songs from Catch Without Arms before diving into the full album of the night. Of note, each night they played a very early version of "It's Not Worth It" (a song that did not make it into the final album) at about the mid-point of each album. On the second night, as a segue into El Cielo, they performed an early instrumental version of "Wonderous Miracle" (another song that did not make it into the final album).
On February 14, 2007, Dredg issued an update indicating production had begun on their next album and released several new song titles as part of the update. Gavin Haye posted a Myspace blog on July 8, 2007 with new information that the band had 12-15 songs that might or might not make the final cut. Of the songs previously written, only a few were being worked on from prior updates. Hayes stated that on December 21, 2007 the writing process for their new album was almost done, and they planned to enter the studio in early 2008 to start recording. This would be followed by extensive touring in the spring. The songs that were played at live shows during the writing process but were not released on the album include: "Wondrous Miracle", "It's Not Worth It", "Push Away", "Holding a Remedy Potion", "Hurricane Felix", "Pieces of Gold", "Fleeing to Mexico", "2001", "MacGuffin" and "Fucking Smile Pt. 2".
The band played at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
in California on April 26, 2008 during their tour to introduce the new tracks to their fans, with the exception of a few past hits and some tracks already performed such as "Long Days and Vague Clues". After Coachella, Dredg released demos for songs rumored to be on their upcoming album up to February 2009. They also added a song entitled "entire new album", which was a track consisting of every song played simultaneously. Also on February 23, 2009, Dredg announced their exit from Interscope Records as well their new record's title, The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion
. They confirmed joining with Independent Label Group (ILG, which is a part of Warner Music Group), and Ohlone Recordings. The album was released on June 9, 2009 with a Limited Edition release with alternate artwork (as well as a Vinyl recording) made available to the public. Music videos have been made for "Information" and "I Don't Know".
The album was inspired by the essay "Imagine There Is No Heaven: A Letter to the Six Billionth Citizen". The essay was written by British-Indian novelist Salman Rushdie, who found controversy in 1988 over one of his books gaining him a religious fatwa for Rushdie's death from Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
which ultimately resulted in United Kingdom and Iran breaking diplomatic ties to each other a year later. In consideration of the essay, the album has common themes in agnosticism
and the questioning of beliefs and society. Album and liner notes artwork resembled an Air Mail letter (addressed to "SEVEN BILLIONTH") and was done by Rohner Segnitz of the band Division Day
. Segue tracks on the album are called "Stamps of Origin", and unlike prior albums a few of these segue tracks contain lyrics.
Hayes tells Broken Records Magazine in Volume 1 Issue 3, Pink Floyd
's The Dark Side of the Moon
and The Wall
have been the most influential albums in my music.
account that they began recording their fifth album on June 23, 2010.http://twitter.com/dredg/status/16886960677
On August 17, 2010, Dredg announced via their official website that they have begun the process of recording a new album. Unlike the long gaps between their last two efforts, the band is expecting an early 2011 release. The announcement was posted in the news section and reads as follows: "Yesterday, we began working on our fifth record with musician/producer Dan the Automator
. We will be writing and recording it in San Francisco for the next month and a half and are hoping for an early 2011 release. Stay tuned as there will be more updates and studio footage in the coming months."
On February 18, 2011, Dredg announced via twitter that their fifth studio album, entitled "Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy" will be released on May 3, 2011 in the United States and April 29 everywhere else. Song titles so far include "Upon Returning", a title played while touring previously with Circa Survive. The first single will be "The Thought of Losing You". With the collaboration with Dan the Automator, he assisted in the writing of three songs: "The Tent", "Sun Goes Down", and "Before it Began". Lead singer Gavin Haye has also confirmed on facebook that previous songs "Where I'll End Up", and "The Ornament", will all appear on the new album.
Current touring members
Los Gatos, California
The Town of Los Gatos is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 29,413 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area at the southwest corner of San Jose in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains...
. The band consists of vocalist Gavin Hayes, guitarist Mark Engles, bassist Drew Roulette and drummer Dino Campanella.
The band established themselves in the indie scene with their 1998 release of the concept album Leitmotif
Leitmotif (album)
*The tracklist on the back of the album simply lists the name of the first track as a variation of the Chinese character, 易 , which means "change". A similar Chinese character, 蜴 , means "chameleon". However, since these characters are not in the English language, most sources simply list the...
