Artists Interview: DDRB
The two-person band known as DDRB is making waves with their unique blend of folk and punk, all wrapped up in a package inspired by their travels across the country by train. Consisting of Dominic DeLaney and Ricky Bolufe, the duo has crafted a sound that is both intimate and epic, full of harmony-heavy narratives about life on the road. We spoke with them about their creative process, their upcoming tour, and the stories behind their music.
Tori: What inspires your harmony-heavy songwriting style, and how do you achieve such a unique sound?
DD: Well, I think Ricky and I just write similarly, and think about songwriting in a similar way. We’ve also spent the better part of the past decade touring and playing music together, so that definitely helps.
RB: It's funny he says that because I think we write on two different sides of the spectrum and that is what makes it unique. My approach to a melody or chord progression is different than Dom's and our ability to join those two worlds is what makes it unique. Plus, shout out to our friend Andy that always told us our voices fit together well.
Tori: How does traveling by train influence your music and creative process?
DD: It’s critical to the creative process, especially for this project. But even before DDRB, I found that traveling, and specifically touring, by train tends to be extremely fast-paced when you're in whichever city you’re in for the day, and then you have this decompression time, where your only responsibility is to relax, enjoy the train, and write.
RB: I've been playing music for 20 years so I'm always trying to find new ways to get inspired. Traveling has just given us an endless amount of amazing stories to pull from.
Tori: Can you walk us through your songwriting process, and how do you draw inspiration from everyday struggles?
DD: I’ve always been a bit of an experience-based writer, so for me it’s just being aware of that—noting instances throughout the day that may be something further down the line, and filing them in my head for later.
RB: Melody first. I've found that experiences I've had are personified in sound. I'm usually humming a melody almost immediately when I know something is a song. I take that melody and maybe a few words to Dom and he puts the juice in it. He has the innate ability to find the perfect word to finish a line.
Tori: What can fans expect from your upcoming East Coast tour, and how will you showcase your music in different cities?
DD: I think people can expect an energetic, sometimes humorous, musical story. These songs were inspired by our adventures through vibrant DIY communities, and I think that will resonate throughout the tour.
RB: Yeah, they'll see two dudes who will die for this. We love what we do and if people take just that from our shows I'll be satisfied.
Tori: How do you create an intimate and emotional connection with your audience during live performances?
DD: Hopefully the songs do some of that work for us! Apart from that, I think our storytelling really compliments the music.
RB: The songs are the vessel for sure but our ability to be honest with our audience separates us.
Tori: What's been your favorite train journey so far, and how did it inspire your music or influence your perspective?
DD: I’m oddly fond of our 30-hour voyage through Montana. Even with just Coach seats, we had more than enough room to spread out throughout the train, and by the end of the trip, we had become extremely familiar with the train we’d end up taking the majority of the tour.
RB: Definitely the 30-hour train ride. I feel like we got on the train as two solo acts and got off as DDRB. We just didn't know it yet.
Tori: How do you balance the themes of growth, grief, hope, and hanging on in your music?
DD: As they come, I guess. That’s one of the things about writing based on experience—we don’t have to bullshit anyone. If I’m sad, I’ll tell ya about it in this song. The balance is in authentically conveying the experience.
RB: The stories we tell in the songs have all of that because they are real and about real things. Instead of taking a feeling and painting onto a story we take the story and present it like a piece of history to learn from.
Tori: Can you tell us about your experience working on your debut album, Bright Green, and what you hope listeners take away from it?
DD: The experience was one of the more tedious recording projects I’ve been involved in, but I think that’s just because Ricky and I were obsessed with very minute details. I hope people enjoy it. I hope it makes them want to grab their guitar and get on the train, too.
RB: Different, ha! DDRB is a 100% self-produced group so all of the art, recordings, content, etc. is done in-house. We had the immense pleasure of being able to record our debut at Love Potion Studios in Boca Raton. I produced Dominic's last solo record so we had some experience in the studio but this was a whole new process. But I can't wait to get started on the next one. As far as what I hope people take away, I hope they listen to this record and go travel. This record is about experiencing the world instead of scrolling through it like a weird social emulation.
Tori: How do you stay true to your artistic vision while also adapting to the ever-changing music industry?
DD: I think I’m a pretty stubborn person by nature. Ricky could probably attest that I do not like change, least of all another app I have to have on my phone. You’ve got to play the game to some extent, so as long as the end goal is playing more shows in more places, I’ll pipe down.
RB: I'm pretty receptive to new avenues, this is why Dom and I work well together. While answering this question it's about 5:30 am and I'm watching YouTube videos about building CRMs for fans to make sure we keep them in the loop with everything we're doing. I love the nerdy side of the industry.
Tori: What role does storytelling play in your music, and how do you craft your narratives?
DD: Storytelling is the root of this project, and I’d like to think that, instead of crafting the narrative, we’re conveying it. These songs represent these not-so-hidden gems, whether that be music communities, or the cities themselves. We’re just trying to tell more people about them.
RB: Storytelling is, to me, the only important part of all this. To hell with all nerdy stuff I love, if the songs don't tell a story it's just static. We're lucky that the narratives sort of crest themselves because they are about real people, places, and things.
Tori: How do you think your music can help create space for underrepresented stories and voices?
DD: I think that’s where our punk-rock bones stick through the skin of this folk facade. Or perhaps it’s the other way around. Everyone is welcome at a DDRB show, and I hope that will have ripple effects that last.
RB: We're just here shouting from the mountaintop that artists are everywhere and social media is just a snapshot of reality.
Tori: What can fans expect from your future music releases and performances?
DD: More stories, more trains, maybe even a plane or two. We’ve toyed with the idea of bringing the show into a different type of venue, and that could be very exciting.
RB: Definitely more stories and more spotlighting small local scenes. The future for DDRB is hopeful and we just want to bring that feeling to as many people as we can.
Tori: How do you envision your art impacting your audience, and what kind of connection do you hope to make with them?
DD: That’s up to them. I just hope they enjoy it, whatever that looks like. If you want to buy our CD just to chuck it off the top of a parking garage, I’m all for it if it makes you happy. Ideally, though, they’ll listen to it.
RB: I hope someone hears us tell our story and decides to tell their own.
Tori: Can you walk us through your creative process when crafting a new song or piece of music?
DD: There are a bunch of different ways, but I’ll tell you that lately I’ve started to write lyrics on my phone, which I was very against just about a year ago. So it’s always changing.
RB: Surprisingly we never force it. What comes out comes out and when it's ready you'll hear it. We've never labored over a song thus far.
Tori: Looking ahead, what are your goals and aspirations for your music career?
DD: Finishing up playing in every U.S. state, and then continuing to travel, write, and perform.
RB: I've never been one for manifesting but I'll give it a shot... I want us to have a travel show where we visit small local scenes, meet people, eat food, and play music. We do that anyways but it would be nice to get paid to do it.
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