Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A Pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.
Nashville’s indie-punks Dad Hats just dropped an outstanding full-length Spill, out now from Mind Over Matter Records. The band took some time to participate in our Roll of the Dice Series. Read it below… and if you haven’t listened to Spill yet, get your act together and give it a spin.
What can you tell us about the band and the songwriting process on these tracks?
Nate Sorg (Guitar/Piano): The band started as new and old friends coming together to have some fun, drink some beers, and play some rock and roll. The songwriting process for this album was completely different than anything we’ve ever done before, in this band or any other we’ve separately been in. Due to the pandemic, we couldn’t be in a room together but what we could do is send each other riffs. We each have varying degrees of home studios and together we learned how to build out songs without jamming them in the traditional sense. This was ultimately a very healthy and productive experience for us, one I think we’ll repeat in some form for the next record.
Tyler Coleman (Guitar): We wrote most of these songs digitally throughout the pandemic out of boredom and trying to stay musically active. A lot of these songs started as a random guitar riff, or even a full laid out song, then we would layer other instruments over and over until everything became a song. When Craig started doing vocals at the end, the songs took on a whole new feeling and felt totally new again. The timing of everything was almost perfect, If we tried to write the same record now it would probably turn out completely different.
Craig Turner (Bass/Vocals): We wrote the vast majority of this record during the height of the pandemic, so we would send tracks to one another in varying orders. In general one of our guitarists would kick off the process and everyone else would fill in with complementing parts. Once words were written we would rearrange it to make a cohesive song. We actually found it to be a really relaxed way of doing things because we each could take time and be thoughtful about our additions. Then we would tweak once everyone had a chance to add their piece. It’s truly an amalgam of each our styles. One of the best examples is Super Bowl Sunday, which Tyler wrote on acoustic guitar only. We got together and developed it into a very dramatic conclusion to the record where everyone played a part.
Joe Halberstadt (Drums): Craig and I grew up in Indiana playing music together and life separated us for a bit – but then we ended up in Nashville together and started jamming with some new friends. We put out one record pretty quickly, played some shows, and then COVID came creepin in. Instead of just getting drunk and fat during the pandy – we decided to remotely write an entire record (and get drunk and fat). We sent tracks back and forth through Slack and Google Drive, and then finally got together and whipped it up in the studio. I guess it turned out okay because Austin at Mind Over Matter Records offered to put it out and now we have this beautiful piece of art just floating out in the world!
What is it about music that you are most passionate about? What motivates you to keep writing?
Nate: The thing about music I’m most passionate about is sounds and textures. In this band that comes out via guitar effects and riffs, but in other ventures is more about synth layers and soundscapes. What keeps me motivated to keep writing is an internal drive to be better than I was, I am constantly pushing myself to write riffs that I severely regret later when I remember I have to play them live, I want it to always be a challenge.
Tyler: To me, music is all about what you make it and how you express yourself. Most of us grew up listening to cassettes or CDs before digital playlists were even a thought so if there was a band you liked, you had to comb through the internet to find songs and burn them to a CD. There are still a lot of bands from that time that I listen to that are kind of like a nostalgic listen for me but most of all, playing and writing is a huge outlet for everything else that is going on in the world.
Craig: I don’t really know. My favorite part is writing the words so probably just getting things off my chest without having to go talk to a therapist?
Joe: When it comes to doing music – It’s the whole package for me. I love writing songs with a band, but I also love all of the creative around putting music out. We’ve had this thing tracked since February 2021, but I havent stopped working on other aspects of it yet! I try to keep things as DIY as possible, so I’ve spent countless hours on album art, music videos, social media bullshit, etc – and it just keeps coming!
What stood out most to you with this recording compared to your previous trips to the studio?
Nate: Again, the biggest thing is that this record was written almost completely separately from each other. We were stuck in our homes during the pandemic and through that experience learned how to do the remote writing thing and do it well. I think you can hear how we got to take our time and have total say over how it turned out.
Tyler: Our first go with “Second Longest Driveway” was mostly DIY. We hadn’t been a band for too long at that point but had a bunch of songs we demoed here and there. For that release, we went out to a farm in Indiana and recorded mostly everything in the span of a few days. For SPILL, there was a lot mentally and physically that went into these songs.. we critiqued ourselves a little more which in turn, helped us create some songs that were a little outside our comfort zone from previous releases. Working with Austin and Mind Over Matter was also new to the band since it wasn’t really on our radar to work with a label but it has been a rad experience.
