Things are rolling these days for Milwaukee-based trio The Danglers. On Friday night, July 21, the group, whose music defies traditional classification, unveiled its self-titled fourth disc at Shank Hall. For the three 20-something Milwaukeeans, it's a giant step forward in their growth as a band. And with the help of producer and former Violent Femmes drummer Victor DeLorenzo, the new CD may help position the group to take their music to a national level.
The Danglers are Jason Loveall, John Sparrow and David Gelting, who play (among other things) amplified violin, drums and upright bass, respectively. There's no lead guitar, and their sound ranges from rockabilly to hard rock to elements of classical ... and everything in between.
Says Loveall, who lead vocalist on the album, "(Our sound) is not necessarily what you think of being rockabilly. It's amplified, it's distorted; it's got all the elements of everything. It draws from the same pool of knowledge that any other rock band would draw from, but we're limited to the conventions of the instruments we're playing -- it has a twist on it."
{INSERT_RELATED}And twist they do. Known around the Milwaukee as a great live band, their new album builds on work they've written in the past several months, as well as new material recorded on site at DeLorenzo's East Side studio.
"We wrote stuff right upstairs," explains Sparrow. "Victor helped us arrange things, and he sang harmony with Jason on one track."
Sparrow says that working with an accomplished producer like DeLorenzo made the finished product the band's best album to date. "Victor pulled things out of us that we didn't know we were capable of," adds Loveall. "It was nice to have outside ear who can hear you in a way other than you hear yourself."
Getting one of Milwaukee's most well-respected musicians and producers to take The Danglers under his wing was as easy as asking, explains Sparrow. "I just wrote him a letter, and we talked."
This was about two years ago. Since then, the producer and the band spent time getting to know each other, seeing each other play and talking about their respective influences. They recorded the album between March and May of this year.
Says Sparrow, "We developed a relationship, and that's important. I can see now, after the whole process is done, this guy had to figure us out so he could spend a whole month with us upstairs, and we could all be on the same page when we started working."
As honored as The Danglers were to work with DeLorenzo, Victor also takes great pride in the finished product.
"These guys really wanted to do a professional job and be able to really take the time to not only refine their sound, but define their sound. People that listen to this record will be a little bit amazed having seen them live, because there is a lot more growth in the songwriting. And the cohesiveness of the trio is really strong. It really comes through."
Both parties admit that working with a producer who knows the band can yield some unexpected, but pleasant results. "We were all surprised along the way. (I often asked myself) 'Where did this come from?'" says Victor. "It was fun that we allowed ourselves to be that open."
The Danglers have built an impressive following locally, based largely on the energy emitted at their live shows. And their fans span a diverse group.
Says Sparrow, "My mom says, 'Oh, you've got a lot of teeny-boppers following you.' And I say no, it's not like that. We have people from 14 to 60 that follow us. All ages. And that's really cool, and that keeps you working."
One thing's for certain: The Danglers have a sound that's all their own, but they take pride in their flexibility. Sparrow says the band has played everything from Mardi Gras parties to Irish sets at Nash's Irish Castle. Adds Loveall, "Irish versions of Led Zeppelin songs are quite amusing."
In fact, their reputation as a great live band helped the recording progress smoothly. Sparrow says all of the basic tracks on the new album were recorded live. Why? "There's nothing like the sounds of a live band," chimes Loveall.
But the band also understands the business end of the music industry, working with college radio stations, music web sites and beyond. Sparrow says The Danglers try to avoid the point where it becomes all promotion and no music. "I think a lot of bands are putting a lot of emphasis on everything but the music. We try to have a healthy balance."
The Danglers will have to keep that balance as they continue to grow, and record labels may be beginning to show interest in the band. But the guys aren't necessarily looking for just fame and fortune. "Sure, it would be nice," says Loveall. "I'd be happy if I could buy a car someday."
For now, their main goal is just to keep playing music. They know that success buys them security, and most of all, says Sparrow, it keeps them doing what they love.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
