dada – To Dizz Knee Land & Back!!

In 1992, dada exploded on the scene with their critically acclaimed debut release, Puzzle on Miles Copeland’s now defunct, I.R.S. Records. The single “DizzKneeLand” set the alternative radio movement – just then hitting it’s stride – on fire, and quickly migrated to mainstream rock and pop stations. Their third single “Dim” further solidified dada’s reputation as a band to watch. Puzzle sold over a half million copies and made a number of critics “best of the year” lists. Sixteen months of constant touring followed, both as headliners on the club circuit and as openers for Sting, Izzy Stradlin & the JuJu Hounds and Material Issue (USA), Crowded House (UK), and Depeche Mode (Portugal). September 1994 saw the release of their second CD, American Highway Flower which had a harder feel, both musically and lyrically than it’s predecessor, reflecting the band’s evolution from a studio to a touring band. The single, “All I Am,” spent 8 weeks on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks Chart. money problems at I.R.S. cut short promotional efforts in February 1995. Consequently, the album quickly fell off the charts. dada fared no better with their third release, El Subliminoso in April 1996. I.R.S. Records was on its last legs by this time, and folded just as the band was winding up the first leg of the tour. A lack of promotional support doomed the CD to obscurity before it could get started. A real shame since El Subliminoso was perhaps the group’s most artistically complex and satisfying offering to that point.

Phil Leavitt

The band signed to MCA Records in 1997, and released their self-titled fourth CD (#32 on Billboard’s Heatseeker Chart), and completed an abbreviated tour of New England and the Mid-West with many shows selling out and several lasting over two hours due to multiple encores. It would seem that dada had answered the critics who questioned the group’s popularity and durability. In August of 1998, the first single from the MCA release, the Gurley/Calio penned, “California Gold,” became the most added new single on radios stations across the nation. This CD received favorable reviews, as did a 33-city headlining US tour. Once at MCA Records, the band felt as though they had finally found a home. Phil Leavitt (drums) elaborates, “When we got to MCA, we really felt as if we were going to stay put for awhile and get the support from a major. Things however changed very quickly.” Touring plans for 1999 were abruptly put on hold and then cancelled as MCA’s parent company Seagram’s was bought by Vivendi. Soon dada, along with a host of other artists found themselves without a label. A final appearance before 14,000 fans at Norfolk Virginia’s Harborfest on June 5, 1999 marked the band’s last live performance as a group to that point. Immediately following that show, dada officially went on hiatus.

Over the next 3 years, Michael Gurley (guitars/vocals) and Phil Leavitt would form BUTTERFLY JONES and recorded their well received, highly publicized debut release, Napalm Springs (2001) for Vanguard Records. The band got substantial press and excellent reviews, and in 2002 the band was chosen as Best New Indie Artist by BareFoot Rock Indie Music Website. Michael, Phil and bassist, Aaron Schwoerer, continue to perform and are writing material for their sophomore effort. Michael Gurley additionally performs around Southern California with his jazz trio, Michael Gurley and the Night Caps, playing original jazz compositions as well as jazz standards.

Phil Leavitt regularly performed with the critically acclaimed Blue Man Group and continues to perform with Uberschall (comprised of fellow Blue Man Group drummers) in Las Vegas. He also did a short drumming stint with the Gin Blossoms in the summer of 2002 and today continues to work steadily doing voice over work through the William Morris Agency.

Bassist Joie Calio moved to Seattle and began working as an A&R scout for MCA Records, spending time with his family, and writing new material which ultimately secured him a solo publishing deal. In Spring 2001, a chance meeting with Portland-based producer and guitar wizard Rob Daiker lead to the single “Stupid Songs About Love” which was released as a promotional item by MCA to industry tastemakers. It garnered immediate acclaim and MCA green lighted more studio time resulting in additional songs, recorded under the project/band name CANDY APPLE BLACK. He performed around Seattle, penned a soon to be published book and recorded his solo effort, which was completed in December 2002.

