Interview #8 is with Carter vocalist/guitarist of a cool band from Texas known as Bad Dad Jokes. Take a few minutes to get to know Carter and about the band he is in!
trtlz: Hi! First, thanks so much for doing this interview.
Carter: Of course!
trtlz: I always start with a little introduction, so what can you tell me about yourself and Bad Dad Jokes?
Carter: Where to start... I am the self-proclaimed singer, songwriter, guitarist, manager, agent, lawyer, and leader of the now fully sentient entity known as Bad Dad Jokes.
Carter: As for the band, we are a psych-surf-indie fused trio with too much talent.
trtlz: I agree. Way too much talent! You should share with some of the other bands out there.
trtlz: And you should totally be paid for every single one of those titles!
Carter: Markets are meant to be dominated. And we’re in this for the girls, not the money.
trtlz: Haha nice! I hope that's working out the way you all hoped it would
trtlz: Ok, so I don't know what kind of answer to expect really, but I have to ask: How did you guys come up with the name Bad Dad Jokes?
Carter: If I’m being honest, I don’t really remember whose idea it was. The other guys might, but it just kind of formed into its own thing. We all kind of embody very dad-friendly styles of living (even though none of us are actual fathers) so I like to think the name found us. We were probably at practice or something and somebody just blurted it out, but I don’t really remember.
trtlz: So kind of embarrassing to admit, but I am a huge fan of dad jokes so I randomly saw you guys through another band's twitter in your area and I'm always checking out music so I saw the name and was like hmmm. Haha. But then I loved the music and now you have a fan. All because of that name haha.
Carter: Was it Kyoto Lo-Fi? We love them.
trtlz : Yes it was!
trtlz: Yeah, they are super cool. Love them too.
trtlz: How was Bad Dad Jokes created? How long have you been a band? Were you all already friends or did you meet while forming the band?
Carter: We have a long, convoluted history. So Dom and I met working at a grocery store about six years ago, and we quickly became friends. He and I played in a handful of bands through high school, and then when we started college he and I formed a shoegaze band called Wren. That lasted for most of 2016/2017, and then we broke up… Dom and I actually had a bit of a falling out, but that’s a long story. Then I met Justin at my job at a hockey rink in 2017, right after Wren broke up, actually. He was playing a John Frusciante song on the PA at a game he was scorekeeping, and I’m a huge Frusciante fan so I knew I had to go say hi to whoever was as cultured as myself. We hit it off and for the rest of the year we kind of kept telling each other, “Dude, we’ve got to start a band.” But it never came to fruition. Around the end of 2017, Dom and I reconnected and solved our issues, and I realized these were two guys I really wanted to be in a band with. Dom’s one of the most talented musicians I’ve ever met, and Justin and I immediately clicked so well because we were able to have flowing conversations about music we both liked. So Bad Dad Jokes came to be in the spring of 2018 and we’ve been Denton’s own three stooges ever since.
trtlz: That's so awesome. I just love when band members are like such good friends as well. I think it makes the music better and everything just so much for fun. That's really awesome you guys have so much in common and just click so well as friends and musicians.
Carter: Yeah, it is. We like the music we make a lot, but the core of the band is just three friends doing what they love.
trtlz: You guys very recently released your album "Get a Load of This!" and I personally think it is great! How do you feel about it? What would you say is your favorite song from the album and why?
Carter: I think we all have different feelings about it. We’re definitely proud of it and love those songs, but at least on my end, I never really think about songs after I release them. I’m more excited for what we’re going to do next. We’re currently writing a psychedelic samba record. For real. That’s a task that excites us and we’re really trying to push ourselves to do something new and unique, so yeah, I love that album a lot but my thoughts are always focused forward. Or, at least, I try to think that way. I definitely don’t want to speak for the band or anything, and we all really do love the album, but we kind of just released it and said, “Ok, what’s next?” I love Eyes and So We Don’t Forget a lot; those are two songs I really challenged myself on lyrically so I get a nice feeling listening to them.
trtlz: Ahhh! I saw you guys tweeting about the psychedelic samba record but I didn't know if it was legit. Haha, that's awesome!
Carter: We mean business. All of my (our) tweets are meant to be taken super duper seriously.
trtlz: I've got a few favorites from the album, but I think my top favorite is "Eyes". How did that song come about?
