OUTOFBODY, Dazy’s debut album, is out now via Lame-O Records. Touted as the “answer” to a Ramones and Kevin Shields collaboration, OUTOFBODY delivers ’60’s sugar pop mixed with ’90’s college rock. We asked Dazy, aka James Goodson, a few questions to introduce the album to us from his spare bedroom recording studio.
On “the collaboration,” what is your favorite My Bloody Valentine song?
“Drive It All Over Me” is probably my favorite. I love that era of MBV because they’re starting to get dreamier and heavier and become the band that makes Loveless but they still have a lot of jangle pop DNA in their sound.
And then your favorite Ramones’ song?
Wow this is a really hard one. I think “Judy Is A Punk” would be my number one. It’s just so simple but so perfect, and it has pretty much has every single thing I like about music in a 90 second song.
Which songs on the album are new/written in the studio?
I guess they were all written in the studio because “the studio” for me is just a spare bedroom in my house. I think the newest songs were “Rollercoaster Ride” and “Split,” which were both written well after I’d started recording the full-length. I’d already recorded more than enough songs for an LP, but I kept getting new ideas, and when both of these songs came together really fast and easily, I knew they had to be on the album.
Which songs are older? How did they evolve when you recorded them?
Hard to say, I’m always writing so I sort of lose track of when certain songs were written. I think “Out of Body” and “Gone” are older songs, I’d been kicking those around for at least a year or two before I started really thinking about making a full-length. Both of those songs changed as I started recording them for the LP, but I’m glad I kept tinkering because I ended up adding a lot of elements that really made the songs feel complete. The crazy guitar freakout at the end of “Out of Body” and the mellotron strings on “Gone” were last minute ideas and now I can’t imagine the songs without them.
Track 7 is titled “Choose Yr Ramone.” Which Ramone are you?
I dunno, I’m probably CJ Ramone—a late-era member that’s just happy to be along for the ride.
Who is your ideal listener?
Anyone! There’s a truly staggering amount of music available for people to listen to at all times nowadays, so I’m happy that anyone chooses to throw on my songs at all.
What is the ideal setting to listen to this album?
Anywhere! When we were mixing the album, I tried to listen to it as many different ways as possible so that hopefully it would end up sounding good in any scenario. Sounds particularly good cranked up loud in the car with the windows down.
You’re a one-man recording operation. Do you have a band backing you live on tour?
Yeah I’m very lucky to have a lot of talented friends who play with me live. I always like it when bands sound a little different live than on the recordings, and I definitely think the full band brings a different energy to the songs.
Photos courtesy of Dazy