But time is indeed dada’s friend. The band has been on 3 1/2-year self-imposed hiatus since June 1999. Although time has passed and the band had not been recording and touring, their fans, (bordering on fanatical), have continued to be, well— fans— in the truest since of the word. Dada’s fans have never been the kind of people who are into the “flavor of month.” Once a dada fan, always a dada fan. One listen to their music and you’ll understand why! dada’s music continues to have broad appeal including being featured in the “The Brady Bunch Movie,” “Charmed,” “The Real World,” and “Homicide.”

Fast forward to 2003: Joie, Michael and Phil are together again!! As Joie Calio (bass/vocals) states, “we really never went away, we just took a really long vacation to figure out what our next move was going to be.” The band will be independently releasing an all-new studio CD in late 2003 with a tour already in progress and I’m proud to report that dada is alive and well!! I recently had the pleasure of speaking with drummer Phil Leavitt about the band, the industry and music in general. Enjoy!!

BD: Let’s start at the beginning… How did you guys meet?

PL: Joie and Micheal go back to high school days in Saratoga, Ca. playing in rival bands. They got to know each other and eventually moved to Los Angeles around the same time. A mutual friend of Joie’s and mine suggested that we meet when they were looking for a drummer to round out the line-up of the band they were forming around late 1990 or early ’91. We eventually jammed together and it was clear from the start that we had a great chemistry between us.

BD: People in the early days used to compare you to The Police. How did you feel about that?

PL: The Police were one of my favorite bands and Stewart Copeland had a big influence on me. While I don’t think we sound anything like them really, I guess because we are a trio people made that comparison. It’s always nice to be compared to a great band like the Police.

BD: I saw Michael in the German “Rocklife” video wearing a John Lennon T-shirt. I assume The Beatles were a big influence considering the harmonies in your music. Am I right?

PL: The Beatles were and are a huge influence on our music and rock music in general. I grew up on them, the music was magic for me. Mike and Joie also share that feeling for the Beatles. We drop in little quotes of Beatle melodies into sections of a couple of our songs live. Just paying homage.

BD: What other bands/musicians influenced your playing?

PL: Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, The Beach Boys, The Who, and of course the drummers from those bands, Watts, Bonham, Moon, Mitchell, Hal Blaine with the Beach Boys, Sinatra, Coltrane, Elvin Jones, Stewart Copeland, Olatunji, I couldn’t even begin to list all the musicians who continue to influence me, Bun E. Carlos, Buddy Rich, everything that expresses real emotion can be a great example and inspiration no matter the genre. Jobim, oh man those Bossa Novas! It goes on and on.

BD: We have a legendary guitarist here in Youngstown, Ohio named Phil Keaggy. He fronts a band called Glass Harp. When I first heard Michael’s solo on Dizzkneeland, I immediately thought of Keaggy. Ever hear of him? Is Michael a fan of his? They play similar styles…

PL: I can’t say I ever heard Phil Keaggy and I don’t think Micheal has either but I guess I should check him out.

BD: I personally think that you guys have yet to do a bad song. Every album has been a masterpiece as far as I’m concerned. I wonder how frustrating it is to be that damn good and still not be a household word? Do bands that suck who are famous sicken you?

PL: It can be frustrating when you’ve made something that you are really proud of and want to get it out there and then it doesn’t really get the chance that it deserves. I try to focus more on the fact that many people have gotten it. I can’t figure out why some songs or bands become popular. I think it’s based on marketing more than anything else.

BD: Why do you feel the music industry turns their backs on their best artists and promotes crap? Some of the best bands in the world receive little or no airplay, promo, etc. Are they afraid to set the bar too high?

PL: I don’t know if they are afraid, but the bar seems to be set kind of low. The worst part is that a whole generation of kids are being raised on garbage. We had the Beatles etc. What have they got? J. Lo? Who will inspire the next generation of great musicians?

BD: Are there any other artists out there currently that you guys think are brilliant or at least interesting? What do you guys buy at the CD store when you go shopping?

