6/9/14

DEAP VALLY | St Andrews Hall 06.06.14 | Review & Photos

Interview: Laura the Boom
Photos: Brett J Lawrence/LAWRENCECREATIVE




 Deap Vally are a LA-based blues rock duo currently on tour with Band of Skulls.  Motorcityblog caught up with Lindsey Troy and Julie Edwards at St. Andrews Hall in Detroit, Michigan after their smokin’ set on June 6, 2014.



The gals played side-by-side and are stunning on stage.  Lindsey resembled Detroit’s own Margaret Dollrod in style and appearance, and played and sang confident, loud and solid.  Julie’s wavy red hair flew wildly as she it hard and provided harmonious backing vocals.  Both gals played with ease (not without a lot of sweat) which was both all rock and sexy.  Just an opinion, but I like a gal that doesn’t push it too hard and lets the rock speak for itself.  This was Lindsey.  During their set, I looked around and the crowd had been captured.

When I asked if I could interview them for a bit, Lindsey said “as long as I can knit during the interview.”  I can appreciate that.



Lindsey: Heyyyy…

MCB: Welcome to Detroit. I heard from the stage you said this is your first time in Detroit.

Lindsey: This is our first time in Detroit, yeah. It’s really exciting to be here. It’s such a, ya know, rich history and just a very striking city visually, too.

MCB: I won’t keep you gals long but I wanted you to know that this is an awesome, historical venue to play. I’ve seen Jon Spencer Blues Explosion here, Spiritualized, No Doubt…

Lindsey: Wow. Cool. The bathroom in there has all these band names written in there.



Julie: When did you see No Doubt play here?

MCB: Must have been mid to late 90’s.

Lindsey: Seems too small for them.

Julie: Must have been mid-90’s.

MCB: Might have been ‘95, ‘96.

EDITORS NOTE: No Doubt played St. Andrew’s Hall on  September 22nd 1995 with 311 and again on February 8th 1996 with Everclear.



MCB: It’s pretty well known you two met in knitting class…
Lindsey: That’s right…

MCB: Was that Community Ed. Program or College?

Julie: I used to own a knitting shop and I gave knitting and crochet classes and I sold materials. Lindsey just wandered in one day and that’s how we met.

Lindsey: She was a thriving business woman before we met.
(everybody laughs)

MCB: How long did it take to figure out you both were musicians?

Lindsey: Pretty quickly.

Julie: Yeah, the night of the class. You get people started crocheting and then once…

Lindsey: Julie likes to go deep with people. She is like self-trained Psychiatrist

Julie: (chuckes)

Lindsey: …and I like to talk about my feelings a lot and myself so...



MCB: Music is a good way to get it out.

Lindsey: Yeah. We got deep real quick.

MCB: What was your first jam like? How did that go?

Julie: Our first jam was actually with my friend Ashley on bass and Ashley is like a totally legit bass player. Right now she’s on tour with Cee Lo Green playing in his band. So basically the first jam was awesome. It was really fun but Ashley was never available again and she had to go on tour with somebody else at the time so we kept getting together and writing and jamming and it, ya know, WORKED.

MCB: Very cool. Julie, I wanted to ask for the gear heads out there what kind of kit do you use?

Julie: My kit is a Gretsch Frankenstein kit, made of a few different types of Gretsch kits. My snare is a titanium Gretsch snare. My cymbals, which are like my prized possessions are all Zildjian. My most, MOST favorite of all my drums is my ride cymbal which is a Zildjian twenty one inch sweet ride.

Lindsey: Sweet ride…

MCB: I noticed you played that ride a lot…

Julie: Like a lot.

MCB: It sounded awesome. Lindsey, I noticed you do two amps…

Lindsey: I do. Yes.



MCB: So what is your guitar set up?

Lindsey: Well my guitar is an early 70’s Fender Mustang.

MCB: Sweet.

Lindsey: Ya… and my amps are… I play through a Fender Bassman and then a Fender Deluxe.

MCB: Split with a DI Box?

Lindsey: Yeah, like with an AV splitter.

Julie: Are you a musician?

MCB: I am. I play the drums too.

Lindsey: Nice…

Julie: Very cool. What do you play?

MCB: I play a Gretsch Catalina Club. My ride is a Paiste  22-inch and a ’65 Supraphonic snare drum.

Julie: I have different kits in different parts of the world just because nowadays you can’t travel with too much luggage just because it’s so expensive. So overseas I have a Gretsch Brooklyn Maple. The snare I’m playing tonight is Christopher from Silversun Pickups.

MCB: I read recently that Jason from the Von Bondies was just out in California for his brother’s wedding and they borrowed the Silversun Pickups van or bus. They sound like generous folks.

Julie: I’m totally borrowing Christopher’s hard cases too.

MCB: Are you leaving tomorrow?

Julie: We are driving away tonight. Our next show is in Columbus.

Soon the gals turned the interview on me and I turned the recorder off.  Julie went back to No Doubt.  She inquired if I saw them in the mid-nineties, “wait… how old are you?” Ha! But meaning, she I knew the time when No Doubt was touring to St. Andrews-size venues and it turns out we happen to be pretty close in age. 

Both gals were interested in people feelings toward Jack White, especially since the move to Nashville.  Lindsey was nervous to play Jack White’s hometown and Julie was inspired by it.  They complement each other like that.  We talked about where we lived and bills.  Unfortunately, they didn’t have a chance to stay in Detroit more than 12 hours, so I told them to check out the Motown Museum their next time through.
Lindsey continued knitting a custom hat that they have been selling at the merch table during the tour.

The gals are finishing up some dates with Band of Skulls (of whom they had great things to say about) and they are heading oversees for a bunch of headlining and festival dates.  We wish them safe travels and to keep going DEAP.