Carter: “Eyes” must have been the second or third song we wrote. April 2018 was the beginning of our creative forces coming together, and we wrote three songs during that month - “Eyes”, “Walls” and “Saturn’s Poem”, which are all really cool songs in my eyes. I know “Walls” is the first song we ever wrote, so “Eyes” was somewhere close after. Justin had this really slick bassline lying around that he wanted to do something with, and it had a groovy disco feel to it. There’s actually an earlier recorded version out there with completely different lyrics, because I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to sing about, but I had this line “I feel alright in your eyes” written down for a long time. Doesn’t really mean anything to me, but it sounded real neat. When we recorded it again for the album, I really tried to write meaningful, wholesome lyrics, and like I said that’s one of the songs I really feel like I challenged myself and succeeded with. None of my lyrics are directly contextual but a lot of the lyrics were influenced by how I - or anyone - can feel when you focus so much on being appealing to other people that you don’t or can’t appeal to yourself.
trtlz: Yes! That's exactly what I love about it so much. That funky disco vibe. And for sure, the lyrics are definitely something most people can relate to in some way so that's also a really cool thing about it. I really do love both the music and lyrics to this one so much.
trtlz: Do you get to play a lot of shows together as Bad Dad Jokes? What are your shows like?
Carter: We actually play live very infrequently. I’m not sure what the numbers are, but we’re going on tour through the east coast in june and once we return we’ll have played more out of state shows than in state. We love playing live, and we don’t hold out on playing shows or anything, but right now our focus is on writing the psych samba album.
trtlz: Hmm that's pretty interesting you would have played more shows out of state than in state. But that's very cool you're so focused on the next album.
trtlz: That was my next question, about the tour. How is that coming along?
Carter: It can be hectic. We’re trying to get everything sorted out but it’s finally falling into place. We’re going to a bunch of really cool places none of us have ever been to - Memphis, Philadelphia, Louisville, New York, etc. It’s gonna be loads of fun. Being your own manager can be stressful but DIY is the way to go. We’re playing with a bunch of really neat and unique bands, and we’re playing bars, concert halls, house shows, the whole deal. We’re also gonna spend a night busking on the beach. We’re going crazy.
trtlz: Ya planning a tour seems like it would be a lot more challenging than most people would realize. But it also seems like it would be one of the most fun things you could do as a band. Especially when you all vibe together so well like you do. I'm sure it will be a blast. And beach busking?? That's going to be so cool!
Carter: Yeah, we’re really excited!
trtlz: I always like asking, what do you love most about being in Bad Dad Jokes? Is there anything you don't like about it or any challenges you face?
Carter: I love that it presents obstacles for me both as a musician and a person. Justin and Dom and I all love each other very much but there are times we can be at each other’s throats. There are times where one of us will really be into or not into a musical idea but we’ll push each other to just try it and see where it goes, and it usually works out. As people we’re all totally different, which can be complicated, but every day it’s something new with those guys. We all love and respect each other and that’s something I don’t take for granted. I love those guys a lot.
trtlz: I feel like that's something every band must go through at times. It makes sense. Having different people with their own unique interests and ideas and having to find a way to put it all together.
trtlz: And aww ya I feel the love between you guys for sure
Carter: We want to spread our love all over the world. Spread it everywhere.
trtlz : Hahaha! Soon it will be all over the east coast.
Carter: We are more than prepared to spread it over there.
trtlz: You also have your own solo project going on. You recently released a track called "Dedicated To" on bandcamp which I really like. I particularly like all the cool little effects in that song. You plan on releasing a whole album called "Portraits" on May 10th, right? Can you tell me anything about that?
Carter: I can tell you it’s not ready yet! I still have to track some vocals and finish a couple mixes. My solo music isn’t really widely listened to or noticed by anyone outside my circle and I’m really happy about that. It’s very niche and I just kind of make it to keep myself busy, but I also am really passionate about it. “Portraits” is going to be mostly guitar driven, simple songs that I’ve just had lying around for a while. Nothing particularly challenging, not even close to Bad Dad Jokes material, but I hope I recorded them to a quality that lets whoever decides to listen to them the same enjoyment I had writing them.
trtlz: Oh, sorry. I listened to it. I didn't realize it was exclusive to your circle only. Haha. But I like it!
trtlz: So will it be delayed then? Or is May 10th still the goal?
