| swearing at motorists |
BANDLIVESTUDIOWEBSTORE |
from train wreck #5
"There is nothing bland about Dayton's culture," declares Dave Doughman. He is the singer, songwriter, and guitarist of Swearing at Motorists, a band born and bred in the mythological land of Dayton, Ohio. "We lead the universe in inventions, the town is full of eccentrics like Jimmy Rose, the Siamese twins, and Jeremy Frederick. I have been commuting via public transit, bus, for about four months and I can't believe some of what I see and hear, talk about inspiration. I keep a notebook and anytime I see, hear, or think of something that might be a good title or lyric, I write it down. This town always provides good material."
The city is obviously treating the duo of Doughman and drummer Don Thrasher to daily treasures, strange secrets, and an abundance of musical material because the songs they are creating are monumental. The official debut release from Swearing at Motorists, Tuesday's Pretzel Night, appeared in 1996 and actually stuffed ten songs onto one seven inch single. However, the band did not present mere blueprints and fractured fragments on this immense effort. Doughman nervously scrapes an acoustic guitar on "All The President's Men;" "Painfully Obvious" pleasantly explores the sound of minimalist pop exuding effortless beauty; "Plum Island" possesses an eccentric ambience soaked in Southern seductiveness, and the off-kilter instrumentation of "A Drinking Town" creates the perfect anthem for putting the right arm swing of alcohol in full-throttle-fashion.
Swearing at Motorists followed the band's first single with 1997's The Fear of Low-Flying Clouds EP, and another seven inch entitled Enough Drama and The Way Things Are. The second single is a five song affair featuring the neo-psychedelia of "Barbwire Sweater," the electric surf sensation exuding from "Late Night Arithmetic," and the pain killing power of "Duke of Anxiety." The tidal melody of this final tune is an ode to responsible drinking for all the late-night insomniacs who twist and turn with troubles. The influence of alcohol remains lyrically noticeable in all of the recordings released by Swearing at Motorists, and the latest album from the band, More Songs from The Mellow Struggle, offers this evidence anew. For example, Doughman calmly croons, "I know they'll be drinking maybe I can stop thinking," "you walk out your door out to the car and down to the bar," and "one more for the road," in a manner that crosses the borderline between being praise and reproach. Alcohol, however, does help to feed the fires of Swearing at Motorists as Doughman declares, "Beer is good, but vodka is best. The official drink of Swearing at Motorists is the John Glenn (tang and vodka). I also enjoy a nice red wine." Drinking songs are not only a necessity for rock-n-roll, but life itself.
The human story is impossible to define, but it is definitely tragic, isolated, and interesting. More Songs from The Mellow Struggle explores these elements as "Opening Theme," "Next Exit Ghost Town," and "Neighborhood of Sirens" capture a highly abstracted optimism. Doughman believes Swearing at Motorists shares "Optimism with an odd twist, like 'I can't believe this is real, but if it is, it can't get much worse, can it?'" The majority of lyrics on the recent release are deeply personal as they explore broken relationships, loss, love, abandonment, sin, and sacrifice. Doughman agrees that by writing songs of such intimate detail he obtains an inner cleansing for his soul. "Hell yes, but it can make for some uncomfortable girlfriends and ex-girlfriends at our Dayton shows," he proclaims.
More Songs from The Mellow Struggle is an apt title for the album as the theme of struggle permeates certain songs on the record. Lyrics such as "Just trying to put some distance between me and a gun," "I'm on the floor losing my mind," and "What is worse nothing to remember or something to forget" reflect a protagonist in a somber state of mind. Yet, Doughman maintains that the album is not merely exploring the disillusionment of the modern age. "No, the concept of this album revolves around loss, of love, of friends, of innocence," he states. The titles and lyrics of "Telford to North Main," "East of Biloxi," and "Next Exit Ghost Town" find escape in and on the road. Doughman knows that there is a power obtained for the self when an individual roars down the road to relive life. "There is nothing like a cross-country drive to help you think through something," confesses Doughman. "And you are constantly being bombarded with inspiration. Notebooks fill quickly on the road."
Initially, the Tuesday's Pretzel Night seven inch and a self-titled CD explored a series of songs that were short, sweet, and hummable, thereby offering much bang for the buck. The band's succinct rock-n-roll nuggets are the result of both a 60's influence, when songs were intelligently short on time but long on delivery, and an indebtedness to the Minutemen. Doughman believes there is a unique an unequaled power in creating economical songs that find a finish before the two minute mark is made. "If you can leave the listener wanting more, making them rewind and play the song again, that's powerful," explains Doughman. "Some ideas and emotions don't need to be driven into the ground via three choruses and four verses. It may be a cliché, but sometimes less is more."
The label of lo-fi has been applied to Swearing at Motorists' sound, mainly due to the early seven inch singles buzzing with melodic but intersecting and scraping guitar sounds and romantically rocking drums. Obviously, the band is about writing songs and not making lo-fi music. Lo-fi was initially a vehicle from which the duo could easily record and spread their songs. "Our fidelity has always a result of our resources," explains Doughman. "Until now we didn't have the money, let alone the time, to go 'into a real studio', so we did the recording at home. But there is something about the intimacy and spontaneity of home recording that cannot be replicated, so some songs will sound/feel best when recorded at home. I can't imagine we would ever do a record entirely 'in the studio', although I could see us doing one entirely 'at home'."
Swearing at Motorists has produced a large body of work over the past five years; seven inch singles, compilation tracks, EP's as well as a full length album. Doughman claims his approach to songwriting to keep a steady diet of material without enduring a lull is to "get involved in unhealthy relationships, hang out with eccentrics, and smoke as much marijuana as possible."
Dayton, Ohio is a city recognized for its atomic research and aircraft ingenuity, and now the duo of Dave Doughman and drummer Don Thrasher are digging deep into their musical trap door to reveal revelations too tuneful to be dismissed. Swearing at Motorists balances somber songs, psychedelic sounds, swirling surf vibrations, acoustic ballads, and melodic rock-n-roll rockers to make music that rests in the brain's epicenter for days on end.
Swearing at Motorists offers more songs for the mellow struggle against these troubled times.
for questions or comments contact: webmaster@swearingatmotorists.com