, landing them a deal with Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
. Dredg released El Cielo in 2002, Catch Without Arms
Catch Without Arms
-Part 2:-Personnel:* Gavin Hayes – Vocals* Terry Date – Producer, Engineer, Mixing* Chris DeGarmo – Arranger* Ingrid Erickson – Editing* Benny Gordon – A&R* Sam Hofstedt – Engineer, Assistant, Pro-Tools* Ted Jensen – Mastering...
in 2005, The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion
The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion
The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band Dredg, released on June 9, 2009, on Ohlone Recordings...
in 2009, and Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy in 2011.
Early years (1993-1997)
While attending middle school in Los Gatos, California, Engles and Campanela started playing together. After Engles and Campanela graduated to Los Gatos High SchoolLos Gatos High School
Los Gatos High School is a high school in Los Gatos, California, a small town near San Jose in the Silicon Valley. Los Gatos High School was founded in 1908 and is part of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District...
, older friends Haye and Roulete joined the group.
The name Dredg may have come from the English word dredge, which in its verbal usage means to unearth or widen/deepen a river or channel; dredg is also the name of the device used to perform this function. In 2005, Campanela added, "It was so long ago that we named it I can't even remember. Honestly, we don't even like the name anymore. We mostly don't like the way it sounds. It doesn't roll off the tongue well."
The band's logo can be found in the book "The I Ching and The Genetic Code; The Hidden Key to Life" by Dr. Martin Schonberger on page 89. In 1996, Dredg recorded and released their first demos of original material, the Conscious EP, garnering them exposure as far away as Boston. Currently, very little information has ever been released about these demos. In 1997, they released what would become the early stages of their musical transition, the Orph EP
Orph (EP)
-About the album:Drummer Dino Campanella says, "Our first two recordings were written to be rhythmically aggressive. We did the third one, Orph, because we wanted to grow up the right way, from our roots with harmony and melody." Singer Gavin Hayes explains the heavier sound of Orph compared to...
. It includes the group's first instrumental track, "Orph". Additionally, the track "Kayasuma" shares its title with the name of the shaman in Leitmotif
Leitmotif
A leitmotif , sometimes written leit-motif, is a musical term , referring to a recurring theme, associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical idea of idée fixe...
s liner notes for "Lechium". With the release, Dredg slowly built a name for themselves in the Bay Area, as well as on the East Coast, such as in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and New York.
Leitmotif (1998-2001)
In 1998, Dredg released their first full-length, LeitmotifLeitmotif (album)
*The tracklist on the back of the album simply lists the name of the first track as a variation of the Chinese character, 易 , which means "change". A similar Chinese character, 蜴 , means "chameleon". However, since these characters are not in the English language, most sources simply list the...
. The album was independently released in May 1998. Leitmotif was a concept album about a man traveling the world to cure his moral disease. The story was included in the liner notes, in lieu of the actual lyrics. Written by Roulete, the band had planned to release a movie of the story; however, upon the death of the lead actor, the project was scrapped.
Over the next two years, Dredg toured mostly within California, slowly expanding their fan base. The band began sending out a demo tape to several labels with four new songs intended for their next album, "Of the Room", "Redrawing the Island Map", "Running Through Propellers" and "The Papal Insignia". In February 2001, Dredg was offered a deal by Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
. As part of the deal, Leitmotif
Leitmotif (album)
*The tracklist on the back of the album simply lists the name of the first track as a variation of the Chinese character, 易 , which means "change". A similar Chinese character, 蜴 , means "chameleon". However, since these characters are not in the English language, most sources simply list the...
was re-released by Interscope on September 11, 2001.
With the re-release of Leitmotif, Dredg toured nationally and internationally in support of the record with bands such as Alien Ant Farm
Alien Ant Farm
Alien Ant Farm is an American alternative rock band that formed in Riverside, California, in 1995. Their name comes from an idea original guitarist Terry Corso had about aliens and the earth: "I was daydreaming at my dull desk job with my feet up, and I thought to myself, 'Wouldn't it be cool if...
, Pressure 4-5
Pressure 4-5
Pressure 4-5 was an alternative rock/metal group hailing from Santa Barbara, California. The band released one studio album, Burning the Process, in October 2001 and toured into the following year...
