The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/23825
Music People Boston-based rock band Dear Havanah Dear Havanah is a Boston-based rock band in the midst of an extensive month-long tour of the East Coast from Maine to Florida and many states in between. One of their early stops is at the Black Oak on Friday, Jan. 28. The group’s unique blend of rock, funk, soul and pop will be a welcome addition to Oneonta’s live scene. The core of Dear Havanah is made up of Dan Htoo-Levine (guitar/lead vocals), Colin Healy (bass) and Mike Blong (drums/vocals). They indepen- dently released their latest album, “The Whole Way Home,” this past September. Noteably, the collection of songs was produced by Alan Evans, renowned drummer of acclaimed band Soulive. We got a hold of the Dear Havanah guys and discussed making their new album, how to make it as an independent band and life on the road. O-TOWN SCENE: How were you introduced to Alan Evans, and how did you arrange for him to produce your latest album? DAN HTOO-LEVINE: Mike had worked with Alan a few years back on another project. When it came time to record the new Dear Havanah album, we met up with Alan and played a few of the new tunes. We hit it off really well and started cutting the new record that month. OS: What was the recording process like with Evans? Did he have a signifi- cant impact on the group’s songwriting and collaborating? MIKE BLONG: Play On Brother Studios (Alan’s studio in Hatfield, Mass.) was an in- credible place for us to be creative. The studio played a big role in the sound of the record. It’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere, which gave us a lot of time and space to make music. Working with Alan made a huge impact on the outcome of the record. He brought the best out of the band with his musical prowess and engineering skill. At the same time, he gave us our space to do our thing. On the production side, a few words from Alan went a long way. OS: Dear Havanah recently set up the “Adopt-A-Rock-Band” program, where fans can donate money to support the day-to- day workings of the band, in exchange for unique, exclusive mer- chandise. What has the reaction been so far? Contributed fired up about supporting us on the road. The special prizes at this point have become a bit of an afterthought. We are very lucky to have such a supportive fan base. “We want every audience to feel like it’s the first show of the tour.” -Dan Htoo-Levine COLIN HEALY: We have gotten an incredible response from the “Adopt-A-Rock- Band” campaign. People have been really OS: “The Whole Way Home” was released independently, while the previ- ous album, “Chasing Butterflies,” was released through Veggie Co. Records. How would you compare releasing music through a label versus on your own? MB: Both releases had their benefits. With our first record, we didn’t have to worry as much about fund- ing. For our new album, we felt that releasing it independently was something that we needed to do for ourselves. We’ve had to work our asses off to make this album possible, but it has all been worth it. We pride ourselves on how efficient we are as a band and how dedicated we are to the music. There’s something really nice about having total control over our music. OS: This show is near the beginning of a lengthy tour. How do you stay in top musical form while on the road? DHL: We try to make every show unique. We are going to be playing 22 shows in a month, and we do our best to bring something new to the table every night. Essentially, we want every audience to feel like it’s the first show of the tour. We’re always changing up set lists and arrangements to keep things exciting not only for our fans, but also for us as well. The new energy at every show is enough to keep us in top shape for an entire tour. _ Adam Sisenwein Dear Havanah’s “The Whole Way Home” is available on iTunes and at Amazon.com. For more on the band, visit dearhavanah.com. Let us know about local shows coming up. E-mail editor@otownscene.com Jan. 27, 2011 O-Town Scene 11