Dan Hood, guitarist, musician & composer joins Greazy Keyz on rBeatz Sessions

Q & A with Dan Hood

Hey, what’s up, rBeatz fam? This is Greazy Keys, organist for your Charlotte Checkers. Happy to be here for another session of rBeatz Sessions with a good friend, Dan Hood, who’s a local musician, composer, sideman in the Charlotte music scene. I’m just thrilled to have you here, Dan. Thanks for being here.

Well, yeah, thanks for asking me, man. It’s a good opportunity. It’s fun.

I’m thrilled to have you here to talk about yourself, your background, your music, you know, some things you got going on, onstage, offstage, behind the scenes. I think you’re a real critical player in our musical community here. I’m just thrilled to have you here.

Oh, thanks, yeah, thanks for sure.

Very cool, so to me, you are like one of the quintessential elements of our music scene, being a guitarist for several local bands, regional bands, touring bands, recording sessions. So tell us about, you know, what are your inspirations like what initially inspired you to kind of pursue your career in music?

Initially my older brother did. He’s 10 years older than I am and he played guitar and different horns and that sort of thing. So I started playing piano and trumpet. Then my older brother handed me his old acoustic guitar which I still have. That was a gift to him in the late 60s and so then I started playing and then I remembered that we were storing his electric guitar. So I started digging around in the house and found the electric, which is that blue strat. So, I’ve had that guitar for 30 years now.

Wow. That is insane. Yeah as well. Crazy how time flies when you’re having fun.

Yeah, absolutely and honestly I didn’t think of (music) as a career option but I was like, to minor in it in college would be fun and played my first professional gig at 19 when I was in college for the singing Christmas tree.

Amazing.

So that was my exposure to that whole world.

Oh, right on.

Yeah, Dr. Daly was conducting and he was one of my professors at UNCC, so.

UNCC.

Yeah.

I love that.

Yeah, it was cool.

So that was your first gig and obviously you’ve kind of created your own path, your own career here, not only as a musician but as a the sound designer, right?

Yeah, sound design, composing.

Composing, audio engineer these days.

Audio engineering,

So tell us about what you’re currently working on.

Music -wise?

Music -wise, in the studio, Ground Crew Studio, which is an incredible institution that you’re part of.

Yeah, Ground Crew Sound’s been in Charlotte for 25 years. I’ve been there for about six years. We do audio post production, commercial audio post -production in technical terms. So we do everything from recording your local health system spots, that kind of thing. Like, we do spots for Novant Health and Atrium and all of them around the country. There are a lot of them around the country. To ADR for film and TV, where we replace dialogue that’s in TV shows and movies. So we get to meet and hang with a lot of actors pretty regularly, which is fun. Music wise, I’m playing with a band called the Blue Dogs out of Charleston. I’ve been with them for about 10 years and then it’s playing with pretty much anybody that that calls me. Solo gigs, different places and I’ll play with Chad Mears here in town, a Leisure McCorkle gig coming up and just kind of pretty much whoever.

Yeah, I kind of relate with that with people ask me, “Hey, Greazy, you know, what’s your band up to?” You know, when you’re not at the Checkers and I’m always like, “Well, it depends on a what week.” You know, what band are you talking about? So, whenever you decided to pursue music, I mean, what was the catalyst for that? Like, when you finally said, you know, you started out, “Well, you know, I didn’t really think of it as a career,” but what was the moment that you decided, “Yeah, this is what I want to do and how I want to go about it.”

It was really my first band, honestly, it was through the church that I was working in and had gone to when I was young. We formed this band and recorded our first record when I was 20, we released one when I was 21, and ended up working with a producer who ended up being kind of a big -time producer in that genre, but he was from this area. During that process when I was in the studio recording and that kind of thing, it was in the studio where I was like “This is it right here, this is what I want to do.” So doing studio work in particular was always kind of my mindset and then I met our late friend Chris Gargis shortly after that when I was 21. Like six months after that other record came out and then played on the Static record. It was sort of my audition to play in Static, a session with me and Chris playing on their record, which was hilarious. And so, yeah, that’s when it kind of started. So, you know, I’d only been playing guitar for like four years, really, and I’d already done two studio projects. And then this was like, yeah, this is where I want to be, just playing in the studio. Playing in the studio and doing the thing.

Yeah, I love that. So yeah, it’s cool. So you do a little bit of songwriting yourself, right?

