Can you tell us a little about how it was to work on that first album? 

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So fun. He was so nervous. Like first day of school nervous. (Which I had not really ever seen before in Rich) once we got rolling all that went away. By the end of day one he was comfy and we were cooking. It was a collaborative and really open environment. Everyone knew their thoughts and opinions were welcome, and we were all happy to try different things, get multiple takes, and then at the end of the day Rich and I would decide what stayed and what went. The players we had on the record were so good, every take had something amazing in it. And at times Rich and I would agonize about thee or four notes for so long. The real challenge was narrowing all that down and leaving true brilliance on the cutting room floor because there were other takes that were even better. 

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Any particular memories, good times or frustrations that stand out for you? Anything you learned that you’ve taken away from that record?

 

As I said before, the only frustration was not having an endless budget to just sit in the studio and listen to these world class musicians jam all day every day. As for what I’ll take with me, this was the first album where we had some real bluegrass players ripping it up. I feel like I got a much better feel for the specific sounds available for those kinds of records and players. I can now differentiate and say we need a pedal steel or lap steel or dobro, rather than “the one that’s used in the song X at this particular time signature and sounded like this”

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For “The Dance and How to Do It”, Rich told me that playlists figured strongly in communicating the sound he wanted. There are influences from his father’s record collection, and the bands he loved in his Nashville youth. As producer, did you influence the shape of that record, as far as the songs chosen? Was it just a case of what from Rich’s wish-list worked the best for him?

 

I always come to a record with suggestions. Even the original records I’ve produced I feel like a playlist is so vital to get a real understanding and commonality with the artist’s goals for the sound they want. I definitely had some ideas for Rich’s album. A song I’m super proud of because it landed in exactly the spot I was hoping it would- Raspberry Beret. I’m super proud of what we accomplished on that track. 

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Presumably, the covers that feature on “Fistfights…” were run up the flagpole for the debut album? How do you know when to knock a song on the head rather than keep tweaking, hoping it’ll work out?

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You never really KNOW. You feel, you think, you consider, and eventually you decide… but you never really know. lol. It can happen at any point in the process too. Before you record, after recording but before mixing, after the final mix, and as you are picking the order to the album, or the day before you send the masters to the printer and you cut it so close you have to adjust the artwork. Lol. All of those have happened on albums I’ve produced. It could be for a myriad of reasons, and it’s actually pretty rare for the reason to be “it’s just not good enough” it’s usually vibe, feel, order, album length, tempo, etc.

 

So in summary, and in my expert opinion, I have no idea. Just gotta do what feels and sounds right. 

 

You’ve been instrumental in the recording careers of other previously untapped SPNFamily talents - Rich, Briana Buckmaster, Gil McKinney. Zack Darling has said that you’re one of the best vocal producers he’s ever met. Do you have any tricks that you employ to get the best out of vocalists who maybe aren’t used to that environment?

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Awww. He’s a Darling, that guy. 

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Seriously though, that means a lot coming from Zack. He’s a great producer and a stellar engineer/mixer/musician/ as well. 

I appreciate that insight also because that really feels like my biggest strength as a producer. I think it’s because I was a very late musical bloomer. I didn’t really start till college, and it was only because I didn’t make the basketball team. The coach told me he’d probably have a spot for me next season, so I had a year to fill without any practice… saw a sign on my way back from that meeting and I tried out for an a cappella group on a whim. (I got in, loved it and never went back for that spot my sophomore year.) 

I had never had a singing lesson or a real musical performance before that, so all of my musical education came through singing all the various parts of the contemporary songs we sang. I think because I learned all that as an adult I was really aware of what I felt in my vocal cords, throat, or nasal cavity, when I wanted to sound more gravelly or breathy or blend better in harmony, hit a high note, smooth the transition from chest voice to falsetto.

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I’ve found that really helps me give vocal notes that don’t just express what I want their voice to sound like, but if needed, I can also tell them how their voice can do it or what they need to do with their body to make those adjustments. 

 

Having been such a driving force in “The Dance and How to Do It”, how hard was the decision not to return as producer for a second album?  

 

Surprisingly, It just made sense. I really didn’t ever feel like it wasn’t the perfect call. I looked at my schedule and realized living three thousand miles from Rich and the studio would be problematic this time around and would probably set the project back. Billy was producing his own record in LA, and once I heard it I knew he would do great. He was there for the vast majority of the first record as one of our guitar players, so he already knew the vibe and style. Plus, he and I co-produced The Station Breaks record so I already knew he was a great fit. The only tough part was not being there for the laughs and the music! 

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Billy Moran, of course, stepped up to the plate as producer for “Fistfights…”. But you’re still very much represented on the album, as a backing vocalist, and with tracks that were recorded in a previous session. Was it tough to let those recordings sit unreleased for so long?

 

Again, it wasn’t tough really. We got bit in the butt pretty hard with the pandemic. Obviously, there were much bigger things going on so we didn’t sit around and commiserate, or feel sorry for ourselves. It was what it was, but it threw a huge wrench in the plan. 

 

When the fandom knows someone for so long as one thing, and then kind of suddenly you throw a whole new side at them, that’s not a journey everyone will be quickly willing go on. Many will - and did- and we’re thankful for them! But we both agreed that to really win over skeptical fans Rich had to get infront of them and perform. He had to not only play good tunes, but to really win them over they had to see him be himself on a musical stage in a show that’s hilarious and fun.  So we planned on touring that album extensively…. Then releasing that record and having a record release party what felt like moments before the world shut down, and live shows were literally outlawed… well the timing for that business plan… that was a bummer. Lol. So the additional music releases needed wait until we could really get that ball rolling again and play some shows. 

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You have thrown so much of your energy into projects including a record label, a venue, and a book and print store. With so many passion projects on the go, is there still room for your own music? Will we ever get another solo album? And more Station Breaks?

 

It does get harder and harder to find the time to finish things that are just mine. Everything else has deadlines and employees and due dates and bills… so turning my phone off and writing or going in a studio with no reception for a week or two is harder than it has ever been. That being said, I will release something new and original this year. I’m putting that out there, and you have my permission to bug me about it until it comes to fruition! 

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You’ve co-written tracks with country artists like Brett Young. Is writing something with Rich something we might see happen for album three? And finally, would you consider returning as producer for more Dick Jr. & The Volunteers in the future?

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Absolutely! I love writing… well, to say that more accurately, I love having written. Lol. The process can be painstaking at times. Lately It’s tough to stay in that creative space long enough to bring the song/record/project home and actually finish it, but we’ve got a lot of events this year and I’d love to write and produce with Rich and Billy so hopefully we can make it happen!