“I don’t think anyone had any clear-cut idea of what it might actually sound like before we got tracking (laughs). Even after John and I and Bryan got tracking, we didn’t really realize what it was going to turn out like when everyone else got their hands on it.”
When Diamond Rugs first assembled in a Nashville recording studio in 2011, they were without any specific idea of just what, if anything, they’d stumble upon. Featuring Ian St. Pé of the Black Lips, T. Hardy Morris of Dead Confederate, Bryan Dufresne of Six Finger Satellite, Steve Berlin of Los Lobos and John McCauley and Robbie Crowell of Deer Tick, Diamond Rugs quickly established themselves as an all-star roster of musicians building songs around an unforced, natural chemistry. And while it was their individual personalities that had initially provided the spark, they never once lost control of the flame. Harboring a sharply felt musical chemistry, the musicians uncovered an infectious, blues-rock sound without sacrificing character or balance. Speaking to Pancakes and Whiskey in late March, Diamond Rugs bassist/ Deer Tick keyboardist Robbie Crowell spoke candidly about the band’s formation.
“I think as soon as John lined up the entire cast of characters we knew something would come over it. I didn’t start realizing quite what we had until everyone got down there and started getting their hands on it. The first two or three days it was just John and I and Bryan, the drummer, kind of hacking it…bed tracks and drinking beer, you know? But once Hardy and Steve, and I think Pé got in there and started getting their songs going and getting their parts on John’s song and everything, it really started to take shape. Steve especially is really good at coming in and doing something weird, a little blow-your-mind, you know? It’s a little bit unexpected and special.” And though they settled into their roles in the band quickly, Crowell does acknowledge that busy schedules meant that it would be impossible for everyone to record together.
“The first Diamond Rugs was all recorded in the same place in the same stretch of time, it was just that people were coming and going the whole time. Ian was there for a bit and then he left and Steve came in and Steve took off, and then Ian came back in. And Hardy was there for three days because he had to drive up from Athens and had to get back to work. It was actually recorded in a concurrent period of time at the same place, it’s just not everyone was actually there for any particular day” (laughs).
Schedules were so staggered that everyone hadn’t been in the same room together until their very first show as a band. When asked if there was ever any hesitation or doubt that what worked on record would not work for the first time in front of a large group of people, Crowell said no before talking about their shared confidence in each other, stating that, “we all trust each other’s musical chops and we trust each other to take care of business and to do what needs to be done. So we were just more excited to get everyone in the same room and finally see how it felt, you know?”
Describing the spirit of a Diamond Rugs performance, Crowell stated that, “it’s still really energetic but just kind of a personality thing- everybody brings a different thing to the table.” And while recording is always “a pretty fast, efficient process,” Crowell explained how the relaxed atmosphere in the studio contributes heavily to the high energy present on the records.
“It’s pretty loose, it’s a pretty funny band to work with. Everyone in the band is pretty funny, but St. Pé and Bryan are especially hilarious guys. It’s pretty loose and relaxed and funny and, you know, we drink a lot of Coors Light” (laughs).
When asked if he has a favorite song or memory from the band’s newly released second album, Cosmetics, Crowell said, “not really,” before explaining how the fast recording process made for marathon studio sessions that left little time to savor the experience. Recording each album in about a week often meant, “working sixteen-hour days that are fueled by Coors Light. It’s all a bit of a blur until like two weeks afterwards and we kind of look back on it with the dust settled.” And when discussing whether recording quickly or slowly produces different or better results, Crowell admitted that he can’t honestly say that there’s “an advantage either way.”
“There’s so many great records that I love that kind of go both ways. Most Motown stuff was they’d write a tune, record it and have it mixed and out the door by the end of the day.” He went on to add that “the real mind-blowing thing about some of the Motown stuff is that the arranging on it is…you know, you would think that a lot of those songs took a long time to sit and marinate and figure out what was going on with them.” Naming Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and “any Zeppelin album,” as examples of records that took a long time to make and are, “pretty amazing, as well,” Crowell explained how they all share an “amazing attention to detail,” regardless of how much time they took to produce. Sharing those same strengths, 2012’s Diamond Rugs and 2015’s Cosmetics each combine the spontaneity and the thrill of a live performance with a compositional structure that feels far from rushed. And while they may have been short on studio time, they were never short on material.
“The first time around, most of it was written in the studio. This time around, John just went to work in the studio again, Ian and Hardy had a few tunes tucked away that they had been saving for the next Rugs record. And Hardy is the most prolific writer I know. At any time he seems to have like three full albums written and ready to go (laughs). He’s always got something in his back pocket that he’s waiting to use.”
Although when asked if there was ever any discussion or idea between him and McCauley of what separated a Diamond Rugs song from a Deer Tick song, Crowell explained, “Not for me, that would be something you might have to ask John because he’s the only one that writes for both bands, I don’t really know…But John’s a really prolific writer so I don’t think he has too much jealousy about his writing. Diamond Rugs is more obviously party rock, I guess, but he definitely put a few new songs on the new one that aren’t. I think a lot of the times he writes what he does at the time and we’ll use it because he doesn’t really have any worries of being to come up with something for the next project because he’s always writing a lot.”
Now just days away from beginning a new tour with a show in Philadelphia, Crowell talked about how the upcoming dates offers the band the rare chance to share a stage together. Although it is ultimately their brief time writing and performing together that seems to fuel the group, providing each musician the appeal of the unknown.
“It’s going to be interesting…we haven’t been on stage as a band for well over a year. So it’s going to be interesting to see what happens when we get in the same place and get going again.”
Cosmetics is available online and in stores now
Don’t Miss Diamond Rugs at the Bowery Ballroom on 3/27
Article by: Caitlin Phillips