Yeah, a little bit and some producing. I haven’t done as much of my own stuff the last probably 10 or 15 years as before. But the sideman role just kind of fit me well because I could be the lead guitar player, you know, and that was always fun.

Well, I’m thrilled to say that a little bit later on in the session, we’re going to have a performance of one of your original songs. Unreleased, we’re thrilled to be a part of that and I’ll be thrilled to kind of accompany you on your awesome songs, so Dan, we’re thrilled to have you in here for that. So when you’re working and you’re playing, what’s your approach when you’re collaborating with other musicians? Like, do you have a method or you just kind of go with the flow? Like,  whenever you’re taking on, say, another side man gig approaching someone else’s songs, tell us about your process.

I would say I first listen to the songwriter and kind of see what they’re trying to do direction -wise, that kind of thing, what’s their intent with their delivery, you know, kind of the feel behind each song, and then try and compliment that. There’s other things I think of technically, Like, if I’m backing up a female artist or I played in a country group that had three female lead singers and they were amazing. So the whole idea is to stay out of their way. And so you choose parts and you choose sounds and that kind of thing that support what they’re doing and stay out of their way. And so, and then you get a bigger sound. My whole thing has always been the sum of the parts should be greater than each individual part. And so, and that’s how it works in the studio as well. So, yeah. That is trying to, you know, leave in space. You know, there’s nothing wrong with space.

Yeah, that’s something I’ve learned too when, like I said, when I’m recording, you know, keyboard parts or guitar parts, it’s more about the tone. Like the tone of your instrument really goes a long way without all the notes.

Yeah, it’s very true again. You can tell, I mean, that’s why a lot of guitar players have different guitars. That’s one of the reasons I have a lot of different guitars.

Is that why you have a lot of guitars? Each one sounds different.

Yeah, and honestly, it’s for electric guitars, it’s a mid -range thing for me. But amps have the same kind of effect, you know, different amps and different, you know, whatever, you know, they’ll occupy a different space sonically and in the frequency spectrum. So you try and choose what what you’re gonna use based on that on what the song needs.

You just gotta have a really good ear, huh?

Yeah, basically.

That’s really cool. So what advice would you give, say, an aspiring musician coming up in today’s world of musicians and singer -songwriters and even someone who just wants to work as a side person? What advice would you give them?

I’d say always be listening. And when you’re younger, I think you just don’t say no. You just take anything and every opportunity that you can get to play and not be afraid to be terrible. You know, I mean, like early on, you know, I, there’s some things that I kind of listen back to sometimes I’m like, wow, okay, that was a choice, you know, that was a choice. And so and you don’t know, because you’re trying to be the next whatever, you know. And and then I would say to pursue authentically being yourself as best you can. I know I struggled with I wanted to be all these different things in different projects and then in that in that pursuit of all these different things and sounds I kind of found my voice you know, and so but I would say that that your voice is important and so, you know, be mindful of that and not try and fit in some some other box.

That’s a very similar approach that I take is like, you know, if you strive to be the best musician then most likely you’re gonna fail or you’re gonna be you know your feelings are gonna get hurt because you’re gonna get outplayed by someone else and that could be anybody it could be a child it doesn’t have to be another musician who at the same age so yeah I think having your own voice and being confident in your own voice to me is is a very strong motivation to keep to keep playing because I feel confident in my own voice. I think that’s very wise words that I’ve learned myself. When you were first starting out and sort of you know finding your roles, who are some of your inspirations, like, who are the musicians that really you aspire to be like at a certain point before you found your own voice or he even just, you know, inspired you to play music?

My first record that I listened to and really wanted to play was Eric Clapton’s Unplugged Record.

Yes, that is a fantastic record.

Yeah, yeah. And so all those acoustic parts, I was given the tab book for Christmas and the VHS by, I think my aunt gave me that. And so I would literally watch the VHS, look at the music, and then be like, okay, all right, I can do that. And so that’s how I began to develop. So Clapton was really big up front, Jimmy Page, obviously, and then as I started doing the jazz funk stuff, you know, Jeff Beck and Schofield, and that’s when I started to get more into the educated musician world, I guess you could say, you know. So those were the earlier influences, and then kind of as I’ve progressed, you know, I think Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and Heartbreakers is the guy in terms of sonically and choosing parts. All that kind of stuff. Right. I’m just playing the right thing at the right time.

If you think of parts, yeah, that Mike Campbell comes to mind is like iconic parts who honestly are for most guitarists are probably pretty simple to play.

