Theo Wargo / Staff / GettyThe first time I met Dirty Heads, they rolled into the studio with Rome Ramirez of Sublime, hopped out of their tour van and busted out tequila early in the morning. I always remember those times, when things get a little more out-of-control, but more real in the process.
It was clear that everyone in the band was good friends, enjoying themselves together, having fun with this insane job musicians have of creating and entertaining. The band since we last spoke has added some honorary band members, and there are now four Dirty Heads kids in the picture.
I caught up with Jared and Duddy on what it’s like to be new fathers and how its changed the creative process in this exclusive interview.
No Name: All of a sudden you have these big priorities (kids). That’s grown-up sh** when you have kids.
Dirty Heads: I wouldn’t call it a priority, I would call it a purpose. It’s the best. I thought it would give me more anxiety. It’s given me less. It took everything that was complicated and made it less complicated. Because there’s my wife and my kid that’s it. I got to make sure they’re cool.
NN: What’s next?
DH: We do Oakland, we do Bend, heading home for a few days and go back to the East Coast and Canada. Then we come home and start writing.
NN: Is that a process you’re looking forward to, the writing process?
DH: It’s my favorite part of the job. The show is insane (too) but there’s a lot of hurry up and wait, there’s nerves…but the fucking studio. It’s my favorite. It’s the shit…you get to create!
NN: Was there a huge learning curve for each record?
DH: It’s usually a person – a songwriter or producer – that you get to learn from. Somebody that has a different way of going about things. The thing about music is you can talk about structure, timing, keys, chord progressions, melody. Or you could sit down for 20 minutes and Duddy can come up with some lick and you will just vomit out a song about absolutely nothing (and be a) smash hit. Sometimes you got to go with your gut, sometimes (you have to) learn your craft.
NN: I’ve talked to a lot of bands during the recording process and they say one of the hardest things is to know when a song is done.
DH: I think we’ve gotten past that problem. The first couple albums that was hard for us but now we know. We’re very good at being homies and (saying) “you need to step away.”
NN: That doesn’t hurt your feelings?
DH: Shoes and egos at the door. We have no time or energy for people’s egos. I came in with twelve or thirteen ideas I came in with for the last album. Duddy and the producers were like “no.” I was like, “alright. Let’s keep going.”
Get the entire interview below, plus stick around for my talk with comedian Justin Scales. For more episodes of Mic Check with No Name, subscribe on iTunes.