Music Without Borders: Dead Winter Carpenters

During the winter doldrums, all anyone probably wants to do after a hard day’s work is eat some healthy food and then crash out in front of the TV for some Walking Dead, all while feeling guilty for not hanging out with friends and  identifying more with the zombies than their human adversaries. For me, since I stopped drinking last year, there’s no longer anything calling me to the bars. However, when the live music gets worth paying attention to, I know I’m always glad that I got my lazy ass up and out the door for some fun.

Speaking of fun and good music, there’s a show worth checking out if you like your music with good chops and a definite leaning towards Alternative Country and Bluegrass. It should also include enough rock that your dance control center will be twitching even as your heart’s breaking and your head’s bobbing. I’m talking about the rowdy music of the Dead Winter Carpenters. In the four years that they’ve been together their sound has really ripened into the kind of music that hillbilly elves (like that guy Daryl from the Walking Dead) might enjoy in some forest amphitheater.

The band is made up of Jenni Charles on fiddle, Jesse Dunn & Bryan Daines on guitars, Brian Huston on drums and spoons, Dave Lockhart on bass, viola and sitar, and they all sing and write the songs. I caught up with Jesse in their home base of Lake Tahoe for some Q & A.

OP&L: I hear everything from the Allman Brothers to the Stanley Brothers to Pavement on your records. Were there big influences on you all when you first started playing music?

Jesse D: Overall, we have a deep respect for American string music, bluegrass, classic country, blues and grunge rock. Collectively, some of our favorites include Old Crow Medicine Show, Nirvana, and Jerry Garcia and David Grisman.

OP&L: I noticed that your record from 2010 has a different lineup. How are the new musicians affecting the band’s sound and direction?

Jesse D: The new lineup has headed in more of an alt-country direction than before. We’re excited to get the new EP, “Dirt Nap” out there because all five members contributed heavily and we’re thrilled with how it came out.

OP&L: You seem to have a lot of songs about traveling. Were you guys long distance truck drivers, or does it come from road trips and touring?

Jesse D: All of our traveling songs are derived directly from our experiences on the road. We’ve played 140-180 shows a year since we started the band back in 2010. A lot of time is spent in the van, and you have all the time in the world to think. Time spent away from loved ones and the comfort of home makes for a great songwriting resource. ◙

Dead Winter Carpenters play Saturday, February 8 at 9 PM at the Olympia Ballroom and I might just have one little drink. Also on the bill is Danny Barnes (formerly of the Bad Livers and other collaborations too lengthy to list) and his band Barnyard Electronics.