It wasn’t like we were really ready back then, and we are now.
Many bands don’t make it to 11 years anymore, even fewer are able to tour on a single album released after such a long hiatus. Desaparecidos, Omaha’s social commentary darlings and post-hardcore indie quintet led by Conor Oberst, released their album Read Music/Speak Spanish in early 2002 and closed that year out touring on the 10 song LP. The band seemed to break up just as fast as it got together, though, and members worked on their own projects like Bright Eyes, Statistics, and Little Brazil. 11 years later, though, America’s political climate is still rocky and the raucous five-piece still has a lot to say about it. Desaparecidos have released a few new songs currently available digitally that will be finding a happy home on 7-inch very soon and are preparing for tour. I spoke with guitarist Denver Dalley to discuss how time has been on the band and get my burning questions about Read Music/Speak Spanish answered after 11 long years.
How do you collectively, as a band, prepare for tour?
We generally just get together and practice, which is kind of nice. I’ve been with other bands where it’s a more of like a serious situation where it’s very stop and go, but Desa is more of a band with a connection with each other. I like saying that we have ‘band practice’ over ‘rehearsals’ — rehearsing sounds more professional, but practice sounds more appropriate for who we are and what this band is. So, yeah, we’ll get together for a few days before to practice and hang out, stuff like that.
How does that differ for how you’d prepare for touring or recording for your own project, Statistics?
Since that’s my own project, I tend to do more of the recordings and then I usually just have some people sit in. I feel like I don’t want to waste their time, and I want to be more efficient and get down to business. With Desa, it’s more of a collaborative effort and a band, so I guess the thing I look forward to most is hanging out, having fun, cracking each other up. When preparing for tour with Desa, it’s more fun and a bit more leisurely. We can take a whole day and practice for a couple of hours, then go get dinner all together and it’s more like hanging out with your good friends. It’s not that I don’t enjoy my time doing Statistics, it’s just that with Desa, it’s like being with your friends at summer camp.
I’ve noticed that when talking about Desa, you all talk about it differently than your other projects. It seems a lot more lighthearted than when Conor talks about Bright Eyes or you talk about your own personal projects.
It’s interesting. You are right — we do tackle some very big, very serious issues, and it is kind of funny to realize that difference. It’s fun to see things like that happen, like being up on stage and between songs chuckling and cracking a joke, but then we’ll start a song, and we’re all really in to it. It’s almost like a bipolar or multiple personality thing. I don’t know, it’s funny to be both serious and jackasses at the same time.
Do you think that attitude benefits you as a band?
Definitely! I think that’s a huge part of why this band works because there’s a solid foundation. We’re all there for the right reasons, and we all just really look forward to it — it’s not some crude business arrangement or something that was designed to sell records. It’s just five guys that really respect each other, have a lot of fun hanging out that are just doing what they love. We’ve always said the dream is to be able to start a conversation or educate people without sounding preachy but to also have substance behind the lyrics and the idea that a catchy song can be inspiring and cause you to research what the lyrics are about. It’s our way of hoping that people get involved, that’s our dream, as opposed to a catchy song with nothing behind it, no meaning.
Do you feel that being from the Midwest gives you a different dynamic or a unique perspective on the political elements and social commentary your songs talk about?
Definitely, yes. You can’t judge a book by its cover, but speaking in generalities, there’s a certain vibe you get from people from various parts of the country. The same way people can be really unique, like that “Southern charm” that we hear so much about, I think there’s a genuine kindness to people from the Midwest. It feels like people from anywhere in the Midwest are so nice, and when you go out in the world people can notice that Midwestern kindness and always remark on it. I’m really proud of that. You always hear about Southern charm, but more people should talk about Midwestern kindness.
What has changed in the time between Read Music/Speak Spanish and your current material?
Back then it was such a chaotic time, there was a lot of stuff going on with us between all the other projects. At that time it was very stressful and felt like it was this thing that we were obligated to do and, it just kind of got away from us. We couldn’t really put a finger on it back then, but we felt that everything happened for a reason. I think that if we would’ve stuck together and continued on it all at once, it wouldn’t have been the same album. I know that’s a weird thing to say, but it happened the way it did and on the timeline that it did for a reason. It wasn’t like we were really ready back then, and we are now.
I have to ask about something that’s been on my mind for 11 years now. Were any of those conversations on Read Music/Speak Spanish scripted or were those candid?
Well, some of them were scripted and some were just people on the UNL campus that Matt went around and interviewed. Yeah, the Starbucks inOmahaone might have been a bit scripted [laughs]. If I remember correctly, it was one of us trying to rile someone else up and that’s what we got. They obviously didn’t want Starbucks over a local or Mom and Pop coffee shop. I think that was Landon. A lot of people think that he was smoking weed, too, but he’s totally not. It was just him smoking a cigarette then they got that question asked, and it totally caught him off guard.
I heard that some of that newer material was concocted in the West Central Minnesota lakes area. What happened during the time that you spent there, and what did you get out of that experience?
It was very nice. Three of us live primarily inNew Yorknow and the other two live in Omaha full time, but the band are based out of Omaha. When we usually get together, there is a lot going on, and there are a lot of distractions. For the two guys that live in Omaha, they have full-time jobs, so we needed some time together to focus on the band and not all the other distractions, so we looked at renting a house that would be far enough from neighbors so that we wouldn’t bother them, but also somewhere out of town to get away from the distractions and really focus on the music. We found a place up on Battle Lake, Minn. that met all of those criteria. It was perfect. It was this really amazing, little, nearly private lake that the house was on. We’d go to town, a population of less than a thousand. The people there kind of embraced us, and then we played a show in Minneapolis after that. We’d definitely go back sometime. While we were there, though, we wrote a handful of songs that we’re really proud of and really excited about.
Are there any solid future plans for Desa or is it all just kind of as it happens?
It’s all just as it happens. I hate being so vague or aloof, but we all just don’t know. We’re excited for everything that’s happening and where things are headed, but we’re all also very noncommittal. We don’t want to say something is going to happen or promise things then have there be a delay, or we decide songs aren’t where we want them and give it some more time. We were supposed to go to Australia after this tour, but it got postponed, and we’re in the process of working out some time to go back next year. Other than that, working on things as it comes along and building more songs.
Is it the same for Statistics?
Yeah, same kind of thing, just as it happens and as it comes along. I just released that album for free, which is really exciting, that’s always been something I’ve wanted to do. Before I tour on it, I really want to make videos for the songs to implement them into the live shows. I’ve been a little busy with all of that and playing for Har Mar Superstar, so when my schedule allows I work on that. After these next two tours I’ve got coming up, I’m booked up through December 7, then I’m going to go away for a while and go off the grid for a bit, no tours or anything. I’m just going to be a beach bum for a while and see what comes of it. | Jenn Metzler
Be sure to catch this once in possibly a lifetime show at The Pageant on Thursday, Oct. 24. Tickets start at $25 and doors are at 7 p.m. So So Glos will open up the show starting at 8 p.m.
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