Showcase: Dot Dash

Published on September 11th, 2013 | Jonny Abrams

Washington, D.C. troupe Dot Dash recently released their smart new album Half-Remembered Dream, so we fired some questions over to guitarist/vocalist Terry Banks to find out more about them…

How would you describe your music, if pushed?

We used to say ‘post-punk pop,’ just because it seemed like a slightly less devalued term than some of the other genre names that get bandied around… I guess it still stands.

Where are you based, and what do you use to record with?

We’re based in Washington, D.C. We’ve recorded our last two records at a studio called Lord Baltimore in (you won’t be surprised to learn) Baltimore. Ever seen The Wire? It’s like an indie-rock version of The Wire. I’m allowed to say that, I’m from Baltimore.

Are you signed to a label? If so, how did you come to their attention?

Well, there were no actual signatures per se but in the last two years, we’ve had three albums released by a wonderful label based in Canada called The Beautiful Music. spark>flame>ember>ash came out in September 2011; Winter Garden Light came out in September 2012, and the new one, Half-Remembered Dream, just came out.

Can’t recall how we came to each other’s attention other than to say that TBM supremo Wally and I have shockingly similar musical tastes – it’s like the musical version of one of those ‘Separated at Birth’ things.

Where can we hear your music online?

All the regular places: Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, Bandcamp.

Which have been your most exciting gigs and/or overall moments so far?

Well, overall, the best thing has been getting the three albums out. Gig-wise, we’ve had some fun ones: we opened for The Drums in front of a sold-out crowd of screaming teens. We played a couple of NYC-area shows with The Monochrome Set and got a lesson in posh suaveness (and the correct way to wear a fez).

We opened for Hugh Cornwell from The Stranglers – for some reason, I decided to quiz him not about The Stranglers, but (it made perfectly good sense to me at the time) his recollections of Joy Division.

In any case, he was fine with that and held forth accordingly – plus the drummer in his band, Clem Burke from Blondie, gave us mad props for our songs… I don’t know, all gigs are fun in their own way…

Got any more coming up? (Gigs, that is…)

Yeah – we’re playing on September 12th with The Supersuckers at a place in D.C. called The Rock and Roll Hotel, and we’re playing on September 22nd at another place in D.C. called DC9 with Terry Malts.

Are there any obscure and/or up-and-coming acts that you’d like to recommend or give a shout-out to?

I heard some songs by a band from New York called The Sanctuaries that I like very much.

Finally, if you were forced to spend the rest of your days in solitary confinement, but were allowed to bring the entire works of five different artists along to tide you over, whose would you choose?

Hmmm… OK, here goes:

The Byrds
The Jam
The Velvet Underground
Joy Division
Orange Juice

Terry Banks, thank you.

Artists: dot dash

About the Author

Jonny Abrams Editor of Rocksucker and the website's founder, Jonny is passionate about the music he listens to, both good and bad, as well as interviewing his favourite musicians.