, The Apex Theory, Taproot
Taproot (band)
Taproot is a four-piece rock group from Ann Arbor, Michigan. They are most known for their hit single "Poem" , as well as a number of other singles from 2000 to the present.-Pre-formation:...
, Deadsy
Deadsy
Deadsy is an American synth rock band from California. The band is known for its visual iconography and signature characteristics assigned to each band member. Each musician is identified by a specific color, stage name, and graphic tied into the band's theatrical nature. The band has released...
and Onesidezero
Onesidezero
Onesidezero is a five-piece music group from Los Angeles, California. Their style is often described as heavy melodic rock. Their songs are often very dark, with deep lyrics and slow bass lines.-History:...
.
El Cielo (2002-2004)
After signing to Interscope Records, the band began work on their major label debut, El Cielo. Like its predecessor, El Cielo was a concept album. Initially intended to revolve around Salvador DaliSalvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
's Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bumblebee around a Pomegranate One Second Before Awakening, the band expanded the focus to include sleep paralysis
Sleep paralysis
Sleep paralysis is paralysis associated with sleep that may occur in healthy persons or may be associated with narcolepsy, cataplexy, and hypnagogic hallucinations. The pathophysiology of this condition is closely related to the normal hypotonia that occurs during REM sleep. When considered to be a...
after learning of Dali's own influences. As they had done with the liner notes of Leitmotif, Dredg chose not to include the lyrics; instead, they printed letters sent to them by people suffering from sleep paralysis. Several songs on the album even included lyrics taken directly from the letters.
When the band began writing material for the new album, they secluded themselves in the deserts around Palm Desert. The majority of the album was recorded at Skywalker Ranch
Skywalker Ranch
Skywalker Ranch is the name of the workplace of film director and producer George Lucas. It is located in a secluded, but open area near Nicasio, California, in Marin County. The ranch is located on Lucas Valley Road, although Lucas is not related to the road's namesake, who was a...
. The band used three producers, Ron Saint Germain
Ron Saint Germain
Ron Saint Germain is a record producer, engineer, and mixer who was born in post-war Frankfurt, Germany into a career Air Force Family. He has helped several up and coming artists enjoy a long career in the music industry, and has even taken to naming bands...
, Tim Palmer
Tim Palmer
Tim Palmer is a British music producer, audio engineer and songwriter of rock and alternative music.-1980-1990:Palmer worked as an assistant engineer at Utopia Studios in London, England in the early 1980s...
and Jim Scott
Jim Scott (producer)
Jim Scott is an American music producer and engineer, best known for his large body of work as an engineer, and his work as a producer with American rock band Wilco. Scott has worked as engineer with a range of other rock music artists, including Dixie Chicks, Tom Petty, Sting, The Rolling Stones,...
, on the record, adding an additional layer of diversity to the album. Completed in May 2002, the album was widely available on the internet before being released on October 8, 2002. Dredg made music videos for two of the album's tracks, "Same Ol' Road" and "Of The Room".
Upon releasing the album, the band once again returned to their hectic touring schedule, including their first national headline tour with Codeseven
Codeseven
Codeseven was formed in 1995 as a melodic hardcore band in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Their first "official" release , A Sense of Coalition gained popularity on college radio stations for a cover of Don Henley's "The Boys of Summer" Codeseven was formed in 1995 as a melodic hardcore band in...
, a then-unsigned Strata
Strata (band)
Strata was a rock band from Campbell, California formed in 2001. They released two full-length albums with Wind-up Records, before disbanding after the departure of vocalist Eric Victorino on 19 January 2008.-History:...
and either STUN or Woven supporting. They also toured with acts such as Ozomatli
Ozomatli
Ozomatli is a seven to ten piece band playing primarily Latin, hip hop, and rock music, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles. They are known both for their vocal activist viewpoints and their wide array of musical styles - including salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, rap, and others.In a 2007 NPR interview, band...
, Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
, Chevelle
Chevelle
Chevelle is an American alternative metal trio that formed in 1995 in Grayslake, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The band was originally composed of two brothers and a local friend: Pete Loeffler , Sam Loeffler , and Matt Scott . Matt was later replaced by brother Joe Loeffler...