Carter: It’s going on a slight delay so we can focus on the tour for bad dad jokes.
trtlz: Ahhh ok.
trtlz: Do you make everything yourself for your solo stuff? And how long have you been doing that?
Carter: Yep, it’s all me. I’m on a budget, obviously, so sometimes I have to program my own drums and use whatever is available at my disposal, which can result in me not always being able to produce the music in the way i truly want to, but it’s not something that holds me back. I’ve been writing songs since I was 13 and I put out my first EP when I was 18 in 2014.
trtlz: That's understandable. But I'm glad you don't let that hold you back. Because from what I've heard so far, it still turns out pretty great with the resources you have.
Carter: Thank you so much for the kind words, sincerely. It’s always nice to know what you do resonates with people.
trtlz: What do you enjoy about your solo project that is different than being in Bad Dad Jokes?
Carter: Um, honestly, not much is different. My goal is to always write something new and different, and I just do what feels right, plug it in, write it down, and move on to the next thing. I really hate playing live shows by myself, though. The energy we tap into as a band on stage is unmatchable. When I’m by myself I feel as though I’m presenting something that’s not entirely genuine. I don’t know why, but I just can’t do it. I never know what to play and all eyes are on me. Bad Dad Jokes is a musical collaboration, not me singing and two guys playing behind me. We have sax and trumpet players that join us on stage. It’s a new experience every time and it’s more creative and effective for my personal taste, so I do enjoy making solo material, but playing in BDJ is my comfort zone, at least for the moment.
trtlz: Ok. A Bad Dad Jokes show sounds like an absolute blast! I hope one day the opportunity comes up for me to catch a show.
trtlz: And I would probably feel the same playing by myself. It has to feel a little awkward, at least at first haha. Carter: Yeah, I never really broke out of that awkward phase. It’s just stuck around so I kind of avoid playing live solo stuff.
trtlz: How is the writing process for Bad Dad Jokes? Do you write most of the songs or is there equal input between all three members?
Carter: Oh, absolutely not, it’s not just all me. It’s as democratic as it gets. Half our songs come from Justin’s bass parts, Dom is extremely to the point about how he wants to do drum fills and what not, and I really try and toss a bunch of different guitar parts in as much as possible. None of us are really controlling people so we all enjoy being a pretty democratic band.
trtlz: Nice! I always think it's really cool when all or at least most of the band contributes towards the song writing.
trtlz: What is one of your favorite memories with the band whether it was a show, while recording, practicing, or just hanging out?
Carter: Justin and Dom laughed at my joke one time. That was pretty neat.
trtlz: Haha! Just one time?
Carter: We’re called BAD dad jokes for a reason!
trtlz: What do you like to do when you're not creating music either for the band or your solo stuff? Do you have much time for other hobbies and interests?
Carter: Besides being sophisticated vaping enthusiasts, I personally love basketball and playing with my dog, Loki. Dom and I watch Game of Thrones pretty religiously. I meditate, try to play a lot of basketball.
trtlz: Well, you just passed the cool test. Dog: check. Game of thrones: check. Haha. But ya that's pretty neat.
trtlz: I have one more very important question I just have to ask. Funny that you just mentioned this. What is your best (or worst...this is Bad Dad Jokes after all) dad joke?
Carter: This one goes out to Dom who blessed me with this one. If you put Usain Bolt and a piecost in a race, who would win?
This is where the victim would respond, “huh? what’s a piecost?”
Like five bucks.
trtlz: Hahaha ok ok 👌
trtlz: Well, that's all I got. I'm so glad you agreed to this interview because I learned so much about you and the band! Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Carter: Check us out @baddadjokesband on twitter/FB/instagram, all that good stuff. We’re about to play a bunch of cities we’re really excited for. Thanks for picking my brain!
That's Carter. He's pretty cool. Bad Dad Jokes is pretty cool. And if you're on the east coast of the states, stay tuned for some tour dates! (That rhymes , haha) If not, you can still check them out here on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxpzbg47
For tour dates and info, check here: https://www.facebook.com/baddadjokesband/
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