Dusty Drake
Dusty
Drake
Concert Tour Dates
Photo by Joe Hardwick - courtesy of Warner Brothers Records - all rights reserved.
April 2008
Sat 01/22/05 Burgettstown, PA Pepsi Cola Roadhouse
Dusty
Drake Bio
For Dusty Drake, there's only one approach to making music.
"In one word, I would say 'passionate,'" explains the singer. "In a phrase, I would say, 'Two wheels on the pavement, two wheels in the dirt.'"
It's the same way he approaches life. With an earring, tattoos, and a love for music and motorcycles, the 6' 2" singer-songwriter cuts an impressive figure. He also packs a gritty point of view. It's no surprise that the songs on Drake's self-titled debut are as distinctive as the man himself: passionate, bold and unforgettable.
A lot of country artists these days follow the standard formula when making a record -- crank out a couple of standard-issue, cookie-cutter singles and surround them with a bunch of filler. Not Drake. He breaks from the Music City pack with an eleven-song disc that takes the listener on a journey of the heart and mind, from the country-rocking "Going on Eighteen" to the heartbreaking ballad "One Last Time" to the wild ride of "Ain't Nobody's Business."
It's no overstatement to say this is the most hotly anticipated major label debut of 2003. Drake first made a major splash when he wowed crowds last year as part of Brooks & Dunn's Neon Circus Tour. That was no mean feat. With no CD out to familiarize fans with his music, the unknown Drake stormed the side stage and played his songs like he always does: with loads of passion and straight from the heart. Folks who'd never heard of this new singer found themselves riveted. By the end of every set on that tour, Drake had packed the parking lot with throngs of new fans asking one question: When can I get the record?
The wait is over. "Dusty Drake" is an edgy mix of songs that moves from sexy to heartshredding, joyous to poignant. Produced by Nashville veteran Paul Worley, Clarke Schleicher and Billy Crain (former member of the legendary country-rock outfit The Outlaws), the CD is a dynamic mix of Drake's influences, from John Anderson to Hank Williams Jr. to heartland rocker Bob Seger.
"If it's a fun song, I want it to be really fun," Drake says. "If it's a ballad, I want it to hurt somebody. I just want it to speak, to have something to say."
And his songs speak loud and clear. These are real songs, for and about real people. In the country-rocker "Too Wet to Plow" -- a sultry coming-of-age tale a la Seger's "Night Moves" -- two young lovers make hay while it rains. Commenting on the song's subtle-yet-sexy images, Drake laughs his sly laugh: "It's not about tractors, is it?"
"Smaller Pieces" finds a heartbroken man returning once again to the girl-that-done-him-wrong, knowing that the worst that can happen is she'll just break his heart "into smaller pieces." A mournful harmonica introduces the traditionalist country of "Just Can't Take a Train."
Drake's songs don't just touch a nerve; they also touch the heart. "I Wish" begins with the sadness of a small boy losing a Little League game, wishing he could have won. Then the focus widens to include the image of another small boy, sitting in a wheelchair and peering through the fence, wishing that he could have played at all.
Most
touching of all is the powerful country ballad "One Last Time."
A moving and emotional story with a twist that finds a wife in her kitchen
and her husband on the other end of the phone, tearfully saying good-bye
for the final time.
Dusty Drake has always understood the depths of the human condition. Born
in the rust-and-snow belt of Pennsylvania, Drake's country roots are as
authentic as his raising. He grew up one of seven children in the little
town of Monaca, the son of a country music-loving steelworker and the
grandson of a bluegrass-listening coal miner.
"Country was always the cornerstone for me," Drake says. "My dad was always listening to country, and so did my grandfather. I listened to the Opry out of Nashville and the Wheeling Jamboree on Saturday nights. So I'd been exposed to country from very young. I'm also a big fan of Bob Seger and so many things. I've got two older brothers who were listening to Led Zeppelin and Van Halen."
By seventh grade he was singing himself at public gatherings. By sixteen he was playing drums and singing lead in local bands, and hooked for good on a career in music. But it wasn't easy getting there. He worked as an air traffic controller while gigging five nights a week and amassing a rabid regional following. Encouraged to take his talent to Nashville, Drake loaded up a Ryder truck and made the move to Music City in 1993.
His years of dues-paying weren't over yet. "How do you get a songwriter off your porch?" Drake jokes today with a laugh born of experience. "Pay him for the pizza." Making his living as a deliveryman for Pizza Hut, Drake hit every Music City singer-songwriter night and quickly began making a name for himself. He was soon making his living as a demo singer and songwriter, placing cuts with a number of hitmakers including Joe Diffie, Mark Chesnutt and Ricochet.
But Drake was born to be a hitmaker himself, and Music Row quickly began to notice. After being scouted by a number of labels, he signed with Warner Bros. Nashville. Drake was teamed in the studio with seasoned, cutting-edge producers, and the electrifying chemistry shows. "Paul Worley is a guy who's like me," Drake says. "He's passionate about what he's doing."
Drake, who co-wrote six of the eleven songs on his CD, worked closely with his producers to choose eleven songs that would showcase his songwriting range and vocal intensity. "I made this record because I had something to say," Drake says. "I don't have to make any excuses, I don't have any 'buts.' I'm proud of what we've done, and I can't wait to play it for people." All said, of course, with the Dusty Drake trademark: passion.
Visit the official Dusty Drake site for more information.
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