Right. But a lot of times simple and not all the time, but simple is the right answer. (There was) a fun session where I was the only session musician for a songwriter and so I played everything, bass, a snare drum part, electric guitar, acoustic guitar.

Everything with strings.

Yeah, exactly. Yeah I love it. Sat down to play a snare drum part and I played this like intricate little pattern on the snare drum and Chris was on it and he starts and he hits the button. He’s like, well, now that you got that out of your system, he’s like, just play it straight. I was like, oh, okay, right on, thanks.

Now that you’ve had your fun. Let’s do it for real this time.

Yeah, let’s do it for real this time. And it was funny, we were both laughing ’cause he was right. You know, it did not need everything that I was doing. Nothing that I did supported the song in any way.

Kind of have to put your ego aside, right? A lot of times, and like you said, play for the song, what best fits for that particular song and that particular songwriter, right?

Yeah, yeah, I would say early on too, Stevie Ray Vaughn was pretty big for me at being a, ’cause I only had a strat for a long time. And then I had somebody on a gig who was like, “Man, you sound just like Steve Varevon.” And I was like, “Okay, I gotta change that.” Because I wanted to sound like me.

That was enough to make you like, hey, I want to try something different. Yeah. That’s when I started getting into some different amps and guitars and that kind of thing.

Very cool. So obviously you’re a very busy, very successful musician here in the Charlotte music scene and so I know next next Friday night, I’m playing at the Visualite Theater with you. I’m supporting Leisure McCorkle, who’s a good dear friend of rbeatz. He’s been a guest here a few times and does things for us as well. We’re thrilled to back up Leisure at his show coming up at the Visualite Theater. And then the very next night, you’re at the Neighbor Theater, is that correct?

Yeah, Neighbor Theater, yeah, playing with Chad Mears.

Chad Mears, Yep, we both had an opportunity to play with him, but you have really, I think, kinda stepped into a really great supportive role with him as far as like, you know recording and and and putting the band together.

Yeah, James Brock initially put the band together. Yeah, and then Chad was like what can I do for gigs? We’re opening for Craven Mellon and so Craven Mellons tied into the Blue Dogs family and Jimbo and I were talking about some any guy who’s got Jet. Yeah, this is the second second or third opening slot that he’s done for them, so. It’s fantastic. Yeah, so it’s great. So it’s, I like, I like connecting people, you know, and so it’s good.

Really cool community. So what else is coming up? Not only are you supporting guys, but you play solo. Do you have any solo gigs coming up?

I do. Yeah, playing tonight at Cordial, actually right around the corner from here on top of the Marriott over here, AC Hotel or something like that. So, and then there again on June 20th. Let’s see. I think we have a private event later in the months. And then the Blue Dogs have a run at the very end of the month playing Smith’s Soul Bar in Atlanta and then Johnson City, Tennessee at the town hall. Very cool. So that’ll be fun. Nice little run with those guys.

So with you work with Ground Crew Studio, do you have any fun stories of any movie stars, anything coming in?

Yeah, you know, to me, like those folks, they are like anybody else, really, you know? And so, the one that was, well, there’s a couple that were, that have been pretty fun, but one in particular was Trace Adkins. Trace Adkins, the country singer, came in to record some spots for Firestone. And I was his engineer, and so he had his people, he was in town doing a show. And so we had these people sitting around the conference room table and we’re just chatting, you know, they were running a little bit behind the other the other studio that we were connecting with and so then I didn’t realize how tall he was and so there’s a there’s a picture floating around on the Ground Crew Instagram somewhere and he’s 6’6’’, he is a big dude

He has a like a low voice. Is that correct?

Yeah, “come on down to Firestone tires” or whatever, you know, that was that kind of thing.

I want my baby back.

Yeah, right? And so that was a fun story. Let’s see, the only time I was like really sort of starstruck kind of thing was several years ago, Felicia Rashad came in. We worked on This Is Us and so another situation where they were behind and I was the second engineer. So I just went out and sat with her and talked with her for 10 or 15 minutes and she was like the kindest sweetest person and you know and that was pretty wild but I was literally star struck because I grew up watching those shows that she was in you know, Cosby Show and all that stuff. I’m sitting here with Felicia Rashad, this is crazy, you know and we’re just talking and hanging out. Yeah, so it’s fun, you know, and there’s a ton of stories like that. There’s a lot of actors that live in this area and are moving to this area because it costs a living so much different in California. Yeah, so, it’s fun the different shows. (I) worked on Disney movies with different people.

