Usually‚ if we go on a month tour‚ you have two or three‚ four days on‚ one day off‚ and that one day off makes all the difference. I've found I can hang in there for two and a half‚ three weeks.
It's interesting you mention the two-and-a-half/three week mark‚ because I've heard other musicians mention that it almost seemed like clockwork that at about the two-week mark of a road tour‚ the grind starts to set in. I think it was Matt Abst from Gov't Mule saying this. That's why they try to only go out for two weeks at a time; that way they always seem to be fresh or right on the verge of really starting to click‚ but they never get into just through the motions.
Yeah‚ that's about right. Two weeks is the perfect amount. Although‚ after two weeks‚ musically things start to click probably better than ever. It's a matter of making sure everybody keeps their stamina up. The first week is getting used to each other; the second week‚ you get a little momentum; and the third week‚ the music's really happening‚ but physically and socially and whatever else‚ things tend to lag. So it's an interesting conundrum there.
I would like to finish up with a question about DTB‚ because I've been hearing that you guys have finished recording or are in the midst of recording a new album.
We've been recording since December through May‚ on and off when we have time‚ down at Derek's house. I think we're basically done. I think there may be some mixing he has to do‚ maybe some overdubs‚ but for the most part we've knocked it out. And it's basically‚ I believe‚ produced by Derkek.
It started off as a blues-based thing‚ but it definitely left that course and it's got all sorts of different branches on it. There's some really great stuff on it‚ mostly all original stuff. I know in the past it's kind of leaned towards stuff that we've covered‚ but this time it's pretty much all of us. From what I've heard‚ I'm very proud of it.
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