Alternative-pop band Mae's lead singer, Dave Elkins, slows down for some one-on-one with our resident music aficionado and Belmont student, Matt Reynolds, who is known by the Inside Vandy community as "thebelmontcritic." Here's what Elkins had to say about Nashville, Mae's direction and its upcoming album.
TBC: Because Nashville is such a haven for musicians, do you notice that fans here are say harder to please than any in other city?
DE: Well, definitely yes. I enjoy that though because one thing that I appreciate about our band is the musicality. I feel like good energy and crowd participation is great, but you get a different sense of energy when you come to Nashville. The people in Nashville expect good musicianship and performance as opposed to just chaos and “rocking out.” I’ve always enjoyed Nashville for that reason in particular.
TBC: Would you consider yourself more of a touring or studio band, where is your heart?
DE: Here lately, we’ve been off several months for touring. We’ve really been immersed in this record and have been working on it for more than a year now. Nothing rejuvenates a band more than writing a record. After the album is recorded and done, you begin to think how you want to perform the songs and it gives you more of a sense of personal goals – what you want to accomplish on tour and how you want the show to look. We’re about 10 days away from getting on the bus and doing shows every night. My favorite thing now is touring because I love the energy that comes from going from city to city every night, hanging out with the same bands and crew members, just getting into people’s worlds.
TBC: What’s the direction behind the new album in comparison to others you’ve done?
DE: I think this time around we have relaxed as a band and have found a lot of comfort in writing music playing together. We’ve played live for four years and we have really honed into our sound. I feel like with this record it’ll sound more like “Mae” more than anything we’ve put out. We’re developing more of an energetic rock guitar driven sound within our recordings which translates over into the way we tour. Working with Howard Benson, he definitely had his hand in production and did certain things to spice it up, but I feel like we have more of a live and energetic sound.
TBC: How was working with Howard Benson?
DE: He’s all about the song – making sure that the verses are strong, that the prechorus ascends to a very dramatic chorus, and that everything ties together. It’s most important to write for yourself, but one thing Howard has taught me is that as soon as your song gets out there it becomes every one else’s song and everyone else’s record. Howard challenged me to write songs that people can connect with from beginning to end. It’s not about selling out but it’s about making music that a majority of people can connect with. I think that we’re writing stronger songs as a result.
TBC: How was the transition from Tooth and Nail Records to Capitol Records?
DE: Immediately the only thing that I’ve noticed is major label budgets for a record. We’ve spent a ton of money, over four times that we did on our last album “The Everglow,” which sometimes can be scary because you have to recoup all this money. Tooth and Nail was great for us and hooked us up with great distribution and tour support, creating a strong family. But Capitol can put us on the radio and get a music video out there. The album we’re putting out is going to connect with a lot of people and give us a chance to let them know what we’re about – it’s an exciting time for us right now.
--Be sure to catch Mae in concert with Relient K and Sherwood at Rocketown, March 25th at 7 p.m. Also watch out for the release of their newest album in the early summer.
