Danny & Dusty Interview

Dear Danny and dear Dusty,

1. It was more than a pleasant surprise to hear the news of the reforming of one of the most legendary projects of the US alternative scene. How did you decide to record again, and even tour?

Danny: Fate intervened when Dusty broke his ankle and I took it as a sign... as far as touring it's like after building a kite, you gotta see if it will fly.

Dusty: Well, it was enough to keep me in one place for more than a few hours. But I think it was the lure of the Cuban food in my neighborhood that got you here. And I think you wanted to see how quickly I could move on crutches.

2. What do you most remember from that "Lost Weekend" of jamming and recording?

Danny: Throwing up every morning? Actually, straight or sober those songs played themselves.

Dusty: You know what's funny about “The Lost Weekend?” It didn't take a whole weekend. We were done by Sunday morning.

3. Is it probably this spontaneous decisions and recordings the best possible way to capture the true r'n'r spirit or are you now more aware of the studio procedures and you prefer a more careful recording, mixing and producing procedure?

Danny: It ain't the arrow it's the Indian... it's really about the people. Studios can be spaceships or they can be prisons, I've done time in both.

Dusty: Yeah, but the brain can get in the way of some really good music. Okay, we went into the studio for this record with 15 songs that the band had never heard and cut them all in three days. Does that mean that is the best way to make a record? Well, it helps when you have a band as good as the one that we had. Most of the work was put in about 30 years ago when those guys were teenagers practicing in their bedrooms.


4. You may not be as young as 21 years ago, but do you still consider that you retain the same rock attitude in your live concerts? Your live shows back then are legendary rocking chaotic and I've recently watched some footage on youtube from a gig back then which just proves that.

Danny: I'd like to think that I can have as much fun as ever but I don't have to live the neurotic bullshit. Dusty says that rock 'n roll is too important to take seriously.

Dusty: Absolutely. As day jobs go, this one is pretty good.

5. Is there a new band which you may think that has the same attitude, and that you may probably see your young selves on them? Especially on that genre, alt.country for which you have been named as its grandparents

Danny: Call it what you want but the Lost Weekend and now Cast Iron Soul work on a lot of levels that have nothing to do with purist roots. I mean "King of the Losers" and "JD's Blues" are biker/stripper tunes... "Baby We All Gotta Go Down" and "Thanksgiving Day" could be mid-seventies Dylan and it's still all filtered through a punk rock sense of defiance. I enjoy Adam Green, The Artic Monkeys or the Fiery Furnaces more than your average roots band. Yawn.

Dusty: Oh yeah. I love roots music. But my roots just happen to be punk rock and Ornette Coleman

6. Your touring buddies - Chris Cacavas and Stephen McCarthy… I can only imagine their reaction when you propose them to record and tour again. Were they surprised as well?

Danny: I don't think I've surprised Cacavas since bringing the cops home back in 79. They're both super players and really give up the love.

Dusty: I was more surprised the first night when Cacavas began cooking dinner. Man, he's a genius in the kitchen.

7.What can we expect from your live shows in Greece? A comeback interpretation of all the Lost Weekend album 21 years later, or are you going to focus more on the new album?

Danny: I'm gonna drop my pants and fire a rocket... how bout you Dusty?

Dusty: I'm just going to make sure to look the other way.