Interview: Deal Casino
We got the chance to sit down and chat with Joe C., Chris, John, and Joe P., of Deal Casino on their stop here in Minnesota on their tour with The Wrecks. We got to chat about things ranging from the weather, their brand new album, to how and why their band dynamic works so well. Check out our interview and gallery of their set below
Lately: So, I have to ask, hows tour? I know its only been a week.
DC: its been fun. It feels like its already been a month. I kinda feel like I'm on vacation.
Lately: Its your first tour right?
DC: Yeah, its our first big legit tour.
L: You guys just released your new album LLC, and you guys released your last album, your self titled, last year. Of course a lot changes in a year whats changed for the band this past year?
DC: All of our musical, kind of tastes have changed, as a band-- and individually too. And we started working with different people as far as the creative process and production process goes. And it was the first time we went away. We went away and isolated ourselves for 12 days to just record an album. We had a plan and we had songs that were ready to go but there was definitely a lot that happened there that happened that we couldn't have planned. So, it was a lot of experimentation. It kinda just felt like a first album, we feel like this album, LLC, is our first album even thought its out second. Its completely representative of us.
L: Did you guys go anywhere fun?
DC: Yeah, it was really fun. It was fun in the sense that it was just us alone. We went with the guy that does all our videos, Anthony Yebra, and Erik Romero, who has always engineered all of our records but this time he was producing it. So we had this big place in North Carolina that we went to. There was a separate house associated with the studio-- it came with it when you paid to record there. So we all could stay there in separate rooms, it was like a dream like a mini hotel. In North Carolina, it was like small town. It was in Kernersville, so exactly what you'd think Kernersville, North Carolina would be like so you didn't see another human being unless you went to the grocery store which we would do once in a while. But it was cool. You'd wake up at 3pm and start making music and stay up until 7am. It was like we were in our own world. Ever since we've done that, we now only can do something like that to record. Because I think thats the only way to truly get lost in it and put yourself 100% in it. To go that far and be in your own secluded world. And it snowed the one time we were in North Caronlina. Like a foot or two really weird. We were like "ah its gonna be nice" but it snowed.
L: And you guys are independent right? What does that mean to you, to the band? Is it that important to the band or is just how it is right now?
DC: Its kinda just how its working right now. To us, being an independent is pretty important because for videos we're heavily involved in the videos. Erik produced our record but we also had a heavy hand in what it took to create the record. Also, artwork, we're heavily involved in. We're basically our own label in a way. We do everything ourselves. Which I dont think we'd be able to do if we were signed to someone. I dont know that the interjection of another figure that would have influence over us would look like. It would not be good. This is kinda our only option now and for the foreseeable future until somebody gets involved who's like "okay I like what you do keep doing it" until then its not gonna happen. You know, you just become something that misrepresents yourself.
L: You guys have cited a lot of old classic rock bands and acts as influences on your music and life. You guys even more or less started out doing Led Zepplin covers. Do you listen to any bands or artists that are really just super left field that your fans wouldn't expect?
DC: I feel like in todays world, you cant listen to anything that would shock anyone. Everyone listens to something different and the whole classic rock thing, I dont think we sound like a classic rock band but the way we play live i think does have a lot to do with that. If you go back and watch videos of Jimi Hendrix or Led Zepplin or something like that, theres a lot that we take from that world, aesthetically. The idea that everyones really playing their instrument, we dont play to a clicktrack. I don't think its out of some protest like "we're not gonna play to tracks! no laptops on stage!" just naturally we wouldn't do well at it.
L: Whats the tour van playlist look like?
DC: Haha, the playlist is video games. In travel, I don't like listening to music, then you time everything in three to four minutes which means the ride can seem really long so we listen to a lot of podcasts. Song Exploder is a really good playlist. Or like Joe Rogan. Podcasts or stand up comedy really. Cause then you measure things in hour and a halfs and not "oh three minutes went by and we've gone three feet." I feel like music is for when I'm like hanging out in my room.
L: You guys have known each other for a long time right? Since high school?
DC: Yeah, just about.
L: And you guys have two albums now and a handful of EP's. You guys have been a band and have been making music with each other for a while, what do you think makes the band dynamic work so well?
DC: Knowing everyones personalities so well because of that time. Yeah everyone definitely adds something different. Which is really good, everyone knows their boundaries, what they wanna contribute. So, its really good that we know each other so well. If you feel one person getting down-- and everyones pretty passive aggressive. But when you know someone that well its not really passive aggressive. You just know they're being how they're being.
L: Do you guys have any pre show rituals or anything you like to do before sets?
DC: No nothing. We used to be really good about singing together we stopped doing that. We just go up and do our show.