Don’t miss Xavier and loads more of your favorite local musicians streaming on Hardcore Norfolk Live II at 8pm on Saturday, May 23rd!

by Dwight Easter

DE- Hi Darryl thanks for doing this. How are you stretching creatively during the shutdown?

XDL- Well, with the state of the world being what it is, I’ve had a lot more time on my hands. So, I’ve been trying to stay busy doing all the things I wish I had time to do before the coronavirus lockdown. Now in addition to music, within the last year or so I’ve started painting again, and that has just sparked a whole new powder keg of creative ideas and avenues. Also, I like to spend time working on and building my motorcycles. And although it’s a machine that works in a specific manner, you can get very creative in your approach in making things work properly or how you present your final build. Even when I am working on art or motorcycles, I’m usually listening to music or thinking about it. Often when riding, I will have a song idea, or bassline, working out in my head. But if there is a stretching out, I would have to mention a project I am embarking on with my dear friend, Alicia Luma. She and I were in a band together, at the beginning of this century, called The Stellar Core. Which also included Jarrett Pritchard(guitar) and Brian Malbone(drums). But where that was a (not so) typical rock band environment, bass, drums, guitar, and vocals, we are planning to approach this project’s songwriting process without considering how to duplicate the songs live. So, some of the instrumentation and arrangements may be a bit challenging, but we just want to focus on the creative process of exploring any musical territory we feel compelled, to travel.

DE- You’re performing with a new band. What can we look forward to seeing and hearing from this group?

XDL- Yes sir, Song Of Praise is the current punk rock outfit! SOP consists of John Dixon on treble guitar and vocals, Patrick Kennedy, the drums, cymbals and vocals, and myself on the bass guitar. Everyone contributes to the songwriting process. Sometimes, someone may bring an idea to the band, other times, we just work out something during a jam, but everyone is involved. Also, I must add, that they are two of the most outstanding gentlemen I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and knowing!! We are beyond bandmates and friends; we are like a family!! Anyway, we had just gotten a few shows under our belts, at the end of 2019 and one show in February 2020. We had decided not to do any more shows until after we got some material recorded. Even the show we did in February, was because we wanted to gig with Wailin Storms (Durham, NC). Bronze Age, a previous band that Patrick and I were in, had played with them at Mac Rock Fest, a few years ago. We dig them and decided we wanted to do that show. Anyway, we had some studio time booked for early May and we wanted to focus on that. Song of Praise entered the studio, the first weekend of March, with our good buddy and all-around technical audio wizard, Patrick “Tricky-Moe” Walsh, at his newly christened Chicken ’N’ Waffles Studio. Amongst all the fun and laughs we had that weekend, we had also managed to track four songs. The original plan was to go back in a couple of weeks later, to maybe redo a vocal or two and get a final mix. Unfortunately, something came up and we had to push it back and then…BAM!! We found ourselves in the throes of a pandemic. Anyway, we have been talking to Tricky and we are planning to finish it up, in the very near future. I will be sure to inform everyone at HCN when these songs are available for public consumption. But in the meantime, we are still writing and sharing music ideas with one another and occasionally practicing.

DE- You have been a consistent influence in the Norfolk music scene, how have you evolved artistically through the years?

XDL- Playing with so many different people and bands over the years, I feel just learning to interact with various people on an intimate level, as a collaborator in an artistic endeavor. It is a process of evolution and adaptability. But I can say that while playing in the worship band at church, for a decade or so, that it definitely took me out of my natural ‘punk rock’ element. Again, it was about adapting and learning, and I learned a lot about myself, as a person and a musician. It exposed my strengths and weakness but allowed me the work on the areas I needed to focus on, again, personally and musically. Even today, and I hope everyday…still working on me…still evolving.

DE- I would be remiss if we didn’t touch on Combine. I’ve seen recent posts and material about Combine. What are your thoughts on how the music and message have matured?

XDL- I have to laugh at this question because during the initial run, I don’t think the word mature was ever associated with Combine! Seriously, anyone who knew us could see we were a reckless, beautiful mess!! But, when it came to music, we were honest about who and what we were. And despite any of our faults, even while not thinking we were better than anybody else or any other band, we believed in ourselves, we believed in the band. And with hard work, despite our shortcomings, we were the best band Combine could be. And if nothing more, I think this what came through, if there was ever any message. The fact that people still think about us, is both flattering and yet also, very humbling. We were doing exactly what we wanted to do, when we wanted to do it, and we gave it our all! And I’d be doing anyone who has said that they still listen to Combine or have even turned their kids onto it, or any DJ that is still playing our songs, or even any person that has even shared a memory of listening to or seeing us, an immeasurable disservice if I didn’t, on behalf of the band say “Thank you, that means so much to us. We love you!”

DE- What’s the local performance your most excited to see when live music is available?

XDL- I know this is not an answer to the question you asked, but I really, really hope the King Crimson gig in Portsmouth is rescheduled and happens. I was genuinely excited when that show was announced. It just made me giddy, to think I would see King Crimson in the Tidewater region!! Other than that I’d rather not start listing any local bands, with the fear of missing someone….there are SOOOOO many I look forward to seeing again. Although it may come off as egocentric, I’m excited, when live music is available again, to see Song Of Praise share some music and some good times with our friends!!

About Dwight Easter: Digital folk artist, family man and bread merchant. Some of the best moments in my life are experiencing the power and influence of great art. I came up in the Norfolk era of the M80’s, Buttsteak, and Antic Hay.