Oh, man, Disney.

Yeah, one of the only times my name has actually been in the credits of a movie was a Disney movie called Hollywood Star Girl.

That’s wild.

Yeah, it’s pretty fun.

Very cool. So yeah, you keep pretty busy on your own and with other bands but where could people find you online, say if they want to look look at more information about you or maybe look at booking you or or just following follow along with what you got going on.

Yeah, Instagram is definitely the best place for that. That’s where I tend to post everything and all that pushes out the Facebook and stuff and that’s @DanHoodMusic is my handle on there.

Very cool. So can you talk about your songwriting for a little bit? So we’re gonna have you play a song for us when your original song. So can you discuss some of the themes or messages that you aim to convey in your original music? Is there any sort of inspiration that you draw from or?

I mean, honestly, life really. Songwriting is a weird thing for me. Like this particular song I wrote about nine years ago. And I just never released it ’cause life changes. And so I had to rewrite the second verse. And I would say that’s kind of a big theme like in my songwriting in general. Like I always get first verse is cool, no problem. Chorus is great. Second verse is always the worst.  Like I don’t know what to do. You know, and so, yeah, so I say, you know, just kind of trying to make something that makes sense, you know, and convey an idea or an experience or something like that, you know, and it’s really kind of what I’m feeling. You know, I’m looking forward to getting more back into my own songwriting. The last several years I’ve been producing more for other artists and working with them. And so, so now it’s time to kind of get back to, Get back to my thing a little bit.

Yeah, local songwriter Mike Strauss to one day told me just a great perception or approach for songwriting is actually taking a certain subject and looking at it from different perspectives. You know because for me, you know Again, I’m much like you verse I’m not focused so much as a songwriter in my own art but when I do I tend to write about a certain subject, finish the song and then move on and try to think of a totally different subject. But when Mike told me that I was like that kind of blew my mind. I was like, yeah wow, what if you write about the same subject, but just try different perspectives. I mean that to me was It was kind of neat, you know, I haven’t applied it much my life, but you know, I just thought that was really good advice.

You know Rick Spritzer? Yeah, so Rick has a great statement of people who struggle with songwriting and he’ll chuckle and be like, “So you’re still writing about yourself then.” And it’s being a songwriter, a consistent songwriter is a lot about observation and then translating those observations to songs. And that really makes a lot of sense. A friend of mine writes in Nashville for a big publishing company and all his songs are just that. There’s observations on life and on other people and then it kind of crisscrosses with, you know, his own life and his own story.

Very cool. We’ve got a few minutes left here. We’re going to hear a word from our sponsors. You’re listening to rBeatz .com, rBeatz Sessions with Greazy Keys. I got my good friend Dan Hood in the studio here talking about his career as a musician in Charlotte and he’s going to play a song for us, an original song in just a few moments. Do you have anything else you’d like to add on your own that I haven’t talked to you about yet?

I mean, not really. I mean, I’m just grateful to be still at it, you know? Like, I have some friends that are in their 70s that are still playing and performing.

That’s inspiring.

Yeah, that’s exactly, that’s inspiring. You know, the older you get, you start to feel a little disconnected from things. And so, you know, just because you’re just focused on your own things. So, yeah, I’m excited to see next steps, whatever it is.

I’ve kind of felt that way too. You know, I’ve been very blessed, you know, to develop my career as Greazy Keys, you know, and then also been the sideman for many a project, but then also to kind of reconnect with some of the younger bands in Charlotte. Yeah, you know, are there any newer bands that you’ve heard of or worked with that you’re excited about, You know that sort of you know help give you hope?

Honestly one in particular. I’m a little biased because I work with them and he was a guitar student of mine at one point. Yeah,  called Cassetticut. They’ve done, I guess, three shows in the Charlotte area and the songwriting is really fantastic and the parts are really great. Keyboard player in particular has a degree from Queens.

Oh fantastic.

Yeah, she’s amazing. Yeah, great singer and so that whole that band is really gonna do something. So check out a Cassetticut, fantastic and have a fantastic logo to that.

Cassetticut, I love the name.

Yeah, they had a friend of theirs designed this robot guy and it’s a cassette head and then this robot body and it’s really it’s really great. So yeah kind of indie rock kind of thing

Anything else you’d like to add before you transition into some live performance? 

