Death Valley Driver - Interview - Apr 5/12

Death Valley Driver, a metal band from PEI, has had a lot of successes these past few years.  With a new album in the works and plenty of touring under their belt as well as showcases coming up, they’ve got a great few months ahead of them.  Dan Hodgson, lead singer of the band, was gracious enough to meet with me and talk about everything that has been happening with the band.

1. You recently won a Music PEI award and now you’re going to ECMA to play as well.  How has this year been for you as a band?

- Well, the last calendar year has just been great since we put out the album but it really seems to be since last summer that things started really picking up when we got the Metallica show in Halifax.  We’ve had so many show offers since then and we’ve done some tours.  Winning the Music PEI award this year and being able to play the gala as well has just made it a great year for us.  The ECMAs is just a nice cap-off to the whole thing!

2. How long have you guys been playing?

- Since late 2008.  We started playing shows about 4 months in and there was a similar battle of the bands for the Metallica show but it was for Kiss at the time and we actually won for the province, and then went to the finals, but we didn’t win.  We were just a baby band back then so it was great to just play it.

3. How do you find the response on the Island to the metal genre?

- The metal scene has always been there, but I think now it’s maybe getting a little more recognition.  The great thing about PEI metal bands is that none of them sound alike.  I think the audience was always there, they just needed the bands to start playing shows like bar shows.

4. Do you have any influences that make your type of metal genre?

- Basically I find that our music is like a love letter to all the bands we grew up listening to because we’re not trying to re-invent the wheel.  I find I like playing music that I like listening to, so it’s about just taking all of the bands I grew up listening to like Metallica, Black Sabbath, Pantera and just mash them all together and see what we come up with.

5. Tell me about the showcase you’re playing at ECMA.

- We’re playing the Delta Ballroom with Three Sheet, Carmen Townsend, Stone Mary, and Slowcoaster.  I was really pleased to not do a metal showcase per say because it’s just falling into a comfort zone.  I like playing shows where we’re kind of the odd band and people are a little bit more receptive to what’s completely different to anything they’ve ever seen or heard before.  I think there’s going to be a good crowd!

6. How was it playing in front of so many people at the Metallica show in Halifax?

- It was one of those things that took me a few days after it all happened to kind of sit back and take it all in.  We were just so full of adrenaline; there were no nerves at all.  It was easily one of the most amazing gigs we will ever play.

7. Where did your band name come from?

- It’s a name of a wrestling move!  Basically you put the guy on your head then drop him on his neck.  Our music maybe hurts necks a little bit, and we all love wrestling too.  I think it’s just a cool name, and it rolls off the tongue nicely.

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These guys are certainly a great band not to miss!  Catch them at ECMA in Moncton on Friday, April 13th for the Molson Late Night Stage and at Hunter’s Ale House on April 27th with The Motorleague and Armada Drive.