This week’s Artist of the Week is Dash|Ten! Read on to learn more about the band.
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BTS: Introduce yourselves.
Dash}Ten: Hi! We are Corrin (bass and vocals), Steve (guitars), and Pete (drums). We are Dash|Ten!
BTS: You’re releasing your debut album on May 21, what was the process like recording that?
Recording the songs for our debut album didn’t happen all at the same time. The first song written and recorded, “Sunbeam”, was actually done years ago by Corrin before the guys joined the band. The most recent song recorded on the album is “What You Wanted”, and it’s definitely our favorite. Corrin is the primary songwriter. We’re excited to put these songs out because they were written at different stages in our lives and careers – you can almost hear the angst and joy of different chapters while you listen to the album. Since it our debut album, it’s kind of a culmination of chapters of writing all brought into one book.
BTS: If you were to describe your sound to someone who might not know it, how would you describe it?
Is “pop-grunge” a genre? We have a lot of inspiration from 90s grunge music, really going back to the basics with just guitars, drums, and vocals. The lyrics and music were just so authentic in that scene, and there’s something really inspiring about the rawness, the vulnerability and truths, of that music. However, we like a lot of pop music too, and want the songs to be easy to sing along with, to be catchy while being real. And since we’re a power trio who doesn’t use autotune or beat detection, we rely a lot on the songwriting to meet all those goals.
BTS: What kind of music would you identify as inspiring your music?
We have a wide range of music we like amongst the three of us, so there’s a lot of variety of inspiration! However, we really love early 2000s rock, especially No Doubt, Jimmy Eat World, Hoobastank, Flyleaf, and Foo Fighters. We also are inspired by a lot of artists making a more current splash like Paramore, Panic at the Disco, and even the most recent Radiohead album.
BTS: You’re heading out on Warped Tour this summer, what’s one thing you are looking forward to on tour?
The people! Other bands, the crew, the fans. Warped Tour is community like no other; there’s so much support and acceptance. It’s so cool how everyone can be so different but still feel like they’re exactly where they belong. We can’t wait for Dash|Ten to be a part of that family.
BTS: What’s your favorite song to perform live?
Definitely “What You Wanted”. It rocks the hardest of our songs, and has some killer-high vocals. We think it’s our most intense tune, so playing it live just brings our set to a whole new level of fun.
BTS: What’s something you have to have with you on tour?
Headphones! Those hours on the tour bus can get a little “creepily” quiet after being around thousands of people all day. Music is a great way to get into whatever mood you need – relaxed, pumped up, positive… we may be a little obsessed with music.
BTS: If you had the chance to sit next to one person (dead or alive) on a cross country airplane ride, who would it be and why
Oh, man. This is challenging, but probably Dave Grohl. The guy seems super nice, and has so much knowledge about the kind of rock music we love – really unadulterated rock with a slice of poppy song-writing.
BTS: What’s something people might not know about you?
All three of us are combat veterans. As Army Soldiers, all of us have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. That time in deserts, paired with the Army’s obsession with drinking water, is definitely good training for the hot summer days on Warped Tour!
BTS: Where do you see yourselves as a band in the next five years?
It’s so hard to say this early in the game. Definitely happy and pursuing music in a way that is just as true to who we are as possible. We’re unsigned and independent currently, and it gives us a lot of freedom to manage our tours, our music, our online presence the way we like it. It’s not necessarily a goal of our to be signed, but if that did happen it would have to be a really great fit. No matter what, we’ll be playing music!
BTS: Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Listening to Bassnectar! It’s kind of funny, but his music just gives us that get-pumped feeling before we get out on stage. The musical composition of his work is inspiring and powerful, and just gets us into that “zone” where we feel like we can do ANYTHING.
BTS: Coffee or tea?
COFFEE! Pete’s more into mochas and frapps, while Corrin is an iced espresso junkie. Steve, however, loves his teas. He’s easily the “healthiest” eater/drinker of the three of us.
BTS: Pool or ocean?
Pool! Corrin is scared to DEATH of deep water. It’s kind of funny. She doesn’t mind beaches, but once the water gets deep and dark she gets freaked out about what’s “down there” that she can’t see. It’s ironic, too, because she’s from Duluth, MN which is at the tip of Lake Superior – the deepest lake in the U.S. Apparently she got enough deep water as a kid.
BTS: TV show you can’t stop watching?
Currently? The X-Files. Hulu has all the seasons up right now, and with the revamp season coming out this year, we decided to watch the entire show from the beginning. Mulder is such a “hotshot babe” *Corrin’s words*. haha
BTS: Album you’re obsessed with, but ashamed to admit?
Honestly, we’re pretty proud of all the music we love, even if most would call them “guilty pleasures”. Corrin is die-hard Britney Spears fan, especially because of some of the amazing composition and production work on her albums. Femme Fatale is probably the far-ahead favorite, with all the awesome work by Max Martin. Pete is a big Drake fan, so that might be surprising, but it’s all about the beats with him – makes sense for a drummer.
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