Back in July, I made the trip to NYC to see a favorite group of mine, The Gaslight Anthem, for a showcase sponsored by Red Bull Sound Select at Irving Plaza. There are specific times in life where I’m glad I’m an early bird, and this show was one of them. An artist from Philadelphia by the name of Dave Hause was an opener, and I immediately made myself familiar with him. Upon given the opportunity to interview Hause, I jumped all over the opportunity. We recently took the time to chat about his blossoming solo career, touring with national acts, a new record, and so much more. Check it out below:
Thanks for taking the time to chat with me, Dave. I first saw you back in July at Irving Plaza with The Gaslight Anthem, and the show was killer!
Oh, awesome! Glad to hear you caught that show. It was fun, and thanks for having me.
You have found your own as a solo artist, and I couldn’t be happier to see all of the success you’re having. Have you experienced that moment yet where you are like, “Wow, this is actually really working out really well for me?”
(Laughs) Well, yes and no. I believe that whenever you set a goal and somewhat reach it, you really have to take note of it, because you want to exceed it. After doing something you love for a long time, you can tend to get too comfortable if you don’t continually set goals—goals that are more ambitious. Honestly, you have to be humble and appreciate what you get and what you get. But, yes, this is such an exciting time for me. However, I still have many things to achieve.
I saw you just shot a video for “We Could Be Kings” at Asbury Lanes, which is awesome! What’s the concept of the video? Can you tell us or do we have to wait?
Well, I can tell you a little bit! It’s essentially a performance-based video. The director and I wanted a vibe that the performance would be intertwined with the story line, for we wanted to address what the song is really about.
Basically, I meet up with a friend who is going through a tough time, and I guess we can all assume that this is whom the song is about, the song we connect over. There were a lot of personal friends and family at the shoot; it was really cool.
You made a shout-out for some people to come down to be extras! I missed the boat by about five minutes!
Ha, it’s all good! We didn’t want too many people there, for it wasn’t a show, you know? But it turned out fantastic; cannot wait for everyone to see it.
So I guess it’s safe to say that your song “Meet Me At The Lanes” is, in fact, about the Asbury Lanes?
Absolutely! That’s totally the reference point. You know, people from all over can meet up there, an ode to home.
You recently announced a headlining tour with some U.S. dates, and then you will be going to Europe for a while. It seems to me like you are always touring, which is great for the fans. Do you have any rituals that you do to maintain some sort of normalcy on the road?
You know, really, normalcy has become touring for me. It’s almost becoming increasingly strange to be in one place for me. Since basically 2000, I have been on tour. Not every minute, but on and off. I’ve learned you cannot party too much, or too little. You have to exercise and keep in touch with people that ground you. You have to go see things and do things in the cities you are in. My friend always says, “Always do the thing.” Basically, that means when you’re in a town that is known for something—a specific place, or food, or drinking—do that thing. Those are many of the perks of a traveling musician; just don’t trap yourself in the bubble of the tour.
I’ve actually heard Brian Fallon say that before as well, which is too funny. You guys are definitely friends! Now, you’ve toured with so many talented acts, including Social Distortion, Gaslight, The Bouncing Souls and more. Are there any groups or artists in particular that you would love to hit the road with?
Oh yeah, of course—there are tons. However, now it’s starting to be a scenario where now I am starting to bring people out and thinking about which I want to bring on the road. Right now I am more focused on my solo tour and making it the best that it can be for the fans. But of course, there are always bands like Pearl Jam, The National and Frightened Rabbit.
Speaking of Frightened Rabbit, I heard Scott Hutchison, the group’s singer/guitarist, made an appearance on your new record.
Yes, he did! Very excited about it! Scott was playing down the street from me at the time. He came in and sang; it was done in like a half hour. He is awesome and so is that band.
Your new record, Devour, will be out Oct. 8. Doing anything special for the release?
Yes, absolutely. We sold out two Philly shows, day of release, and I am going to be hitting some record stores, meeting some fans, doing a lot of press. Then I’ll do some stuff on the West Coast, then head on out to Europe. It’s all so exciting for me.
Well, now maybe you can say, “This is my moment where I found out this is really working out well for me.”
Ha-ha, yes, touché, you’re right.
Is it harder writing solo since you don’t have as many people to bounce ideas off of, or do you prefer it?
That’s a good question. I think both. It’s easier to put forth the musical idea. I mean, I basically say these are my ideas, and people are a little less likely to put you in a box. I mean, both recordings are done with full bands; it’s just more specific the way I would like it to sound. I enjoy both. I can just really focus in on perfecting my sound now.
When I left Irving Plaza, I left with the feeling of needing more, wanting to learn about you and your craft. What sort of feeling do you hope your fans feel upon leaving your performances?
I think that feeling that you just said. If you get an opportunity to play to an audience where you want to make an impression, you don’t want to make it just about you; you want to almost put your buddies in the hot seat. My friends have been so supportive taking me on tour. They see something there and have been nice enough to let me showcase what I have to say. I mean, they know I’m committed. I am a fan of music, it’s important of me to try to make an impact. I have 45 to 50 minutes to do that. My feeling is, don’t waste it.
Now you seem very active on social media and whatnot. What is the best outlet for your fans to stay in contact with you?
Davehause.com. You can get to any of the other specifics from there. All of the releases are there, the lyrics are there, and the links to all of the socials.
Thank you so much for your time, Dave. I cannot wait to hear the new album and see you on the road again soon.
Thanks, Maria! Looking forward to hearing what you think of it!
Dave Hause will be performing at Philly’s First Unitarian Side Chapel on Oct. 8, Vintage Vinyl Oct. 9, and Main Street Music Oct. 12. His new album, Devour, is available Oct. 8 on iTunes. For more information, visit davehause.com.
