For Last Chance Dave guitarist Seth Woodard, nothing is more important right now than seeing the last seven seconds of the LSU men’s basketball game against Mississippi State — not even this interview.
After receiving a call from a friend watching the game, Woodard frantically rushes to the television at Sockit Studios only to learn the studio does not have the channel on which the basketball game is airing. He screams in dismay and has his friend recite the final seconds over the phone. After LSU loses, Woodard gathers himself and the interview continues.
“I’m real sorry,” Woodard said. “Where were we?”
After 200-plus hours of recording, mixing and mastering 11 songs, Last Chance Dave has nothing to apologize for and is preparing to release its first full-length LP Feb. 22. Aptly titled “Chin Up,” the album is a response to a music journalist who said their debut EP “Distress Signals” was too melancholy.
“We had someone write an article that our last album was real sad,” said front man and guitarist David Brooks. “I felt like that was a challenge for us to produce something that was more uplifting. So this record is sort of a response to that.”
With lyrics “I’m doing okay, at least that’s what I tell myself today,” and “You’ve put me in the place I’m in now, I’ll never breathe again…” the downtrodden nature of “Distress Signals” is easy to recognize, but the EP is no chore to listen to either.
The album is an example of the group’s pop-rock sensibility and showcases Brooks’ ear for melody and arrangement through poignantly honest lyricism.
Recorded at Sockit Studios and engineered by Devon Kirkpatrick, who has worked with Lauryn Hill and Moby, “Distress Signals” was a solid first effort for the band. But, guitarist Kyle Harvey thinks the band has proven itself capable of much more at Sockit Studios this time around.
“Last time we did five songs in three days,” Harvey said. “This time we decided to make [‘Chin Up’] as good as we could and not skimp on money. Sockit Studios doesn’t necessarily make us sound better; they just make us sound as good as we can.”
Not being frugal in the recording process helped the band, and “Chin Up” will be Last Chance Dave’s most aspirational and versatile record to date, featuring everything from piano-driven tracks, a horn section and even a gospel singer.
“Basically we trimmed the fat,” Brooks said. “Don’t let a bridge get too long. Don’t let an intro meander. We just wanted to get to the point. It’s faster-paced songs with less downtrodden lyrics.”
Formed in Summer 2001, Last Chance Dave is a quintet comprised of four LSU students, including guitarist Seth Woodard, guitarist Kyle Harvey, bassist Micah Cating, David Brooks on vocals and guitar, and drummer Drew Greene.
The band got its feet wet playing half covers and originals at Rotolo’s, but soon moved out of the Tigerland scene by landing gigs at Ichabod’s and the Varsity Theatre, making them a staple of Baton Rouge’s music community.
Because the band has become so popular among LSU students, the biggest problem the group has had recently is playing the local scene too much.
“Right now we’re talking about trying not to play Baton Rouge more than twice in month,” Woodard said.
Although Last Chance Dave enjoys playing in Baton Rouge venues, the band realizes playing too many local shows in a short period of time could hurt the band’s future.
To combat its dilemma, Last Chance Dave signed with booking agency Atlantic Pacific Entertainment based out of Austin, Texas — a market the group wished to capitalize on.
“I love Baton Rouge, and I love to play at Ichabod’s in front of our friends, but that can only take us so far,” Brooks said.
“Chin Up” will be released Feb. 22 at a dual CD release party with McCloud and Last Chance Dave performing at Ichabod’s.
The band will play Jan. 31 at Ichabod’s with Silko and Mike Pinter. To learn more about Last Chance Dave check out their Web site at www.lastchancedave.com.