, Hoobastank
Hoobastank
Hoobastank is an American rock band, best known for their 2004 hit "The Reason" and other hits "Crawling in the Dark" and "Running Away". They formed in 1994 in Agoura Hills, California, with singer Doug Robb, guitarist Dan Estrin, drummer Chris Hesse, and original bassist Markku Lappalainen. They...
and Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet are an American alternative rock band from Southern California. Formed in 1994 in Los Angeles, the band consists of Alex Greenwald , Darren Robinson , Sam Farrar and Jeff Conrad . The band is best known for its track "California", which became the theme song for the Fox TV series,...
, as well as earning a spot on the Sno-Core Tour with Sparta
Sparta (band)
Sparta is an American band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. Founding members Jim Ward and Tony Hajjar are former members of post-hardcore group At the Drive-In...
, Glassjaw
Glassjaw
Glassjaw is a four-piece rock band from Long Island, New York. The band is fronted by vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck, and have undergone numerous line-up changes since their inception...
and Hot Water Music
Hot Water Music
Hot Water Music is a punk rock band from Gainesville, Florida. The members of the band are Chuck Ragan, Chris Wollard, Jason Black, and George Rebelo. HWM first formed in 1993...
.
Catch Without Arms - Live at the Fillmore (2005-2006)
Catch Without Arms
-Part 2:-Personnel:* Gavin Hayes – Vocals* Terry Date – Producer, Engineer, Mixing* Chris DeGarmo – Arranger* Ingrid Erickson – Editing* Benny Gordon – A&R* Sam Hofstedt – Engineer, Assistant, Pro-Tools* Ted Jensen – Mastering...
, spending 8 months writing material before taking another 10 months to record and mix the album. Like their previous albums, Catch Without Arms was a concept album; however, differing from the concrete stories and events surrounding their earlier releases, Catch Without Arms was about opposites, mainly focused on positives and negatives. Produced by Terry Date
Terry Date
Terry Date is an American record producer and engineer, specializing in the rock and metal genres...
, Catch Without Arms was Dredg's most successful album, debuting at 124 on the Billboard album charts and eventually reaching the top of the Heatseekers chart. The only single on the album, "Bug Eyes", was made into a music video directed by Philip Andelman.
With the release of Catch Without Arms, Dredg began a treasure hunt based around the Bay Area. The three winners each received a painting from Catch Without Arms, as well as the opportunity to name a song for the next album, "Vague Clues and Long Days".
Dredg headlined several tours in support of Catch Without Arms, playing with bands such as Circa Survive
Circa Survive
Circa Survive is an American alternative rock band from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania suburb of Doylestown, formed in 2004. The band consists of vocalist Anthony Green, former singer of Saosin and members of the now-defunct This Day Forward....
, Day One Symphony, Delta Activity, Vedera
Vedera
Vedera is a pop/rock band from Kansas City, Missouri.- History :Kristen May grew up in the Kansas City suburb of Blue Springs, as did the rest of her bandmates. Her entire family was musical; her mother was a singer who loved Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Jim Croce. “I listened to those artists,...
, Ours and Ambulette. They played the Taste of Chaos
Taste of Chaos
Taste of Chaos is a hardcore tour that was started in the winter of 2005 by Kevin Lyman, the creator of the successful Warped Tour along with friend and business partner, John Reese. The Taste Of Chaos tour caters for fans of the post-hardcore, screamo, and metal genres, while offering the same...
tour in 2006 with Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
, Atreyu
Atreyu (band)
Atreyu is an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/lyricist Alex Varkatzas, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist Marc McKnight and drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller...
, Thrice
Thrice
Thrice is an American rock band from Irvine, California, formed in 1998. The group was founded by guitarist/vocalist Dustin Kensrue and guitarist Teppei Teranishi while they were in high school....
and Story of the Year
Story of the Year
Story of the Year is an American rock band formed in St. Louis, Missouri in 2000. The band was initially named 67 North but was then changed to Big Blue Monkey...
, as well as shows with Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria is an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York. Formed in 1995, the group incorporates aspects of progressive rock, punk rock, metal and post-hardcore....
, The Blood Brothers and MewithoutYou
MewithoutYou
Me Without You, stylized as mewithoutYou and abbreviated as mwY, is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band consists of vocalist Aaron Weiss, guitarist Michael Weiss, bassist Greg Jehanian and drummer Rickie Mazzotta. MewithoutYou's music is generally dominated by...
. Engles and Campanella also took some time to record the soundtrack for the 2005 independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
, Waterborne.
