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Dishwalla lands 'Somewhere in the Middle'
The band hopes its new single leads to a rebirth after some time away from the charts.
By BRIAN ORLOFF
© St. Petersburg Times
published May 23, 2002
[Publicity photo]
DISHWALLA: Rodney Browning Cravens, from left, Jim Wood, Scot Alexander, Pete Maloney, J.R. Richards.
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Dishwalla bassist Scot Alexander says that success came as a surprise to his band.
"We were on the road almost a year before Counting Blue Cars took off" in 1996, Alexander said of the catchy pop hit. "At that point, we thought this is probably not going to work out. We were off in Germany, and we got word that it was like No. 1 on the rock charts."
After ascending the charts and maintaining a busy tour schedule, the band suddenly dropped out of the rock scene. With the release of its new album Opaline in April, a new record deal and tour, Alexander says Dishwalla has experienced a rebirth of sorts.
"So far it just feels like we've picked up where we've left off," he said from a tour stop in Syracuse, N.Y. "The shows have been going really good, and people have been receptive to the new material. . . . It feels really good to be back out there doing what we love to do -- what we're meant to do," he said.
Six years later, plenty of people still know Dishwalla only for Counting Blue Cars. But that's okay with Alexander.
"If anything it's given us the ability to still be playing music at this point. We don't freak out about it too much. . . . It's kept us living," he said.
But Dishwalla has high hopes for its new single, Somewhere in the Middle.
"The current single, so far, is doing really well. We just hope it continues."
Another reason for the band's optimistic view is a record deal with Immergent Records, an independent label where the the band feels nurtured. The band's previous three albums were on the A&M label.
"We definitely have more attention on this label. We're pretty much the focus," he said.
Alexander's advice for new bands:
"Think twice about going to a major label for one thing. It's such an unstable place to be right now."
Stability, Alexander says, has been key to Dishwalla's staying power. They have played together for almost a decade, releasing four albums. "We've managed to keep going for about 10 years. We've always split everything evenly. We've always tried to be respectful of everyone's basic needs on the road. That's really what it's all about for us."
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