The Dam Dams. Photograph courtesy of AliyaRose Photography
One of the bright lights on the local indie rock scene, The Dam Dams are fronted by Casey Bazzell. She’s been involved in several different projects in recent years, among them a stint with local psych group Troubadour Dali, including an appearance on their first album. Her new band is readying a debut CD; sketches of their new songs are available at the group’s Soundcloud page.
Every other week, we ask local songwriters and musicians to take on the same set of questions. Bazzell’s responses follow.
Music school? Self-taught? Some variety of both? Or none of the above?
I would say some of both. My mom said I could sing the alphabet before I could say it. I guess I always knew I had an ear for music, and wanted to be like Bette Midler as a wee child. Ha, but I did feel separate from others when I showed that part of me. I felt I saw things almost too differently with my music abilities, but it turns out that's just not true.
I sang in church and whenever I could in elementary school, but spent my afterschool time doing every sport I could. I was a bit competitive, and it was a good release for my anxiety.
I sang in choir in high school, and also in some district and state choirs. I went to Lindenwood for musical theater for a few years, where I studied dance and acting and most of my time was in Voices Only, an advanced acapella choir, where I fell in love with harmonizing in a whole new way. That led me to an internationally competing barbershop quartet. My other passions lie in songwriting and expressing through my perspective.
I was surrounded by musicians at a young age, and learned from those who I believe to be some of the best in music such as Kevin Bachmann, Thom and Steve Donovan, Vocal Spectrum, David and Sandi Wright. Jim Henry and so many more.
Regarding your creative habits, are you a night owl or an early bird?
Hmm, I think I’m more of a night owl than an early bird, but it really depends on what I put my energy into at the time. I can adapt well to either, but I do love to be in a big gathering atmosphere at night, so I would consider myself more of a night owl.
What are the elements that make for an ideal studio/recording experience?
Wow, there's a lot I could say about this! Feeling comfortable and being relaxed in a song is important, and so is trusting your engineer. It’s about whatever suits the individual as far as getting them in the zone. Obviously you want a quality recording and the right sound barriers, whatever that might look like. I find that if I don't feel rushed, or think about that, I do much better. Wherever you are mentally will definitely affect the recording.
Is it more rewarding to play a technically solid gig to a moderately engaged audience, or to play a loosey-goosey set to a crowd that's clearly "there" with you?
This is a tough one for me to answer. You always want to be solid, and have an engaged audience. I would have answered the latter in the past, but my priorities have changed a bit in the past 10 years. I always expect to play a solid show with rehearsal, and wouldn’t want to let down an audience when they came FOR the music and I can't deliver. It is my responsibility to deliver the goods and I would feel worse about myself if I didn't give it my all. So yeah, I would probably play a technically solid show. However, I do feel I am engaging for an audience when I sing most of the time. I hope! Ha ha.
You're able to wake up tomorrow, magically gifted proficiency on the instrument of your choice, one that you currently don't play. What instrument would that be?
I would say the piano or the violin. I was going to say harp, but I could do a lot more with the others.
From childhood on, what's the very first song that you played to a point of real, true satisfaction?
Not sure of that, but the first song I ever wrote to the point of satisfaction was a song at age 11 on a piano in our family room. It was slightly out of tune, but I ran through the house jumping up and down over the fact that I had written a song.
Do you believe there are musical "guilty pleasures," or is this an unfair and misused term?
I take that term lightheartedly, so I wouldn't say its unfair. If your lead guitar player is shredding away at an awful 80s song (awful to me), I would consider that a guilty pleasure of the guitar player. Mine would probably be spouting out a song from my childhood, like something from The Little Mermaid or a Celine Dion song.
Catch Casey Bazzell performing with The Dam Dams on November 8 at Sky Music Lounge, 960 Kehrs Mill Road, Ballwin, Missouri, 636-0527-6909.
