In 2008, Julie Lawrence interviewed local band The Delta Routine, which had just released its CD, "Donna."
More than two years later, the traditional rock and roll outfit returns with "More About You," with an even more accomplished sound, courtesy of Mike Hoffmann, who also produced, "Donna."
The band launches the record on Saturday, Jan. 22 at Linneman's Riverwest Inn, 1001 E. Locust St. Doors open at 9 p.m. and $10 gets you admission and a copy of the 12-song CD. It also gains you performances by Archie Powell & the Exports and The Ragadors.
"More About You" blends catchy guitar pop (opener "Blame It On Me" and "Felicia") with swaggering blues-rooted rock and roll that nods at The Black Crowes ("Ain't Worth Your Wait"), The Who ("Cause We're Young") and the Rolling Stones ("Nothing You Can Do").
We asked singer and guitarist Nick Amadeus about the new record and to bring us up to date on the band.
OnMilwaukee.com: Give us the five-minute history of The Delta Routine...
Nick Amadeus: Well, the history of the band is actually quite long, so I'll do a short little version for you. Me and the drummer Kyle Ciske started the band back in 2005, as a three-piece with a different bass player then we have now. In 2008 that bass player got in a bad car accident -- he ended up OK -- but decided he was kinda done with the band. So we replaced him with Evan Paydon, who is still with us now.
As a three-piece we were doing shows, did a little recording, but nothing was hitting quite like we wanted. So, one night the three of us were at a show here in Milwaukee, and a band called The Wildbirds were playing, that was the first time id ever seen them and they blew me away. I knew I needed another guitar player to sonically get what I wanted from the band, so we had a band meeting and Kevin Topel was asked to join the band. This was probably in August of 2009.
Anyway, Kevin worked out great, and me and him hit it off as songwriting partners. So now here we are about a year later ready to release the disc.
OMC: Were you guys in other bands previously?
NA: We've all been in other bands and projects at sometime in our life, but nothing too serious. Evan's a pretty well know bass player around the city, in different jazz groups and what not. But The Delta Routine is kinda the main deal for all of us right now, especially with the album coming out.
OMC: Tell us about your new disc, "More About You." Are the 12 songs the mainstays of your live set? Did you record more and pick these 12 or did you know you wanted to have these represented for sure?
NA: The writing of the album was actually pretty easy. Me and Kevin wrote all the songs between probably December of 2009 and June 2010. We were in the studio with Mike Hoffmann the whole time, which was very helpful to the process. I also have a studio at our practice spot that we rough-drafted most of the stuff, which also helped a lot.
We definitely over-wrote the album, we have a lot of other songs that didn't make the cut. We are actually still in the studio writing and recording now, for whatever our next release is. And as for the live set, we haven't played most of these songs out live yet, so the release show should be a lot of fun.
OMC: What exactly is the Delta routine? Get up, eat breakfast, then ... ?
NA: You know, all the normal stuff that happens when you get four 20-somethings in a band traveling and growing up together in a van. On the road we can be big people watchers, lots of inside jokes. When were home in Milwaukee you can usually find us at Yield for happy hour.
OMC: Anything special planned for the record release party?
NA: Possibly, I guess you'll have to come and find out.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
