Interview with Dixie Dave Allen and Kayla Charlene!

Just when I thought young people these days only listened to either pop music or super-angsty tunes, it was refreshing and an honor to meet Old Time duo, Dixie Dave Allen and Kayla Charlene. Hailing from South Carolina, together they play and write Southern heritage music. In 2019, they've just released their debut album, followed by their first European tour!

Here is my interview with them:

Between the January release of your debut album In The Heart of Dixie, to your European tour in April, your schedules must have been hectic! How do you stay centered and focused?

D: I set time for everything so that we can stay ahead. It’s really important to plan ahead so that we don’t feel rushed. I set time for practice, but I also set time to relax and reflect.

K: I keep a mindset of “I get to...” rather than “I have to...”.  It takes a lot of mental work and meditation to stay positive and not be overwhelmed.

What is your favorite song on your album “In the Heart of Dixie” and why?

D: That would definitely be “Dawn on the Mountain” because that is the first song we wrote together as a duo.

K: I completely agree.

What were the highlights of the European tour?

K: We were visiting a castle in Aberystwyth- a beautiful town on the coast of Wales- and a woman jumped out of her car and said “Hey are you Dixie Dave?”. Her name was Rose, she is a fiddle player from Wales. She took us to her home and played music with us. It was the most serendipitous moment of my entire life maybe. Our favorite part of playing music is sharing folk songs with people who love what we do. I will never forget it.

That sounds like an incredible experience! You two are a gorgeous, young couple. Have people had misconceptions about what kind of music you play prior to actually hearing your music?

D: Yes. Everyone assumes that it’s bluegrass because there is a banjo and what we do is Old Time.

What do you enjoy the most about the genre of music you play?

D: I love everything about it. The way it makes me feel, the music, the history, and the fact that it’s our heritage.

K: I love how universal it is. There are songs for every emotion, but somehow I find a way to dance to even the high and lonesome songs.

If you were to go on a dream tour with any artists -dead or alive- who would you tour with?

D: Oh man. Roscoe Holcomb, Doc Boggs, and the Skillet Lickers.

If you had one message to give to your fans, what would it be?

K: Pursue what you love fearlessly and have fun doing it. Never stop growing and learning.

D: To quote Brisco Darlin from the Andy Griffith Show- “If you’ve got time to breathe, you’ve got time for music.”

Awesome! Thank you both so much for your time and I look forward to seeing what's next in your musical career!

For more on their journey, get social! Links:
Dixie Dave Allen's Instagram
Kayla Charlene's Instagram
Download their album
Watch them on Youtube


@thatchickkrys

Interview with J.C. Sandoval of The Crooked!

Photo: Dylan Weller

It's always exciting to see artists from your local scene get out
there and do big things like gearing up to tour Europe and opening
for national acts at a notable music festival in your city.

I got the chance to chat with frontman and guitarist, J.C. Sandoval
of Toronto-based alt-rock band The Crooked about all that and then
some! Here is the interview:

How did you all meet?

I’ve known our drummer Dell’Orso through the Toronto music scene for
many years now and then the both of us met our bassist Russ in a
similar fashion. We may or may not have met our lead guitarist Neelesh
through the Casual Encounters section of Craigslist.

[laughs] What are the highlights of the band’s career so
far?

We've done many things in a short time, but getting asked to play the
main stage at Norway’s Rockstream Festival this summer is it for us
right now. We’re beyond excited for this show when we tour Europe

Photo: Kirsten Sonntag

this summer. We’ll announce dates soon.



That's amazing! Congratulations! That sounds like an amazing
opportunity! Favorite thing about playing your style of alternative
rock?

From the start, we’ve always tried to be unconventional within rock
music. For example, we fused calypso rhythms with heavy guitar riffs
on our song Tarot Cards. Lately, we enjoy adding subtle dissonance
to our songs. We’re essentially tricking the audience into liking
something “ugly” by rewarding them later with something pretty
or familiar.


What is your favorite song you guys play live?

At the moment it’s an unreleased song called Villain. It’s getting a
really good reaction from the crowd. We’re planning on recording it
this month, and releasing it in the fall as a single.

I see you guys are playing a showcase at CMW on May 11. How do you prepare for events like that? Is the prep any different than that of regular shows around the

Photo: Dylan Weller

city?

Nothing prepares you for a big show like hitting the road. We’ve almost
completed the Uncivil Service Tour. We have one more show in Barrie
on May 9, and then play with Danko Jones at Horseshoe Tavern for
CMW the following Saturday.

Photo: Kirsten Sonntag

If you were to form a dream tour with artists -dead or alive- who
would be on it with you?

We would love to form a tour where we open for ourselves in
disguises and play extremely bizarre music. That “band” would then
amass a large cult following, which would demote The Crooked to
openers for the next tour. This is the kind of stuff we think about.


[laughs] I would be interested in seeing this happen! If there was
one message you would like to spread to your fans, what
would it be?

We think the world right now could use less conformity and a lot more
of the peculiar. Open your ears, open your mind and open your heart.

Amen! Thank you so much for your time, J.C and I look forward to
seeing what's next for the band!

For upcoming tour dates, announcements and new music, get social!
Follow The Crooked on Spotify, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

@thatchickkrys