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LA-based band Ned and The Dirt (Ned Durrett, Andrew Johnson, Chris Clark) recently dropped the fresh new concept EP, ‘Wild Pack: Haunt These Woods.’ The trio which consist of one southerner and two north-easterners have carved out a sound that is all their own and now they are pumping out pure sonic goodness. Ned’s southern roots can be found in his preacher’s tongue and garage-party swagger, and it’s The Dirt’s northern grit that gives their music a captivating edge.
GroundSounds recently caught up with this eclectic trio to talk about their latest EP, musical inspirations and more, check out the exclusive interview below.
For those just discovering Ned and The Dirt, can you tell us a little bit about the formation of the band and how you guys started making music?
Ned and the Dirt was started by me (Ned Durrett) and my close friends in South Carolina and has since gone through a couple different incarnations. Two years ago I moved Ned and the Dirt out to Los Angeles, and with the South Carolina Dirt staying in SC after the move, I asked around my friend group and got connected to my main partner in the band, Chris Clark, the bass player and dirtiest of the Dirt.
What do you guys enjoy most about Los Angeles?
Our favorite part of LA is that it’s constantly brimming with creativity. Every person we meet tells us about their insane job that they do or their bold dreams that they’re making a reality – it’s incredibly refreshing and inspiring.
Can you tell us about working on and bringing your latest EP Wild Pack: Haunt These Woods to fruition?
“Wild Pack: Haunt These Woods” came about when I was listening to Kings of Leon’s “Youth & Young Manhood” and Childish Gambino’s “Because the Internet” a lot. The idea of the modern concept album became fascinating to me, thanks to Childish, and the themes of “Youth & Young Manhood” were so loudly present in my life through my newfound LA friends that the concept of the “Wild Pack” seemingly slapped me in the face. I was off to the races writing in characters based around my childhood friends and my life experiences, and working on understanding how I view those experiences and people now. It quickly became apparent to me that the “Wild Pack” had become its own world, and one that will bear several chapters (EPs) so we worked on it knowing that “Haunt These Woods” won’t be the last you hear of “The Wild Pack”.
What made you decide on the EP name Wild Pack: Haunt These Woods?
The simplest answer is that “Wild Pack” is the series and “Haunt These Woods” is the chapter, but don’t worry, there’s more. The Wild Pack came to me in a dream when the series was on my mind endlessly. I couldn’t figure out what to call the group of friends that were inseparable in their trashy and obscene deeds, but luckily I was passing through a dream and saw “Wild Pack” written on the wall. It feels important to listen to that kind of stuff sometimes. “Haunt These Woods” comes from all the parties in the woods I used to have growing up and in college. Not only are The Woods a fascinating idea to me because of the vulnerable intimacy that they create, but they’ve also been so present in my life that I feel like my memories and my experiences hang around them.
Can you tell us about the writing and creative process involved with “We Scream Party?”
“We Scream Party” is the moment when all of your friends are separately preparing for the raging party your about to have. We wanted to make the song feel like a slow build, because waiting for the party can be such a drawn out process that it feels never ending – it’s what makes the actual party so satisfying. We’re always very intentional with our songs, so we wanted to have the gang vocal melody show the listener where the everyone is, with it appearing initially as a lone lead guitar part living in the backs of all the party goers minds when they aren’t together. Then, everybody collectively lays into the gang vocals once they’re all together and then the party can really ramp up into the raging time for which they’re all hoping.
When you guys area on stage performing, what typically goes through your minds?
We really try to live the songs while we’re performing. We’re asking everyone in the audience to dive in and be fully present in the experience so we’re constantly trying to be right there with them so we can all swim in it together.
What musicians/bands are you guys currently listening to?
I’m listening to Frightened Rabbit/Owl John, James Supercave, My Morning Jacket and The National. Chris is pumping Courtney Barnett, Pixies, Sonic Youth and The Smiths.
Can you tell us about the inspiration for “What No One Seems to Know?”
“What No One Seems to Know” came from the idea that even when you’re feeling downtrodden and lonely, you’re connected to millions of other people through that feeling. While that was a nice realization for me to have, it isn’t one that these characters can internalize. That feeling can’t be fully enjoyed by them because of their never being drunk enough. It felt really important to me to capture the idea that because partying has become such an integral part of their lives, they’re having a hard time becoming any other kind of person. They can’t fully grasp joyful realizations because they’re still thinking about the next time they can get trashed and forget everything.
What’s next for Ned and The Dirt, what can fans look forward to?
We’re in the process of putting out a full video series for “Wild Pack: Haunt These Woods”. We’ve also got new “Wild Pack” chapters on the horizon as well as other new Ned and the Dirt tunes, so we’re hoping for a new record to be coming out within the year. We’ll be touring “Wild Pack: Haunt These Woods” throughout the western US, so make sure to check our website and social media to find when we’ll be in your neck of the woods!
