On April 25, every member of Ann Arbor seven-piece My Dear Disco will graduate from the
University of Michigan, and they’ve decided to
celebrate the end of their student lives in style. Two shows in one night at
their local haunt the Blind Pig will see them put a life of baked beans on
toast, “Judge Judy,” student parties and, possibly, a little bit of studying
behind them in order to embark on all new, grown-up adventures.
Their time at U-M has been nothing if
not eventful. Only 18 months ago, the guys were calling themselves Toolbox and
were playing Irish instrumental ditties, largely featuring bagpipes. Don’t
judge them too harshly though; they soon realized the error of their ways and
put aside the cat-squealing sounds in order to concentrate on the ambient
dance-and-funk grooves with which they created their signature sound, as synth,
sax and pipes’ man Tyler Duncan told MMX: “Toolbox was all instrumental. The
focus of the music was totally different because it wasn’t about the vocalist
or the song; it was more about ‘anything goes.’ This is a lot more focused.
It’s a little darker, and it has more of a Tom Waits’ vibe.”
Their hard work has been rewarded in the
form of an enviable local following. Indeed, the last time they played the
Blind Pig, people were turned away from the sold out show. This time they’re
playing two shows on the same night -- an earlier set for their younger fans
and a 10 p.m. slot for those allowed to stay up late -- a bold move that should
leave no keen My Dear Disco supporter disappointed. “We’ll mix the two sets up
to make it more interesting,” Duncan
says. “The first set can’t be as long as the second one and it’ll be a
completely different crowd. The later set will be the wild one and the first
set will be the fun, lighter side.”
However, with great power comes great
responsibility and after the show life goes on. Graduation will see the band
members seeking a real-world income and so 2008 is going to be a key year as
the players start working to make their band a career rather than a hobby.
“We cannot wait,” Duncan says. We’re going to have time to do
everything. We have so many ideas of how we can get involved in the community
with artists, activists and fashion designers. We want to be able to use our
art to benefit the community around us. When we graduate, we’ll have the time
to plan that. We can turn it into a business rather than just a band. Life will
change.”
They’re certainly hitting the ground
running; on top of this double feature, their forthcoming album is being mixed
and mastered at the REEQ studio in New
York by Grammy-nominated engineer Mark Saunders
(Shiny Toy Guns, Tricky, The Cure). “We’ve always used the ‘Shiny Toy Guns’
album as a reference for the epitome of mixing,” Duncan says. “Whenever we’ve mixed in the
past, we’d have it in the studio to compare it to what we did. We called the
studio and they’re very cool people over there. They listened to our stuff and
dug it, and said they’d like to work with us.”
The acquisition of Saunders has put the
release of the album back a little, but that’s a small price to pay when
considering the benefits of working with such a heavyweight. The April 12 Blind
Pig show was originally intended to celebrate the release of the record, but
due to the delay the band are offering attendees the opportunity to pre-order
the album with a 15 percent discount. In fact, the kindly souls will even have
it delivered to your door at no extra cost. Reports that they’ll hand deliver
it themselves have been exaggerated.
