Band: Dredg
Label: Interscope Records
Official Site: Click here
Date: November 22,2003
Conducted by: Savanna Carel

My second interview of the night was Dredg. I interviewed them right after I had sat down with Campfire Girls, so I had to clear my head of what went on before so I knew what I was supposed to say. My friend, Zara, was there with me, which always makes these things easier. I do get nervous before each interview, so having a friend with me is a good comfort. I went to the lobby and found someone to call Dredg's tour manager because I had no idea where to go. My cell phone was acting up so I couldnt call him myself, which sucked. Not too long after, Drew came out and led me to a room backstage where the rest of the band members were hanging out before the show. We sat down on a couch covered in a blanket... I believe it was the same exact room that I was in for the Authority Zero interview. Drew was very laid back, and very calm. Here's how it went.

TMF S: Thanks for being here, and doing the interview.
Dredg Drew: No Problem.
TMF S: You'll be heading into the studio this spring to record another album. What are you doing to prepare and what are your goals for the album?
Dredg Drew: Hmm, we just, uh - To prepare, we've been writting songs out in San Fransisco, we go up there every day, and just, you know, try to make songs and everything, ya know, pratice alot. What was the second part?
TMF Sav: Um, What are your goals for the album?
Dredg Drew: Just to uh...
TMF S: Make a good album? (laughter)
Dredg Drew: Yeah, make a good album.
TMF S: That's what everybody says.
TMF S: You can sit closer! (To Zara, my friend who was sitting at the other end of the room)
TMF Friend Zara: I'm ok, I'm just afraid of this door opening up.
Dredg Drew: You wanna sit here? (Points to a chair next to the couch)
TMF Friend Zara: Sure! Thank you.
Dredg Drew: I guess to reach as many ears as possible.
TMF Sav: Yeah... Alright.
Dredg Drew: Sound good. That's really important.
TMF S: (Laughter) Yeah!

TMF S: If you were a statue, what pose would you be?
Dredg Drew: What pose would I be?
TMF S: Yeah....
Dredg Drew: Just like this (lounging on the couch), But I'd probably be laying down.
TMF S: Sleeping?
Dredg Drew: Yeah, probably.

TMF S: Give us a personal ad for your band for someone who has never heard of you.
Dredg Drew: A personal ad?
TMF S: Like, how would you describe your band, your music, yourself?
Dredg Drew:That's a hard one. Experimental, some what progressive music that has alot of diversity and very melodic and progressive sometimes.

TMF S: You guys travelled internationally for a while, together and individually. Do any of the band members speal fluently in any other language?
Dredg Drew: No.
TMF S: Just english.
Dredg D: I know some spanish.
TMF S: Just some?
Dredg Drew: Ya know, you learn a couple phrases here and there, like and some german phrases. But other than that, just english.
TMF S: Fun Stuff.
Dredg Drew: Piglatin.
TMF S: Piglatin...(laughter) I think everybody knows piglatin.

TMF S: Did you guys record at Skywalker Ranch, for reals?
Dredg Drew: Yeah, for two weeks we were there doing drums and stuff.
TMF S: What was it like?
Dredg Drew: Oh it's amazing, it's really private, like just scenery. It's like you pull up to this gate and you have to say who you are and then they let you in. You drive in and there's all these animals and different ranches and huts and stuff. I dunno, it's just cool. It's really isolate, really, uh, away from everything. It's really inspiring to be out there, really peaceful.
(CampFire Girls go on stage and all we can hear at this point was the music)

