CNN.com - Dave Matthews steps out of the garage

May 2024 ยท 4 minute read

Focused and fresh

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By Helyn Trickey
CNN

(CNN) -- Proselytizing to the masses is what the Dave Matthews Band has always done best. Armed with an evangelist's zeal and a fire-and-brimstone lyrical style, the group is converting nonbelievers into fans at a feverish pace.

"It's like church," quips lead singer Dave Matthews, who likens the band's shows to a performance in a church before a devout congregation. "You really could steal all the wires and all the electricity away from this band and, you might have to sit a little closer, but we could still rock your house."

Now the group is reaching out to new converts with "Everyday," the band''s latest album. It debuted at No. 1 last week on the United States Billboard charts.

The new album has lost the "garage" sound of the band's other records, drummer Carter Beauford says. The latest disc's tighter sound is partly due to the efforts of producer Glen Ballard, known for his work with Aerosmith and Alanis Morissette, he says.

  AUDIO

  • "I Did It"
    WAV sound

  • "The Space Between"
    WAV sound

  •  
      ALSO
     
      MESSAGE BOARD
     

    Worldbeat sat down with the Dave Matthews Band to discuss its latest effort.

    Worldbeat: How would you describe this album? How is it different from previous efforts?

    Violinist Boyd Tinsley: It's different. It is kind of streamlined a little bit. The songs are definitely shorter. I think we approached it in a whole different way than we did with other albums. We had a new producer, Glen Ballard, who, along with Dave, wrote these songs over a period of about 10 days. I think it inspired everyone to play in a slightly different way.

    Drummer Carter Beauford: You can see the growth in the band. It's more mature than the rest of the records. The other records were great, I thought, but they still had a garage sort of flavor to them, and I don't see that at all in the new material we are doing.

    Lead singer Dave Matthews: There is a focus, a freshness to it. They (the songs) are sort of like new friends, and so there is spareness about them, but an excitement as well. I think each of us sounds clearer than we've sounded on any other albums.

    Worldbeat: You recorded this album in 10 days -- such a short period of time. What was that like?

    Matthews: I will tell you, the first day we (he and producer Ballard) walked into the room together, he just started -- BOOM, BOOM -- and these songs just started coming out. They were flying out. There was a real speed, but there was also a real natural flow to making this album that just came out of the urge to play these tunes.

    Worldbeat: Why did you guys decide to release the song "I Did It" first?

    Matthews: In a way, it is the most playful song on the album, and I think it is a nice introduction. It is like the entrance hall to the album -"Hello, come in" - and then the rest -- every room, every door -- is going to be more interesting, I think. It's not my favorite song, but it is definitely the introduction.

    Worldbeat: We saw you guys down in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the audience really responded to you guys. Was that a buzz for you?

    Saxophonist Leroi Moore: When you get people in another country that sort of dig what you are doing and you can't even really talk to them, it is really sort of cool, you know.

    Worldbeat: Any international tours planned?

    Matthews: I know we are planning on Brazil. I know we are planning on going to South America. I think we'll walk, if it is not organized by somebody else -- I think we will all put backpacks on and walk down there! When we go down there it seems like all of our smiles are fixed on our faces. That time in Rio -- good grief! That's heaven on Earth, right there.

    Worldbeat: You decided to release your first single off of the album on Napster. Why?

    Moore: We want people to hear our music. I guess it could hurt us in some ways. We're not selling the songs to them, but it helps much more than it hurts.

    Matthews: I certainly see the problems with it There are also things in the world that, whether you like them are not, are the future, and I think there are great things about Napster, and I think there are also things that are problems now because it is young, or how we deal with it is young.

    Worldbeat: How do you think the rock scene has changed since you got into it?

    Matthews: We gettin' paid.


    RELATED STORIES:

    Dave Matthews: Trying something new, 'Everyday'
    March 7, 2001

    RELATED SITES:

    Dave Matthews Band
    RCA Records (BMG)

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