I don’t know. I mean, I think the big thing is, you know, for anybody that’s out there listening or watching is, you know, go out and see music, you know, and hear music and do things to help other artists. You know, sometimes the best thing to do is, you know, posting a video on your story and the tagging artist in it. Just something that’s easy and free to do or buy in their merch if they have it, you know, that kind of thing. But I think that’s the big thing, you know, that’s one thing I think Charlotte in general kind of is weak to put it nicely is sometimes the crowds can be a little interesting. So, you know, we play in a lot of different towns, you know, you get spoiled, you know, and so like I’ve played some really big stages for really big crowds and then you come back and play a small space and it’s just kind of like, wow, it’s a big, Charlotte, it’s a big difference. So, and there is a really great music community and listening community. I don’t mean to disparage that, but you know, You know in general, it’s you know, it’s good to get out there and support, you know people doing the thing.

Absolutely, please everyone get out there and enjoy some live music Locally here, especially if you’re in the Charlotte Mecklenburg area, you know, there’s a lot of really cool venues here and obviously a lot of great musicians and great bands to check out.

Yeah, yeah, I think people really miss it out on the town right in Charlotte, right? So many good players.

Yeah, Don’t don’t sleep on Charlotte folks. Yeah very cool, so Talk about Instagram and things like that now with technology. What is your take on AI and all that kind of stuff, you know, like do you have an opinion on that?

AI is kind of scary Yeah, and especially in my line of work doing audio post -production. The bottom part of the voiceover industry, the bottom 20 % or so is going to go away real soon because the AI technology is that good. And so there are a lot of voiceover artists who will not allow companies to clone their voice and use it in AI because that’s a thing. Like they want to pay you, not that much money to use your voice and perpetuity in an AI engine and so a lot of artists are like, you know, early on, oh, okay, whatever. But now people are like, (no), you know, right. And so, and then from a songwriter standpoint, you know, we were talking the other day, I think you can type in prompts into particular AI things and you can get two versions of a song with your lyrics and it’s done fully produced. And you listen to it and it sounds like pop radio, right? And you’re like, okay.

Yeah, you know I saw a meme today literally today. It said something like I want AI to Wash my dishes and clean my house while I do art and music not the other way around. Yeah, I don’t want AI doing art and music while well. I have to do dishes, right? Like you there you go, where’s that? You know, we want these words you’re you know automatic dish loader. Instead of my automatic songwriter. We don’t want that.

It’s a little scary, but I think I honestly think what’s going to happen is if you get something that is so much the same all the time, that people that need and want that type of art in their life are going to look for it elsewhere. And so I think maybe we might see a little bit of an uptick in more lo -fi things, live type performances that are maybe a little bit imperfect. ‘Cause you get so used to hearing all that pop radio stuff that’s AI generated or even auto -tune generated recorded in the studio, but, you know, fixed as it were. You know, I think that can get fatiguing, you know? And so, and it, ’cause there’s not a ton of feeling in it. If any, well, it’s definitely not with AI.

I know I can say, I see that directly, that correlation with my experience playing live music at sporting events, being an organist, people really connect having a live musician there more than having a DJ, even if they think I am the DJ, you know? And I’ll tell them, no, I’m the organist, but yeah, it’s amazing to see people really yearn for that connection with the live musician that I think is more or less subconscious nowadays but yeah I think you’re absolutely right.

I mean you think early movies and stuff like that right that a live musician playing a lot of those scores scoring that thing yeah and it’s really I think that’s really cool so hopefully we’ll see more of that.

It’s been fantastic to have you in the studio to talk to you today we’re gonna take a quick break with a word from our friends and sponsors and and we’ll ride back with an original song by Dan Hood. Not released. The only place you’ll find it here is rBeatz.

Yeah, that’s right.

Welcome back, you’re here with Greazy Keys with our rBeatz Sessions. I got my good friend Dan Hood in the studio. Dan, you’re going to play us, and I’m going to accompany you on a very original song. So tell us a little bit about your song.

This is a song called Deeper Still. I wrote this a long time ago, on kind of late summer 2015, and I haven’t released it. A lot of life has happened between that time and now. And so, yeah, this is a song that just kind of is honestly really about that. You know, it’s about just life and relationships and moving on moving forward and moving through and all the things so that yeah all right we ready?

Let’s fire it up. Fantastic, Dan. Thank you so much for taking time to be with us today.

Yeah, thanks for having me.

Please give a listen to Dan Hood, find him on Instagram, Dan Hood Music, and we’ll see you guys next time.

Yeah. Thank you, thank you.