TMF S: (Laughter) That's loud. Ok, How did you guys come up with the name, Dredg? Dredg Drew: Mark thought of it. That's Mark right there (points to a guy at the mirror.)
TMF S: Hello Mark.
Dredg Mark: What's up?
Dredg Drew: He was studying latin with his mom, Jane Engles...
Dredg Mark: Dont listen to this guy.
(Laughter)
Dredg Drew: I dont really remember, it was such a long time ago.
TMF S: Well, we know what it means, like digging deeper and stuff, but is there anything behind it, since your music is intense, or much deeper or what not?
Dredg Drew: It was a really ugly word and we liked it.
TMF S: (laughter) A really ugly word?
Dredg Drew: Yeah.
TMF S: Whatever works! Was it an instant hit, or did you have any other ideas?
Dredg Drew: Instant hit?
TMF S: Yeah like, did you decide you, the first time, "that's what we're gonna name our band."
Dredg Drew: It's interesting, because there's a band called Woven...dont know if you've heard of them...
TMF S: No... (laughter)
Dredg Drew: But we were gonna name our band that. And we met these guys. It was really funny, coz we really liked their music and we could have had the same name. But I think there were a couple names that we were playing with and we just chose that one. We chose that one, just... for whatever reasons.

TMF S: Fun Stuff... umm... What inspired you guys to record the sounds of people sleeping and dreaming for the music?
Dredg Drew: Well, it was a concept album about sleep paralasis, so we just wanted to do the different sounds about that..

TMF S: So, what are your plans for the holidays?
Dredg Drew: Um.....
TMF S: Besides eating alot.
(Someone in the room does a drinking motion)
(Laughter)
TMF S: And besides drinking alot!
Dredg Drew: I dunno, see alot of movies, going to the spa....
TMF S: Are you travelling for the holidays?
Dredg Drew: Nope.

TMF S: Ah, Cool. Lets see, How did your college experience contribute to the band?
Dredg Drew: As any other eduation would you know. Just helps you like, learn different concepts about life and everything, i guess, really. Just ya know, expands creativity a little bit in others ways, that you wouldnt see if you didnt look into things

TMF Sav: Alright. You describe your sound as eclectic.
(Door opens and music blares into the room, causing a pause and some laughter)
Dredg Drew: Eclectic.
S: As eclectic. Would you describe your musical taste the same way?
Dredg Drew: Yeah. Definitely.
TMF Sav: What are some cd's that you own that would surprise your fans?
Dredg Drew: I like this guy, Damien Rice, he's like a folk artist. He's Really good.
TMF Sav: Yeah, I've heard of him.
Dredg Drew: There's a band called Anti-Conm that i really like alot. And uh.. (pauses to think) I dont know what else, really. There's alot of things I like. (door opens once again to fill the room with the loud music from Camp Fire Girls)
TMF Sav: (laughter) I never get used to that!

TMF Sav: You guys display artwork while performing. Where did that idea come from?
Dredg Drew: You know how some bands just have banners, that include other other things on stage? It was just our form of expressing ourselves, ya know, just to have... to look at something else, then four guys up there making music.
TMF Sav: Did any of the artworks come from concepts of some of your songs?
Dredg Drew: Kinda. I think when you're creating art it's gonna come from inside, so whatever you do it's gonna kind of extend from the same place, so... but not so destinctive, not like from the meaning of a song or something like that.

TMF Sav: Alright. Which countries culture did you enjoy the most?
Dredg Drew: While traveling with the band?
TMF Sav: Yeah, well traveling individually, with the band, either way.
Dredg Drew: I went to Vietnam once, that was a wonderful experience.
TMF Sav: Really?
Dredg Drew: Yeah, really scenic, really..uh.. the people were really nice there; a really historic place.
TMF Sav: Any specfic cultural differences they had you would like to incorporate into the American Culture?
Dredg Drew: Yeah, culture.
(laughter)
TMF Sav: Just culture?? (laughter)
Dredg Drew: Yeah, culture, period.

TMF Sav: Our society looks for simplicity. Do you find that a challenge, as a band, to write songs?
Dredg Drew:Yes.
TMF Sav: Your music requires listeners to absorb and evaluate the lyrics more then the normal music. Did you find that a hard thing to acomplish?
Dredg Drew: Yeah, It's kind of like you want to appeal to the masses. Like in Hollywood, too, when you make a blockbuster video, you kinda have to have the basic themes, and kind of have to tone it down. It's like...sometimes we try to like, de-evolve our art, and it's really hard to do that.