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were so welcoming and excited about getting together to just hang out and share music and stories and life together. And pretty soon all the dividing lines get erased and it’ s just...‘ we.’
That’ s why I say in my bio that the only real dividing line is between death and life. We are all so much closer together than we think we are. When we realize that, then it becomes much easier to have conversations that transcend the every day issues we’ re presented with. Grace works the same for everyone. Redemption and forgiveness and love all work the same, regardless of culture, race, color, or income.
[ WM ] At times on American Prodigal you have a Tsunami of sound coming at your listener, and sometimes a stripped down to bare bones touch … very well done. Tell us about your choice of arrangements.
[ DC ] Thank you for your kind words. Well, I love big and small next together. I think both are better off with the other nearby.
[ WM ] You know I am a fan of vintage instruments. Tell us about your old Gibson acoustic.
[ DC ] Ha! I have two that I use most. One is a 1948 Gibson SJ, and one is a 1946 J-45. They are called, Ray, and, Not Ray. I picked up both of them at a guitar shop in New York City called Matt Uminov’ s. If I’ m in NYC, I’ m making a stop there, and then eating pizza across the street at Johnny’ s. Ray was hanging behind the counter and it said“ Ray” on it. I asked who Ray was, and they said they had no idea. I’ ve been looking for Ray ever since. The day I took Ray off their hands I also picked up a Gibson 1918 arch top that has a nice Jack Johnson type vibe to it. That shop has been magic to me.
[ WM ] What other vintage instruments and amps are you using?
[ DC ] For recording, mostly small trashy amps. Little Silvertones and a couple of weird things I picked up along the way that I honestly don’ t know who made them or what’ s in them. I have an old Silverstone electric that I use a lot and an EKO 500 that fit some of my tunes.
[ WM ] Are you learning to play any new instruments right now?
“ My Victory” Lyric Video
AMERICAN PRODIGAL( 2016)
NEON STEEPLE( 2014)
I’ m looking for a harp. I think it would be a trip
to write a tune on a legit harp. They ain’ t cheap, so I’ m biding my time. It’ ll pop up eventually. I’ ve been prowling for one since the Neon Steeple album.
[ WM ] How much of your music do you write with the intention of it being sung by the church for use in a worship service? photo by Eric Brown
[ DC ] I don’ t know that I ever actually“ learn” a new instrument, but I sure will poke at anything around me. We picked up a few of those 3-string cigar box, electric cigars. You would not believe what those things sound like through my Marshall head / Mesa cab with a Ratt on it. Huge! Metal heads would flip. Makes drop C feel barney thin. Bill from Mastodon played on the Overcome track that I wrote with Oz Fox of Stryper fame, and when you have those raucous rockers on a track you got to do something. So the electric cigar is now in the arsenal.
[ DC ] All of it. I realize some of them might be looking for the right church or service, but the point of them is to both create an experience from front to back, and also be useful in group settings. Most of them are really simple if you just have a guitar or piano. The production often makes them seem a bit daunting.
[ WM ] Your mandolin player’ s brother is now writing our mandolin column in Worship Musician. Tell us about your touring band.
[ DC ] The dudes playing with me are stupid good. Hank Bently is one of the auxiliary players. He does a ton of songwriting and production.
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26 Jan � Feb 2017 WorshipMusician. com