Brooklyn-based roots/Americana trio Damn Tall Buildings will perform at Dyck Arboretum in Hesston on Sunday, Nov. 17.
The group, which has built a loyal following in Kansas over the last several years, will perform some fan favorites as well as material earmarked for a new record, which the band is currently raising funds for. Eschewing the typical fundraising platforms that artists typically turn to for such projects, the band has opted to host the campaign via its website.
The band’s Avery Ballotta recently spoke with KMUW about the project and the group’s process for preparing songs for the record.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
You’ve started a crowdfunding campaign for a new album, and you’re doing it in a somewhat unconventional way because you’re not using an established crowdfunding platform.
We’re looking for a different pace for building the float of the record fund over time instead of packing it into one month. That’s one draw for us not to work with the typical crowdfunding campaigns. We play so much so we’re always in conversation with a lot of great folks who are always very interested in being involved and wondering how they can be. We just wanted to open that door first and see how that goes. We’re four songs in in the mixing process out of probably 10 or 11. So the process is definitely well underway.
The models for funding projects are pretty vast, and I think that’s especially true over the last four or five years. I have artists I support through Patreon, and it’s not even about the perks that I get. “Here’s $20 a month to support whatever project you’re undertaking.”
I feel the same way about artists that I love. It’s nice to have that feeling that you know you’ve helped with something they’ve created.
This model that you’re using probably allows you to really get to know the fanbase.
It’s beautiful because it’s definitely a mix of people we’ve known for a long time, and then a group of folks who have just kind of discovered us that are starting to interact not just with the crowdfunding aspect of things but sending us emails and comments online. It’s amazing because it feels like we have been able to keep sacred this connective space for all of us. It’s very similar to our show. I think our show is very connection-focused, so I think it’s nice to see that unfolding in the funding world.
I’m also guessing that these songs from the upcoming record are finding their way into the live sets.
Absolutely. We have always done a lot of workshopping and building up songs before we record them.
It’s been great because it keeps us on our toes. It keeps it real, interesting and fun, and then we always learn a lot about the songs in the live performance and then that always ends up on the record, which is a really beautiful cycle. We’re really fortunate to be able to play so much that we get to do that. Otherwise, you’re just woodshedding at home, which is fine. But for this type of music, I think [the music] has to carry a certain amount of life that’s hard to get without playing it for a bunch of people. [Laughs.]
Tell me a little bit about that idea of workshopping songs. The way I’m imagining it is that you’re in Poughkeepsie or somewhere and you play a new tune and then afterward the three of you talk and say, “Yeah, that third verse didn’t seem to land very well with the crowd, what’s going on?”
It’s a mix of us taking in how the audience is taking it and also discerning what our perspective on the moment is. It’s definitely the melding of, “How did I feel about that?” and “How did the audience feel about that?” Oftentimes, it’s in line. But there are times when [we think], “That didn’t go well” and the audience will tell us, “That was amazing!” But the funny thing is that you don’t know until you talk to people, which is why the connective aspect is so important to us. Actual conversations go so much further than assuming. We learn a lot every time we play these songs.
We even work on some things in soundcheck. Anytime we’re in front of a microphone, we use it as a time to stretch our fingers and maybe try new things. We’ve done so many soundchecks that we know what we’re after sound-wise so we can mess around and try new things that may end up in the show later or whatever. It’s been great to find that momentum.
