blog post Interview: The Daytrotter Sessions

If you're a band and find yourself traveling through Rock Island, Illinois don't just stop to take a picture of the "ironic" sign, get a session recorded of your rare and reworked tunes by internet success story, Daytrotter. Besides of course, the Radio3 Sessions these are the greatest live off the floor recordings available online. I talked to Sean Moeller, the mastermind behind getting these performances out of today's freshest indie bands.

CK: Describe your site in words you've never used before.

SM: I'll tell you what our site isn't all about. It's not about insipid music or the instantiated music that can fly by night. It's a permanent home - and an ever recharged home at that - of music that stirs us in inspiring ways. It's a place for exploration by music lovers, for completists, for those who believe in the album and believe that discovery of new and meaningful - potentially lasting - art is one of the greatest activities that one can undertake (often while they're being paid by an employer to do something else - we do splendidly on weekdays!). It's about creating a new world that hopefully provides endless hours of this discovery and said inspiration. Our site is about doing something different for the benefit of all - the makers and the appreciators of art of all stripes.

CK: So far you've recorded six independent Canadian bands (Young Galaxy, Malajube, Rock Plaza Central, Tokyo Police Club, Frog Eyes, and Sunset Rubdown) and they aren't the usual suspects, how did you decide on doing sessions with these bands?

SM: Who wouldn't want to spend an afternoon recording and listening to Sunset Rubdown and Frog Eyes? Honestly, those are two of best bands in the world and it's an absolute bloody shame that Carey Mercer isn't regarded at the same level as a Britt Daniel or Conor Oberst or Will Oldham or John Lennon or Bob Dylan, really. Spencer Krug is the same way - all things go for him. We enjoyed having them crash on our floor for two days and just soaked it in. Those were the first two sessions that really helped establish our site as something out of the ordinary. We owe a lot to Canada, the Sunset and the Frog. We've had a great time with all of the Canadians that have visited us and our selection process is a simple one - always has been: If we love something, we invite them in.

CK: You're part of a new wave of creative musical content sites (Take Away Shows, The Hood Internet) why do you think people are drawn to your site?

SM: I can't truly put my finger on it other than we're doing something that is original and I believe timeless. We're not a blog. There are thousands upon tens of thousands of them and they serve a wonderful purpose of familiarizing many, many people with new music, but we actually create new, rare and beautiful (my words and opinion) raw content that's unavailable anywhere else. It helps that all of these wonderfully rad bands believe in our concept and the spirit, along with having a great desire to be turned into cartoons for a week!

CK: Describe an average session.

SM: An average session is full of magic. It involves original skepticism, then an explosion of excitement and nerdish vintage gear fetishes all coming to the fore when bands turn the corner into our live room. Suddenly, everyone's in the mood to try new things and have a great two hours of creativeness. There are usually numerous Special Exports or Busch Lites drunk and the end is typically capped with a pizza (usually a Mississippi) from the parlor below our studio and the band telling us that it was the most fun they've had on their entire tour. Many also walk to the Casino Rock Island riverboat, docked two blocks down the street on the Mississippi River and win some money. (Our bands have good luck - Dr. Dog, David Vandervelde were all winners here).

CK: One of the most distinct aspects of your site is the stylized art. How did that come to be?

SM: It was really kind of simple. We didn't want to use the same boring press photos like everyone else did. I have some friends here in the Quad-Cities whose flyer art I've always really loved and I just asked if they've like to be involved and they were into the idea immediately. Johnnie Cluney has really solidified the look and feel of the site with his illustrations. It's been another thing to set us apart and I'm just really happy we had the unplanned foresight to do it!

CK: Who are you really hoping to do a session with?

SM: Canadian wants: Feist (what an incredible, incredible record!! She would - I'm convinced - sound miraculous in our room), Tegan and Sara, Besnard Lakes, Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown (AGAIN!), Frog Eyes (AGAIN!), Broken Social Scene, The Weakerthans, Kevin Drew and Catherine Fellows(sic).

Non-Canadian wants: Wilco, Flaming Lips, Ben Kweller, Kings of Leon (best American band!!), Richard Swift (AGAIN!), The White Stripes, Brendan Benson, Devin Davis, Cold War Kids (AGAIN!), Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, Neil Young, The Streets (would kill for this one), Clipse, Spoon, Ghostface Killah, St. Vincent, The Decemberists, Joanna Newsom (she can do NO wrong) and Hall and Oates. We'd let Huey Lewis in too. He could even bring the News.