It’s OK if you aren’t familiar with DoubleMotorcyle, the latest band to hit the local music scene. Frederick residents will recognize all three of its members by name, if not by face.
Joe Jalette, Colin McGuire and Matt Dabson have started a new Frederick band; this time a “speed pop” outfit.
“DoubleMotorcycle: one word, two capitals, no ‘S,’” Jalette, the frontman, said of the band’s name.
In addition to singing and writing the majority of their songs, Jalette plays electric guitar. DoubleMotorcycle also features Dabson on the electric bass and McGuire on the drums.
This is not the first time Jalette and Dabson have performed in a band together. Prior to the creation of DoubleMotorcycle, the two collaborated in the now-defunct local act, Seaknuckle.
In the wake of the dissolution of previous staple Frederick bands such as Heavy Lights and Old Indian, a void has emerged in the Frederick music scene. DoubleMotorcycle could potentially fill that need.
McGuire, the drummer, is a new addition to the Frederick stage, though not the musical scene. McGuire is primarily known for his contribution to Frederick music via his work with The Frederick News-Post, particularly the blog he created called Frederick Playlist.
Frederick Playlist is perhaps best known for their annual showcase at The Weinberg Center, which elevates local musicians. February marked the third event organized by McGuire.
Frederick Playlist is an offshoot of The Frederick News Post, which garners significant media coverage in the area for Frederick Playlist’s events. This coverage enables their concerts to spark large-scale local interest, thereby allowing Frederick musicians to perform to much larger audiences than other local shows and venues typically afford.
Writing about music, and booking and promoting local bands differ dramatically from performing. However, McGuire has a history of being in bands himself. DoubleMotorcycle marks McGuire’s return to an old hobby.
Though he stopped playing drums for about five years, McGuire said he made a recent attempt to reacquaint himself with the instrument when he moved his drums into the abandoned warehouse where Jalette happened to have a rehearsal studio. McGuire practiced alone when Jalette stopped in to say hi from time to time. Jalette mentioned he had some songs he worked on. A collaboration was born.
“It just all kind of developed organically,” McGuire said. “This just felt right, so I went with it.”
McGuire describes DoubleMotorcycle’s music as “poppy, rocky, guitar rock.”
As for their material, Jalette, the bandleader, said he is the primary songwriter, though the process is a group effort. He brings the song ideas and structures to the band, and McGuire comes up with drum ideas on the spot. Dabson, the bass player, chimes in with perfect unrehearsed harmonies, Jalette added.
Their preferred approach to songs is short and sweet.
“Hyperbole aside, we usually organically develop the songs pretty quickly,” Jalette said.”The bulk of our songs are three minutes or less, and this is on purpose. The goal is always to cut the fat and keep the gold.”
Collaboration has been the key to the group’s writing thus far.
“Joe will have a germ of a riff or a handful of verse/chorus ideas and we’ll collaborate on what works, what doesn’t, and where it needs to go,” McGuire said. “Sometimes, I’ll throw a drum pattern out there and he’ll fill it in with a riff that ultimately leads to an entire song. It’s truly been one of the most fulfilling, good-natured, diplomatic, easy-going, democratic experiences of my music-playing life.”
But where do the ideas come from?
“A lot of the writing comes from exercising Alan Ginsberg’s idea of ‘first thought, best thought,’” Jalette said. “Then we cut the fat until we have a carefully carved pop tune.”
Inspirations from the group vary.
“I’d say, most of the time, I’m somewhere in between feeling like the Beach Boys or Nine Inch Nails sprinkled with a little bit of Motown,” Dabson said.
Dabson is the newest addition to the band, replacing original band member Jon Phelps. The transition was seamless, Dabson said, because of his history working with Jalette in Seaknuckle.
“I got into playing music when I begged my dad to get me a bass guitar in the seventh grade after I saw a Green Day video on MTV,” said Dabson, who has been playing since his childhood. “He got me one for Christmas and the rest is history. My dad quietly reminded me for years afterward that I could have gotten a guitar, because guitarists get most of the glory. Thanks, dad.”
DoubleMotorcycle’s debut EP was recorded in an abandoned warehouse, with Derek Salezar (Heavy Lights, Seagulls) at the helm of sound console. The band released their EP last weekend at Guido’s with The Fun Boys and Signs Point East.
DoubleMotorcycle’s next show in Downtown Frederick is this Friday, March 10, at Café Nola with The Milestones and a new band called Tuff Junior, comprised of former members of two popular-yet-recently-disbanded Frederick favorites, Old Indian and Heavy Lights.
DoubleMotorcycle plans to start touring long weekends on the east coast starting in June, Jalette said.
Their music can be found on these sites:
https://www.facebook.com/DoubleMotorcycle/
https://doublemotorcycle.bandcamp.com/
The official Facebook event for this weekend’s show:
https://www.facebook.com/events/179689375855887/
