Can you share the origin story of Dirt Road Opera and how the band came together?
The beginnings of Dirt Road Opera actually started years before when Rachel began singing harmonies on records by Barry’s band the Cruzeros. They produced three multi award winning albums before disbanding and Rachel and Barry went on to form a duo to perform around their hometown of Kelowna, BC. Eventually, another member of the Cruzeros, Jim Ryan, joined them and the three produced their first record, “Nowheresville” and named the band Dirt road Opera.
How did you decide on the name “Dirt Road Opera,” and what does it represent for you as artists?
Jim, the classically trained musician of the band brought the name Dirt Road Opera to the table and it seemed to suit the style of songs they were writing.
How would you describe the essence of your music to someone who hasn’t heard it before?
Hard to put into any category but the essence of the music mostly has an alt country feel to it along with some beautiful ballads rich with harmonies. Dirt Road meets the Opera!
What makes Dirt Road Opera’s sound stand out in the current music landscape?
Possibly the writing has something to do with standing out in the crowd. The style doesn’t conform to any specific format and the musical style changes from song to song, depending on the nature of it.
Collaboration is key in a band-how do you approach songwriting and recording as a team?
Barry is the main songwriter for the band although Rachel penned their new single Where the Chicory Grows.
Once a song is written, it’s presented to the band, usually with an acoustic guitar and vocal and they begin recording a demo with input from the other members. Lots of different ideas are tried out until the best ones present themselves and then the final recording begins. It’s a very democratic process throughout and everyone has an equal say in the production. When something clicks, it’s obvious and that becomes part of the song. The motto is: the song must always win!
“Where the Chicory Grows” is such a vivid and evocative title-what inspired this single?
The title for this song holds deep personal meaning for me. It was inspired by the loss of may family’s homestead to a devastating forest fire. I vividly remember walking through the field of Chicory flowers as a child. Those memories became a symbol of home for me. After the fire, images of Chicory growing amongst the ashes stayed with me. It inspired the song as a way to honor our home, the memories made there, and the strength we find in starting over. (Rachel)
Can you walk us through the songwriting process for “Where the Chicory Grows”? Did it come together quickly or take time to evolve?
Honestly the creative process for this song was one of the least challenging for me. After learning about the loss of my family’s property, both the lyrics and melody came very easily. It was a song that needed to be written. The majority of Where the Chicory Grows was written in one afternoon. The fine tuning didn’t take too long either. I wish all songs came as effortlessly. (Rachel)
How do you think this single reflects the overall style and identity of Dirt Road Opera?
Where the Chicory Grows shows what Dirt Road Opera is all about, with its heartfelt storytelling, rich harmonies and acoustic instrumentation. The song captures our style of making music based on personal experience, that is also relatable to our listeners.
Did you face any challenges during the production of “Where the Chicory Grows”? If so, how did you overcome them?
The only challenges really were the physical location of the players sometimes. Rob Bailey, our pedal steel, keyboard, banjo and one of our guitar players lives about 300 miles away on Bowen Island, just off the coast of Vancouver. So it’s not always convenient to get together and work on things. Rob and Barry both own recording studios and send tracks back and forthn, which isn’t the same as sitting together in a room but it works ok.
Does this single mark the beginning of a new chapter for Dirt Road Opera? Can fans expect a larger project, like an album, in the near future?
Now that Where the Chicory Grows is finished and out, we’re getting back to recording all the other songs we have ready to go and an album or possibly EP will hopefully be released sometime in 2025. Our first record was put out two weeks before Covid shut down the world so we’re hoping for a better launch on this one:)
Looking ahead, how do you envision the future of Dirt Road Opera? Are there any specific goals or dreams you’re working towards?
Expanding the band’s audience and booking more concert and festival dates are high on the list.