Craig: This one took a lot longer than our previous record. We did it all in house as well. I think taking our time, and doing most everything ourselves, made this one feel more personal to me and it shows in the music.
Joe: I’ve been recording music since I was a wee lad – and none of those experiences compare to this one. The amount of time we took demoing each track was important to the process. We had a ton of time stuck at home, so we utilized it to make sure we polished the tunes throughout the writing process. By the time it was time to track the real deal, we had a solid foundation and knew what we were going for!
What album or band or significant singles made you go “Yeah, this is what I want to do” Not just an influence but who or what was the catalyst?
Nate: If you are speaking from an overall “want to be a rock musician” level, then the bands At The Drive In and Glassjaw were two of the bands I discovered early on in my life that made me excited about playing heavier music than the classical music I studied and was raised on in my youth.
Tyler: I’ve always been a fan of music from the 90’s and early 2000’s. There are a handful of bands that I still listen to today that helped shape my music taste and also had an impact on me as a musician. I’ve always been a fan of the midwest emo thing and clean guitars that grab your attention but also listen to bands like the Goo Goo Dolls for inspiration sometimes.. it’s really just a toss up with how I’m feeling at that moment. Like there’s a reason “Never Meant” by American Football still stands to this day, a lot of musicians in this generation can respect the longevity of that song and how it has affected people with just the opening riff.. such a great song and I’ll always remember where i was the first time i heard it.
Craig: I was listening to a lot of Remo Drive while we wrote this one. In fact I even reached out to Jesse Cannon (who mastered our record and recorded Remo Drive) for some tips on how to capture that sound in a studio setting. He was very generous with his time and gave us some great advice.
Joe: For me, it was just the DIY touring bands that came through my hometown playing at the coffee shop or the local rec center. I was like 13 or 14 opening for these bands and probably bugging the hell out of them asking how they did it and finding out how much time, effort, and dedication to the craft went into making a tour or an album (that would probably just put you in debt). For some reason, I was sold early on and wanted to do the thing as much as possible.
What affect, if any, have the cultural and political landscapes of the last few years had on your music?
Nate: When we started writing this last record the political landscape was extremely tense, and I do think that came out in some of the writing. There are songs that feel urgent and were written while trying to deal with the overwhelming realities of the world state around us.
Tyler: For me personally politics haven’t really had an effect on the music. We all have similar views for a lot of things but tend to keep those out of our music.
Craig: The vast majority of our lyrics come from personal experiences and aren’t really super political in my opinion, although we are politically conscious people. The only one that gets close is “RWD”, which is really about burning out from your job and the odd emphasis that gets placed on sacrificing yourself for your career and money.
One of our obligatory questions in these interviews also tends to be the one I have found most important on a personal level. Who are some bands on your radar that TGEFM readers may not know about, but you think they should know about?
Nate: The band Gel has been getting a lot of love from me lately.
Tyler: Nashville has a great little local scene on the rise right now. We’ve played with some rad bands like Ghost Town Remedy and Poplar Creek and they’re great people that make awesome music, definitely check them out. I have some friends from back home in PA that started a new band named Calling Hours, they’re in the studio right now with Brian McTernan.. really excited for that release.
Craig: Man, I’m the worst about keeping up with new music. But I can tell you that we have some really great band friends in the Nashville area like Ghost Town Remedy and Poplar Creek who are doing some very cool things. When people think of Nashville they think of honky tonk and ripping fireball shots at Tootsie’s while someone covers Johnny Cash, not realizing there is a small but awesome community of indie rock here too. Check them and all Nashville indie rock out and get in on the ground floor.
Now that the world has its hands on the record, what’s next for Dad Hats?
Nate: Time for record 3 baby! I think we are all ready and excited to write the next one. Also, we are going to Disney Land.
Tyler: More music! We’ll be working through a new EP or LP and have some stuff out sometime this year hopefully. We have a lot of ideas in our arsenal so I’m sure they will see the light of day at some point.
Was there anything I missed that you’d like to share or dive deeper into with our readers?
Nate: Not that I can think of, thanks for checking out the record!!
Craig: Nope, just want to say that I love you.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