PL: I know Mike and Joie like the White Stripes. I haven’t been listening too much lately. Just playing a lot.

BD: Speaking of shopping (or not shopping)… what do you think about online swapping of music on sites like Kaaza, Limewire, etc.? I personally think it helps new or obscure bands get exposure. Do you agree/disagree?

PL: I see your point about online swapping but I don’t see how artists can really make a living, especially new artists, if people take the product of their work and don’t pay for it. That just doesn’t seem right to me.

BD: How is free downloading of music any worse for the industry than all those used CD shops that sell the same LP over & over again with no royalties going to the artists? Isn’t that the same as buying one CD and burning 20 copies for your friends?

PL: It’s the shear numbers that make the difference. Buying one used cd or copying infinite digital copies without loss of generation. At least somebody bought the CD in the first place.

BD: On your last self-titled CD, I thought that the song “Earl Grey” was a huge radio hit. Still, MCA released two other songs instead. Was that your choice or theirs? That song was the catchiest thing I’d heard in years.

PL: The label had the final say on what they wanted to release. You do want them to be behind what they put out there. Sometimes, they don’t know what they are doing. If I could pick a hit single, I’d do that for a living.

BD: I bought the Butterfly Jones record and it’s nice, but I gotta say honestly, dada is much better together in my opinion. Do you feel how special that chemistry is when you guys play together? You must have huge grins on your faces at practice!!

PL: I think we really feel it on stage. There is something powerful about the energy the three of us have together. I’ve played with a lot of people and each combination is different. I think we appreciate how special it is to play together and that’s why we came back to it.

BD: So, when will the new CD be out? Any title yet?

PL: We are trying to get the CD out this year, we kind of got slowed up by contractual issues that are being worked out, but I think those will be resolved shortly. We’re kicking around some titles, but we haven’t made the final decision yet.

BD: I see you’re starting to tour up the East Coast. Any plans to play Cleveland?

PL: Shows are coming in all the time so while we won’t hit Cleveland on this next run, I’m sure we’ll get back there soon. People can check our site www.dadatheband.com for details.

BD: Who will you be touring with?

PL: We are out on our own right now with local bands supporting.

BD: I loved your song on the Brady Bunch Soundtrack (I’m Feeling Nothing). It MADE that movie! Any chance you will re-record that one or include it on a future CD. It’s very hard to find…

PL: Thanks! I don’t know if we’d re-record it but maybe it will turn up on a live album we plan to do at some point. I bet you can find that Brady Bunch soundtrack on e-bay or at one of the used CD stores you mentioned.

BD: BTW, I heard the store “Sofa Express” is using your song “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” for their ads. How’d you hook that up? Did they give you free furniture?

PL: I’ve heard that too. I don’t know much about it though.

BD: Seriously, what do you think about corporate use of music for ads, etc. Do you think it diminishes the integrity of the music or does it not matter anymore?

PL: I don’t think commercial use of music carries the same stigma as it used to at all. Especially now with all the file sharing, it’s a good way for musicians to earn money. Everybody’s got to make a living.

BD: You guys all write, sing and have done solo projects. Does the band have a leader or is it mostly a Democracy at practice? Any ego clashes?

PL: Democracy sounds nice but what you really try to have is a consensus. It’s much easier when we all agree. If somebody is really against something, that’s usually a good reason not to do it. We have our moments though…

BD: You have a VERY loyal fan base. It’s truly amazing how fanatical and loyal they are to you guys. Is that what keeps you going? I know it makes me feel good to see fans that actually appreciate great music…

PL: The fans are incredible. After all we’ve been through, it’s been amazing to get out and feel the love and support from people that have stayed with us for years. The cool thing is they always are turning new people on to our music. You can’t ask for more than that.

BD: Anything you’d like to say to your fans and the Readers of Citi-Music Magazine?

PL: Come check us out. I think we are starting to get good. Thanks for listening. See you on tour.

BD: Thanks and much success with the new CD!!

PL: Thanks a lot! All the best!!!!

Source: Citi-Music Magainze