On May 11, 2006, Dredg recorded their concert in San Francisco for a live CD entitled Live at the Fillmore. Released on November 7, 2006, Live at the Fillmore contained songs from all three studio albums, as well as a new song titled "The Warbler". A remix of "Sang Real" by Dan the Automator
Dan the Automator
Daniel M. Nakamura , better known by the stage name Dan the Automator, is a Japanese-American hip hop producer. He founded the record label 75 Ark, which was distributed by Tommy Boy Records during its short existence....
was released with purchase of the album on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.
On September 14 and 15, 2006, Dredg played two special shows at The Catalyst
The Catalyst
"The Catalyst" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. Released on August 2, 2010, it is the first single from their fourth studio album, A Thousand Suns, which was released on September 8, 2010...
in Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
, playing Leitmotif and El Cielo in their entirety on separate nights. During these shows the band played songs from Catch Without Arms before diving into the full album of the night. Of note, each night they played a very early version of "It's Not Worth It" (a song that did not make it into the final album) at about the mid-point of each album. On the second night, as a segue into El Cielo, they performed an early instrumental version of "Wonderous Miracle" (another song that did not make it into the final album).
Exit from Interscope and
The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion (2007-2009)The band played at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
in California on April 26, 2008 during their tour to introduce the new tracks to their fans, with the exception of a few past hits and some tracks already performed such as "Long Days and Vague Clues". After Coachella, Dredg released demos for songs rumored to be on their upcoming album up to February 2009. They also added a song entitled "entire new album", which was a track consisting of every song played simultaneously. Also on February 23, 2009, Dredg announced their exit from Interscope Records as well their new record's title, The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion
The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion
The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band Dredg, released on June 9, 2009, on Ohlone Recordings...
. They confirmed joining with Independent Label Group (ILG, which is a part of Warner Music Group), and Ohlone Recordings. The album was released on June 9, 2009 with a Limited Edition release with alternate artwork (as well as a Vinyl recording) made available to the public. Music videos have been made for "Information" and "I Don't Know".
The album was inspired by the essay "Imagine There Is No Heaven: A Letter to the Six Billionth Citizen". The essay was written by British-Indian novelist Salman Rushdie, who found controversy in 1988 over one of his books gaining him a religious fatwa for Rushdie's death from Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini
Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini was an Iranian religious leader and politician, and leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution which saw the overthrow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran...
which ultimately resulted in United Kingdom and Iran breaking diplomatic ties to each other a year later. In consideration of the essay, the album has common themes in agnosticism
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
and the questioning of beliefs and society. Album and liner notes artwork resembled an Air Mail letter (addressed to "SEVEN BILLIONTH") and was done by Rohner Segnitz of the band Division Day
Division Day
Division Day is an alternative rock band based in Los Angeles, California. The band consists of four members: Ryan Wilson , Rohner Segnitz , Kevin Lenhart and Seb Bailey ....
. Segue tracks on the album are called "Stamps of Origin", and unlike prior albums a few of these segue tracks contain lyrics.
Hayes tells Broken Records Magazine in Volume 1 Issue 3, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's The Dark Side of the Moon
The Dark Side of the Moon
The Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in March 1973. It built on ideas explored in the band's earlier recordings and live shows, but lacks the extended instrumental excursions that characterised their work following the departure...
and The Wall
The Wall
The Wall is the eleventh studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd. Released as a double album on 30 November 1979, it was subsequently performed live with elaborate theatrical effects, and adapted into a feature film, Pink Floyd—The Wall.As with the band's previous three...
have been the most influential albums in my music.
Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy (2010-present)
Dredg had suggested on their TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account that they began recording their fifth album on June 23, 2010.http://twitter.com/dredg/status/16886960677
On August 17, 2010, Dredg announced via their official website that they have begun the process of recording a new album. Unlike the long gaps between their last two efforts, the band is expecting an early 2011 release. The announcement was posted in the news section and reads as follows: "Yesterday, we began working on our fifth record with musician/producer Dan the Automator
Dan the Automator
Daniel M. Nakamura , better known by the stage name Dan the Automator, is a Japanese-American hip hop producer. He founded the record label 75 Ark, which was distributed by Tommy Boy Records during its short existence....
. We will be writing and recording it in San Francisco for the next month and a half and are hoping for an early 2011 release. Stay tuned as there will be more updates and studio footage in the coming months."
