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| The Dry Fish Project at Dirty Sock Records |
| Back to Home Past Shows - July 6, 2002 at Big Dumb Nick's house The Dry Fish Project features music written, arranged, composed, and performed by Joe. It's funny to me that I can't seem to remember a time when I wasn't trying to write new songs, hack out melodies over a keyboard and a guitar and a computer or a multitrack or a tape recorder or something. But this whole big rollercoaster has only lasted a couple years, but I feel it's taken me on a pretty long journey full of interesting twists and turns and some moderately decent music. Back in 99, I jammed with Evan Dusheck, I think it was New Year's Eve in my living room, where he shredded on his SG and I banged on three chords over the automatic accompianment on my piano. I fooled around with the keyboard and a drum machine and made funny songs on a tape recorder. Back then, I was just learning to play the guitar and become aware of music, though I had played piano since I was real little. "Grape Soda" was an obvious (if, by obvious, you mean completely not obvious) hit, and I made a .wav file and sent it to about 5 people on my e-mail list. Organ and drums, same riff over and over. And I was about ready to choke her, 'Cuz that was MY grape soda, check it out one time. I was writing songs, and finding the outlet that would develop into whatever sort of musical sense I have today. The name? The Dry Fish Project. I don't remember how it got started, but it stuck. It's kind of a contradiction, fish are not to be dry. But, go figure. As my very very first band, LsF, back in Butler Catholic, turned out to not be a band at all, and me and Evan would continue making music here and there for many years: the Dry Fish Project remained. Through the loud and rude Moss on Rawks with Tim, Jim, and Aaron to the new Latchkey Kids with Tim and John; through Billy Likes Soda as a drummer; Justin Maskal Band as a bassist; Somebody in San Diego as a guitarist; and SMM as basically everything... I've always had this side project. And it's comforting to me. "The Avenue" and "Why Should I Care?" were my among my first songs with the electric geetar, and the music moved like the short, thick punk rock I was listening to: Green Day, MxPx. I always tried to keep it melodic, and I think the perspective I've developed has been more raw because of it... I always try to look at the roots of everything, but try to make everything fit and not go over the top. I had a collection of songs I wanted to release, but the project never was finished. My first album was Into an Immense Darkness, which was a very succinct collection of songs including "In the Rain" which was covered by Better Half. The cover had big colorful shapes on it, and it was a big accomplishment to finish a whole CD of the side project after I had made cds for the Latchkey Kids and two ep's for Billy Likes Soda. The instrumentation was sparse, but well done. I didn't have too much, and a lot of the songs are really short, but I think the point got across. On For Fear of Chaos, I tried to branch out a little; it was a good deal darker and heavier; there were three rhythm guitars on the new version of "The Avenue," with a slew of leads and pieces coming in and out. "Rays" was half in three time, and very heavy, while "Anrufen" was a delicate piano piece. After I recorded For Fear of Chaos, I wanted to keep making songs, but the summer of 2003 yielded only three new songs and ideas that never came to fruition. The Dry Fish Project is currently working on the new album, The Bethune Country, which should be released at the end of Summer, 2004. Expect an album going back to the roots of rock and roll and pop music. Back to Home |