11 Questions with The Dread Crew of Oddwood
The seven-member troupe of musical pirates who make up The Dread Crew of Oddwood are the very embodiment of fun on two legs (ok, 14 legs). Without further lagging about the deck, please welcome Gunmaster Castle, the Dread Crew's drummer, who shall acquaint us further with the outlandish sound of this singular band.
1. For the un-conscripted, who be The Dread Crew of Oddwood?
Gunmaster Castle: The Dread Crew of Oddwood is a seven-member "heavy mahogany" pirate band from Southern California. "Heavy mahogany" music is essentially a blend of high-energy rock, Celtic punk, and pirate folk music played acoustically on unconventional instruments such as accordion, mandolin, toy piano, ukulele, and a percussion contraption, and uses extensive vocal arrangement and harmonization.
2. How long have the Dread Crew sailed together?
Gunmaster Castle: The band formed in Fall of 2008, after many members met coincidentally through a convention for the Sega Genesis game, Ecco the Dolphin. So about 3.5 years as of now. The much more piratical version of our creation starts in 1735, and involves time-travel through the Sargasso Sea and global pillaging.
3. How many albums have the Dread Crew recorded together?
Gunmaster Castle: We have recorded three albums: Reign the Helm in 2009, Rocktopus in 2010, and our newest hell-spawn, Heavy Mahogany, this year.
4. Regale us with the tale of your about to be released hell-spawn, err, new album.
Gunmaster Castle: We have just finished our fan-backed third album, Heavy Mahogany, and it is a monumental accomplishment for The Dread Crew—we spared no expense! The sound is far more refined, the songwriting is better, the artwork is awesome, and each of us has noticeably improved upon our instruments of choice. We have also paid homage to authors and musicians of old throughout the album. There are tales of destruction, debauchery, camaraderie, misfortune, and celebration. Heavy Mahogany will act as our musical showpiece during world conquests, and we wish it to be precedent-setting for all future innovators in the "heavy mahogany" music genre. The album is expected to be released in the next few weeks, towards the end of April.
5. Where does the inspiration for your music come from?
Gunmaster Castle: Each songwriter draws from a number of inspirational sources, but a general idea would include Irish traditional music, video game music, heavy metal, punk, barbershop quartets, and Latin percussion. The lyrics are inspired by myriad sources, including ancient folklore, historical events, real-life experiences, video games, and great authors of our time (1735–present).
Why yes, that is a medley of music from The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time you are hearing!
6. What can a music fan expect from one of your live stage sackings?
Gunmaster Castle: Music fans will appreciate our very high-energy live show, complete with headbanging, yelling, semi-harmonized vocals, stomping around stage, silly antics and stupid jokes. The music itself is great for drinking to, singing along to, and dancing around rabidly to. It's pretty fun for the audience and for us.
7. Whose ears will your music appeal to?
Gunmaster Castle: Our music appeals to a wide audience (kids, teens, and adults), though we tend to perform better in more uncensored settings. The music is quite piratical sounding; a combination of being folkish, high-energy and musically intricate, with lyrical story-telling throughout. It's a relatively unique sound, so we believe many people enjoy this 'refreshing' take on a blend of musical genres. "Heavy mahogany" music is good for everyone!
8. What is your biggest achievement or professional moment to date?
Gunmaster Castle: Our biggest achievements to date would have to include our industry-quality music video for the first track off Rocktopus, "Queen's Decree", playing the alpha release party for Blizzard's much-anticipated Diablo III, the fundraising and creation of Heavy Mahogany, touring the U.S. a few times, and forming America with the aid of General Washington.
9. What else should we know about The Dread Crew of Oddwood?
Gunmaster Castle: We always attempt a huge, over-the-top show to conclude our long string of performances at Pleasure Faire and other Renaissance Faires. Last year, for our very last Rogue's Reef uncensored show, we dressed in period drag to prank The Merry Wives of Windsor (who are another great faire band), we had donkeys on-stage, a live squid birth, and much more that cannot be adequately described here.
Also, a little-known fact by fairgoers is that The Dread Crew of Oddwood is not a fair-exclusive band—we are a functioning band outside faires and play several shows in pubs, music venues, private residences, and conventions year-round throughout Southern California… and we occasionally tour the U.S.!
10. For the person who has never been to Faire before, please describe it in your own words and why this year is especially important for it.
Gunmaster Castle: Pleasure Faire is a great opportunity to escape the modern world as we know it and dive into a much more interesting world…the living history subculture of America. There is something truly amazing about watching a bunch of people re-enact the past and keep supposedly dead traditions very much alive. It's a place to drink freely and enjoy good actors and other musicians. It's a place to bring your family and friends for an all-day adventure. Plus, throwing tomatoes at people is awesome. We recommend you try out Pleasure Faire at least once—after that, you may be hooked!
11. Here's your chance to convince someone who's never seen or heard you before to check out The Dread Crew of Oddwood. Go!
Gunmaster Castle: If you want to see a ridiculously crazy show, lots of facial hair, acoustic instruments being pushed to their musical limits, and what "heavy mahogany" music really is, then come catch our live show at Pleasure Faire, or any of our numerous outside-faire shows in pubs and venues across Southern California. You can follow us on Facebook, visit our comprehensive website and watch our music videos on Youtube.
Having seen them perform several times myself, The Dread Crew of Oddwood are truly an incredibly fun act to see live. Once I even witnessed them do a post-performance encore from inside the port-a-potties near the stage. The band were in the port-a-potties, not me.
See, and here ye thought I was telling fish stories!
After being won over by both their live shows and the sound of the Dread Crew's first two albums, I threw in some doubloons as a backer of their Kickstarter project for Heavy Mahogany and will be reviewing the album upon its release.
The Renaissance Pleasure Faire continues through May 20th, so grab your own crew and set sail to see The Dread Crew of Oddwood sack the stages as only a pirate band can. If Southern California not be your port in a storm, purchase, don't pirate, the Dread Crew's music. It be a treasure that will surely put a smile on your face.
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