On February 18, 2011, Dredg announced via twitter that their fifth studio album, entitled "Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy" will be released on May 3, 2011 in the United States and April 29 everywhere else. Song titles so far include "Upon Returning", a title played while touring previously with Circa Survive. The first single will be "The Thought of Losing You". With the collaboration with Dan the Automator, he assisted in the writing of three songs: "The Tent", "Sun Goes Down", and "Before it Began". Lead singer Gavin Haye has also confirmed on facebook that previous songs "Where I'll End Up", and "The Ornament", will all appear on the new album.
Members
Current members- Gavin Hayes - vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, slide guitarSlide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(1993–present) - Drew Roulette - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
(1993–present) - Mark Engles - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, backing vocals (1993–present) - Dino Campanella - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
(1993–present)
Current touring members
- Ben Flanagan - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, backing vocals (2008–present)
Studio albums
- LeitmotifLeitmotif (album)*The tracklist on the back of the album simply lists the name of the first track as a variation of the Chinese character, 易 , which means "change". A similar Chinese character, 蜴 , means "chameleon". However, since these characters are not in the English language, most sources simply list the...
, 1998 - El Cielo, 2002
- Catch Without ArmsCatch Without Arms-Part 2:-Personnel:* Gavin Hayes – Vocals* Terry Date – Producer, Engineer, Mixing* Chris DeGarmo – Arranger* Ingrid Erickson – Editing* Benny Gordon – A&R* Sam Hofstedt – Engineer, Assistant, Pro-Tools* Ted Jensen – Mastering...
, 2005, #123 US - The Pariah, the Parrot, the DelusionThe Pariah, the Parrot, the DelusionThe Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band Dredg, released on June 9, 2009, on Ohlone Recordings...
, 2009, #71 US - Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy, 2011, #177 US
EPs
- Conscious, 1996
- OrphOrph (EP)-About the album:Drummer Dino Campanella says, "Our first two recordings were written to be rhythmically aggressive. We did the third one, Orph, because we wanted to grow up the right way, from our roots with harmony and melody." Singer Gavin Hayes explains the heavier sound of Orph compared to...
, 1997 - Extended Play for the Eastern HemisphereExtended Play for the Eastern Hemisphere (EP)Extended Play for the Eastern Hemisphere is a 5-song EP that was released by the band Dredg and Universal Music Group: EU, in 2001.-About the album:...
, 2002
Other
- El Cielo Blueprints, 2000–2002
- Industry Demo, 2001
- Coquette Demo, 2004
- Bug Eyes CD Sampler, 2005
- Bug Eyes 7" Vinyl, 2005
- Information, single, 2009
DVDs
- CricketsCrickets (DVD)The Crickets DVD was a promotional item that was to be given away with copies of Dredg's second album, El Cielo, on tour. It was first given away by band members during the March 2003 SnoCore tour. As this concert was not heavily advertised many fans were unaware the event was taking place, never...
, 2003 - Live from the Henry Fonda TheaterLive From The Henry Fonda Theater (DVD)Live from the Henry Fonda Theater was a live concert of the band Dredg, released on DVD as a promotional tool for their third album, Catch Without Arms. The DVD was recorded live on June 24, 2005 at the Henry Fonda Theater in Los Angeles, CA...
, 2005
Music videos
- "Same Ol' Road" (2002), from the album El Cielo.
- "Of The Room" (2003), from the album El Cielo.
- "Bug Eyes" (2005), from the album Catch Without ArmsCatch Without Arms-Part 2:-Personnel:* Gavin Hayes – Vocals* Terry Date – Producer, Engineer, Mixing* Chris DeGarmo – Arranger* Ingrid Erickson – Editing* Benny Gordon – A&R* Sam Hofstedt – Engineer, Assistant, Pro-Tools* Ted Jensen – Mastering...
. - "Information" (2009), from the album The Pariah, the Parrot, the DelusionThe Pariah, the Parrot, the DelusionThe Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band Dredg, released on June 9, 2009, on Ohlone Recordings...
. - "I Don't Know" (2009), from the album The Pariah, the Parrot, the DelusionThe Pariah, the Parrot, the DelusionThe Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band Dredg, released on June 9, 2009, on Ohlone Recordings...
. - "Upon Returning" (2011), from the album Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy.
- "The Thought Of Losing You" (2011), from the album Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy.