By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Friday, August 20, 2021
The DT’s are a power pop group hailing from central New Jersey. Having released their first single, “You With Me” in June, the group is now back to share their music video for the catchy single. Since the release, The DT’s played their first full band show at House of Independents in Asbury Park, NJ, and have been hard at work at new content for their fans. I recently spoke with Dave and Tom about their past year, playing shows again and their new music video. Thank you Dave and Tom!
The DT’s live at House of Independents
How was your first full band show at House of Independents?
Tom: Our first show was really special and was really a magical night! It meant the world to be on that stage especially after such a long time and just battling a lot of adversity over the past 18 months. Both of us hadn't played in a full band setting live for quite some time and to debut at one of our favorite venues was a great experience. It almost felt like a Twilight Zone episode, like was this actually happening? It went really well and our buddies Lou Panico (Natalie Farrell Band, Levy & The Oaks, Solo) & Frank Lettieri (The Paper Jets, Dust Of Days) really did such an excellent job. They are true professionals!
Dave: It was such an exciting experience. We were very happy when Bobby Mahoney reached out to us, and asked us if we wanted to play. It had been so long since we played in a full band setting, and it felt so good to be back out there on stage. Our talented friends Frank Lettieri (The Paper Jets, Dust Of Days) and Lou Panico (Natalie Farrell Band, Levy & The Oaks, Solo) helped us out that night, and they were extremely professional. We only practiced the four of us collectively one time, but I think that made the show more fun and lively! We were able to hang out with some friends that we have not seen since the start of the pandemic, have fun with the crowd, and play some new originals at an awesome venue.
What can fans expect at a DT’s concert now that shows are coming back around?
Tom: In this new project, we really like to keep it fun, loose, engaging and entertaining with the audience. We work very hard at our craft but we also really like to keep the audience involved in a variety of settings. I also enjoy having freedom in this project where we are an acoustic duo some nights, other times full band electric, all while mixing in different instruments we play. At the end of the day, we just want to make sure the crowd is having fun and that we are spreading some joy. I think we all could use some after the past year.
Dave: Anyone that comes to one of our shows can expect a good time! We are always trying to have fun at our shows by throwing in some covers, getting the crowd involved, and telling some jokes on stage. We just like to have fun while providing a high energy rock and roll experience!
This video accompanies your latest single “You With Me.” What does this song mean to you as a group?
Tom: This was a really special song for Dave and I as it was one that came really quickly and naturally for us. Our emotions and feelings really lined up at the time and the song both structurally and lyrically came together in one night. We really didn't try and over think many parts and allowed ourselves to explore while keeping the song refined into a pop format. It was really neat sharing parts from our own songs and mashing them together melodically.
Dave: To me the song means a lot. Lyrically, it references some personal/emotional setbacks we have experienced in the past few years. It was the first song that Tom and I wrote collaboratively from scratch. We started with a drum idea, and then layered on top of that. We both brought different elements to the song that we were able to blend cohesively, which gave it a unique sound. I am extremely proud of us for making this track because we also produced everything in Tom’s basement. We were then lucky enough to have our friend Frank Lettieri record drums and Joe Pomarico (Telegraph Hill Records) Mix/Master the final track.
Who did you work with for this music video?
Tom: We worked with Tom Garrigan, an old friend who is a photographer/videographer from our hometown. Tom is nationally known for his photography work shooting abandoned settings, and he really did an excellent job getting the footage for this shoot. He really had a lot of our visions behind the song come to life in a really simplistic way. All the editing work was done by Frank Lettieri who also plays drums for us live!
Dave: We worked with our good friend Tom Garrigan. Tom Garrigan is a very talented photographer who has gained a following on Instagram under the handle “moldy_lungs” taking photographs of abandoned places. You have to check his page out! So it was interesting to work with him because he is normally a photographer, not a videographer. So he himself was a little reluctant of how the final product would be, but we all think it came out great. Frank Lettieri then took all of the videos that we got with Tom G and made it a cohesive piece. Working with these talented two individuals was extremely easy, and we could not have been happier with how it came out.
What’s next for the DT’s?
Tom: We are truly having a blast doing this, and the past 3 months have been a huge reaffirment for us. We have many more singles lined up and some really awesome shows on the docket. Recording has also really turned into a passion for us, so more writing and experimentation in the fall will be happening for sure. It's been such a great year connecting with new artists, old friends and just letting our passions in this project flow. It's been such a great vehicle for expression for us and I'm so grateful for my friendship with Dave.
Dave: Not stopping! The only things that are next for us include more music, more shows, more merch and more content. I am also so grateful for my friendship with Tom, and we would like to thank everyone who has supported us so far!
