Deer Tick Talks

Friday, July 08, 2011

Maggie Lange, GoLocalProv Contributor

Deer Tick, Providence’s indie darling band, played familiar territory for one of WBRU’s free Summer Concert Series shows at Lupo's Friday. Known for their stimulating and often stirring combination of American folk revival and hard-rocking energy, the band is perhaps most popular for their infatuation with cover songs—everything from the Sex Pistols, traditional Mexican, Sean Kingston, and Hank Williams. Recently the band, led by John McCauley along with Christopher Dale Ryan, Dennis Ryan, Rob Crowell, and Ian P. O'Neil, received hip acclaim for “Deervana,” their Nirvana cover shows. Authors of three acclaimed albums, most recently “Black Dirt Session,” Rolling Stone declared them “country-rock breakthrough of the year.”

GoLocal checked in with guitarist and vocalist Ian P. O'Neil about their upcoming plans, favorite local haunts, and best bands to see in Providence.

GLP: Do you feel like you’re back to home base when playing in Providence?

IO: Most of us make homes here in Providence. John has another place in Nashville because that's where his lady is, Robbie lives in Nova Scotia, but I'd say it definitely feels like a homecoming when we get to play in front of our friends and family.

GLP: Any haunts you’re excited to revisit?

IO: We've been here for the past week. We usually end up at the E&O, AS220, wherever our friends are at.

GLP: What was it like growing up as a band in Providence?

IO: It's hard to answer this question as only Chris, Dennis and John grew up here in town. But the music scene has always seemed diverse. I visited Providence from Western Mass growing up to see stuff we didn’t get up there.

GLP: Any local bands you liked to listen to or play with? What spots do you like to hear music here?

IO: We are very fond of Liz Isenberg and Vio Mire. Great people and great music. We see shows at the usual places: bigger ones at the Met and Lupos, smaller at places like AS220 and some good spots in Olneyville. Most kids in town seem to go to the same places as everyone else.

GLP: You have covered a huge range of bands from different genres (the Sex Pistols, Nirvana, ‘Beautiful Girl’, etc.) What attracts you to cover a song?

IO: Generally if we like it or if it seems fun to play. No real mystery to it. Not always great to play a downer but if the night calls for it, we do.

GLP: What inspired Deervana?

IO: Nirvana, of course. And our friend Mike D (a promoter in town) asked us to do it for his birthday a year ago. It snowballed from there I guess. It's done now.

GLP: Any new covers you're working on?

IO: I'm not sure, most recently John and I duet on The Replacements ‘Waitress In the Sky.’

GLP: And, of course, what are you working on next?

IO: We just finished our latest record. It's about to be mastered and then we'll hopefully have it out in October. Until then, we're mostly just playing one-offs and festivals to get through the summer.