Drop by Drop
Editor | Oct 22, 2009 | Comments 0
by Paul Peters
For the last two years, if you’ve had the urge to do some seriously crazy, freak out, don’t-care-who’s-looking-at-me-or-what-they-think dancing in Edwardsville, you’ve gone out to see Aaron Kamm and the One Drops.
But as the improvised jam-driven reggae-blues trio nears its second year playing together, they’re starting to branch out, playing shows as far away as Austin, Texas, recording a new album and eyeing the national tour scene.
Not to worry though, Edwardsville isn’t losing the One Drops just yet.
“We’re all pretty much going to be here in Edwardsville for a while,” says drummer Sean Raila, explaining that the town will make a good home base for them when they’re on the road.
And just because they’ve recorded a new album doesn’t mean they’re going to go all studio band on us.
In fact, Raila says the new album is an attempt to capture the feel of their live shows in the studio.
These days, most bands go into the studio and lay down their tracks separately. Usually the bass and drums first, then guitar, then vocals. The result is clean and precise, if not a little cold, which works for some styles of music.
Others elect to play together, as they normally would in practice or at a show, using as few studio tricks as possible, which can often lend a little more soul to an album (think Black Crowes’ Southern Harmony and Musical Companion).
The One Drops elected to take the second approach, which seems like the natural choice for a band that brings a lot of energy to their live shows. According to Raila, they did make some minimalist additions to the recordings, including dubbed-in backup vocal harmonies by himself and bassist Andy Dorris (Normally, guitarist Aaron Kamm provides all vocals).
They expect the album (not yet titled) to come out in another month or so, giving Raila just enough time to learn how to juggle vocals in with his live drumming.
“I’m currently working on getting that ready,” says Raila. “My deadline is the release of the album.”
A Taste of the One Drops (story continues below video)
Raila is excited about the new album and touring, and believes modern reggae-rock is moving forward.
“Right now, I see a huge uprising, if you will, with younger people of our generation really starting to take to these bands,” he says, citing bands like Pepper and The Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad.
These bands, says Raila, are, “Pulling their sound out of the early reggae songs of the 60s and 70s, taking that soundscape and bringing it to modern America.”
Edwardsville, he notes, is also experiencing a bit of a musical uprising, with bands like So Many Dynamos and Kentucky Knife Fight receiving more and more attention.
For the One Drops, none of whom are actually from Edwardsville, the town has been a great place musically, with the three of them getting started after various open mic jam sessions at The Stagger Inn Again, and playing with local musicians like Butch Moore and some of the current members of Knife Fight in the past.
In 2007, Raila says, “We were always up at the Stagger playing open mic nights, and it was really great, because there was a huge community of musicians, which lead Andy, myself and Aaron to meet and start putting together songs. I do think this town has a pretty unique community of musicians that network together. I really think Edwardsville has a special spot for musicians.”
Hopefully that special spot will keep bands like the One Drops playing in town, even as they grow.
Check out the One Drops next show this weekend. Listen to more of their music here.
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