We were fortunate enough to catch up with Happy Curmudgeons following the release of their excellent single ‘Rustic Glory’. Read our full interview below!
Hi Happy Curmudgeons; tell us about yourselves.
Hello, The Happy Curmudgeons are a group of studio musicians from metro Detroit. I, Dave Hamilton, started the group in 2015. We released our first album, Meant 2 Be, in 2017.
What is your songwriting process?
Well, I write most of the material for the Happy Curmudgeons. Jeff Warner writes lyrics (All On You, I Know How You Feel), and Amy Dixon-Lavery writes as well. I normally dream my lyrics and put the music to what I dream.
Tell us about your brilliant latest release, ‘Rustic Glory’.
‘Rustic Glory’ is a song about celebrating those that are no longer with us but left their love with us. I did the vocals and played guitar on the track. The list of musicians on ‘Rustic Glory’ is amazing. We have Billy Cox (Band Of Gypsys) on bass, Bobby Balderrama (Question Mark & The Mysterians) on guitar, Jim Moose Brown (Bob Seger Band) on Hammond B3 organ and Detroit Music Award Winner Todd Glass on drums. Mark Byerly did a fantastic job producing the song.
What message do you think your music conveys to your fans?
Our message is that music connects, heals and speaks to everyone in an individualistic way. If we like what we hear, we think we have a group of people that will dig what we do. We make music for the love and passion we have for it. We think our listeners enjoy listening to original lyrics and expressive musicians.
Who are your musical influences?
Personally, I love songwriters and great guitarists. Bob Dylan, Robert Hunter, Neil Young, Tom Petty, John Forgerty, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards, Donald Fagan, to name a few. Bands like The Band, Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Allman Bros., The Byrds… I could go on for sure.
Who are your non-musical influences?
My non-musical influences were my parents. They did not play instruments, but they had an awesome record collection. They also drove me to guitar lessons until I got a car. One of my aunt’s got me into Bob Dylan, The Stones and Janis Joplin.
What’s the best gig that you have ever played?
I think our best gig is still in our future. We are planning a show with the original Question Mark & The Mysterians. I am really looking forward to that night.
What’s the live music scene like in Detroit in 2023?
Detroit has always been a great music scene. I grew up with Motown Records, Bob Seger, MC5, and Grand Funk Railroad on the radio and at parties. Jack White picked up the torch, and Greta Von Fleet is getting a lot of recognition now. The Detroit area is home to a lot of amazing musicians.
What do you think are the biggest obstacles for bands/artists today?
The biggest obstacle today for musicians would be paying for studio time after writing worthy material. It is difficult to get meaningful promotions as well. Everyone says it’s easier than ever to get music out to the public, but it’s harder than most people think. Record labels have different functions now. It is very difficult to get on SMX radio unless you have a big budget or know the right people.
What advice would you give to other bands/artists starting out?
Make music for the love of it. Put your music out to people either live or on digital platforms. Don’t take every negative comment literally and let it affect you from doing what you love. You just need to connect with your audience.
What are your hopes for the next two years?
Our hopes are to complete our final album and get it out on vinyl. We would love to play more live shows. We hope to get our music out to as many people as possible, so we can grow our audience and create that culture. We already have material for a third album as well.
FVMusicBlog July 2023
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