Ned and the Dirt released their sensational and atmospheric single titled “Toothache”. The ear-piercing and riveting chords from the guitar and the strikingly electrifying vocalist fuses together to create a combination of jam-packed articulations and stringed instruments. For me personally, it could be difficult to interpret and dissect the lyrics behind music so bewitching due to the dazzling abduction into the entire realm of the music. However, although it could be difficult to decode the meaning behind the music, it’s intriguing and has the ability to engage with your senses. “Toothache” is one of those special songs that allows you to become mesmerized and 100% in tuned with the music! Ned and the Dirt is a 4 piece garage Rock/pop band. Their edginess and grit is what makes them a unique force to be reckoned with. Their band is actually quite diverse from many other artists and bands. With members diverging from different areas on the map which includes South Carolina, New Hampshire, California, and New Zealand. Ned and the Dirt is a diverse and well rounded solidified group of artists.
Listen to "Toothache" by "Ned and the Dirt" on February 15th on all streaming platforms and get to know them in our interview below! We talk about the bands career, new single & more!
Can you give us a brief history of your musical career and how you all met?
I started Ned and the Dirt in South Carolina six years ago and while The Dirt is a totally different cast than the one that began the journey, Ned and the Dirt has become an iteration of itself that is more representative of its name than ever before. I was introduced to Chris Clark (NATD Bass Player) through a mutual friend of ours from Chris' home state of New Hampshire, and now he has been with NATD for 3 years. Ethan Arlook (NATD Drummer) joined through he and Chris' mutual connection to Berklee School of Music a year and a half ago and Cassie Gaffaney (NATD Guitar Player) became a part of NATD through our friendship that began when NATD and her band, Young Winona (previously known as Santa Barbara), went on a mini tour out to Arizona together.
How did you come up with your stage name? Is there a meaning behind it?
Ned and the Dirt got its name as a sneaky/narcissistic way for me to fit my entire name into the band name. See, “Dirt”is how people from my home state of South Carolina have mispronounced my last name (Durrett) throughout my childhood, so I repurposed that into a band name. Since, however, it's become a fitting embodiment for the grit, attitude and bare-all type of honesty that we bring to our songs and performances.
Do you guys write your own music? Who contributes to what?
Absolutely. Our songs are 100% created in house. I write all of the songs' lyrics , main vocal melodies and guitar melodies, but that only gets them so far. I bring them to the band once the songs are mostly written, and then we collectively arrange them and put finishing touches on them. That last big step in the process of getting the whole band's input on the songs is incredibly important; without it the songs wouldn't be able to sniff how interesting and compelling they've become with everyones hands on them. Each song is a total band effort.
Your new single Toothache is such a vibe! Can you tell us a bit about it?
Thanks! It's the first single from and the second track on our upcoming album “Saw It Coming”. I think the vibe for “Toothache” and frankly most of our new record is “Don't care, turn it up 'til it doesn't hurt anymore,”so that made it the perfect song to announce that our new release is on the way.
Where did the inspiration behind the song come from?
“Toothache” is me giving the middle finger to depression. It had been knocking me around for a couple of years without me even realizing it, and my way of fighting back in the moment in which I found myself writing “Toothache” was to tell it that it's nothing more than a stupid nag. The whole song is an effort to take back the power from a terrible thing that's gripped, myself and so many people that I love, and I hope it helps others make that effort too.
What’s next for you?
Our new album “Saw It Coming”is going to be released one song per month for the next 9 months, so make sure you stay tuned to our Spotify, Instagram and Youtube because we'll have bonus material coming out with each song that's released. We're also going to be playing shows all over the Western US for all of March, and we're headlining Frozen Dead Guy Days in Nederland, CO on March 9th, so get your tickets to that 'cause it's going to be one hell of a show.
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