Q&A: Deer Tick

Deer Tick are (left to right): Ian O'Neill, Dennis Ryan, John McCauley, Chris Ryan and Rob Crowell (Credit: Scott Alario)

The hidden track on Deer Tick’s rowdy new album “Divine Providence” is a forlorn acoustic song called “Mr. Cigarette.” According to frontman John McCauley, ex-Replacements singer Paul Westerberg wrote the tune especially for Deer Tick.

“At least that’s the story we got from his manager,” says McCauley, who is in a Chevy Express van about 50 miles outside Roanoke, Va. “It was pretty cool.”

“Divine Providence” repositions Deer Tick, a Rhode Island quintet known for its grimy, country-tinged sound, as a gear-shifting rock ‘n’ roll combo. There’s garage rumble (“The Bump”), pop larks (“Make Believe”), hipster R&B (“Miss K.”) and even glam kicks (“Funny Word”).

And for the first time, Deer Ticks beside McCauley, namely guitarist Ian O'Neil and drummer Dennis Ryan, tackle lead vocals on a couple numbers.

“I always wanted to be in a band that had that kind of dynamic, you know, like in the Beatles everybody sang,” says McCauley, who was recently named one of Metromix's 25 hottest artists under 25 (see sidebar).

Deer Tick—which also features keys/sax man Rob Crowell and bassist Chris Ryan—recorded “Divine Providence” on analog tape at Pawtucket, R.I., studio Machines With Magnets.

There are a lot of loud guitars on a lot of the new Deer Tick songs. Do you remember getting particularly rambunctious while recording any of them?
Well, there’s a pretty funny moment when we were recording “Let’s All Go to the Bar.” Right at the end where I play that little riff I broke a string and my guitar went completely out of tune. And so when I played that part it, that part sounded so twisted and disorienting that we kept a copy of it, but obviously it didn’t make it onto the record. I think while we were doing the song “Walls,” which is going to be a B-side, there was the same thing, but it actually sounded cool so we kept it. I broke another string when I was playing with the tuning pegs, and then I think I got my wiener out and started smacking the strings with it because there was a camera going. And I thought that would be funny to get that on camera. [Laughs]

What bar did you guys go to after recording “Let’s All Go to the Bar”?
It would have been either the E&O Tap, there’s actually some of the staff from that bar came and sang on the gang vocals, or we might have gone to a place called Lili Marlene’s because that place is open later.

Your beer of choice these days?
It’s always kind of been Budweiser. But I’ve been drinking a lot more Coors lately--not Coors Light, though. Coors original.

“The banquet beer.”
Yeah.

Deer Tick has played a few festivals over the years. What are your thoughts on the recent tragedies involving collapsing outdoor stages, such as the one at the Indiana State Fair?
I always try not to stand underneath the big speakers. That’s always been something that kind of freaked me out, especially when they’re hanging by chains and it’s windy and they’re swinging back and forth. I’m kind of a nervous wreck when it comes to things like that, but you know you have to get used to it.

Your single “Miss K.” is available as a free download on Deer Tick’s Facebook page. What’s the last thing you downloaded?
I don’t even own a computer. [Laughs] I was borrowing a friend’s for a long time and I think the last thing I downloaded was an unreleased Black Lips song that Ian [Saint Pé] from the Black Lips sent me.

Speaking of the Black Lips, what’s the status of the project you’ve been working on with members of that band, Dead Confederate, Los Lobos and Six Finger Satellite?
That’s all done and we’re mastering it this week.

Do you guys have a name for that project yet?
We’re toying with the idea of Diamond Rugs.

And what’s the musical vibe?
It’s pretty punk rock. It’s pretty chaotic. It’s pretty tight, though. There’s a lot of instrumentation you don’t normally hear in any of those bands, besides Los Lobos. There are a lot of horns on it—it’s pretty funky.

A couple days ago on Facebook, you posted that you were driving from New York to Nashville and needed a couch to crash on. How did that work out?
Well, what happened was I realized my credit was basically maxed out, so I had to stop in Pennsylvania and I stayed with some friends of mine and I had to wait until today to get some money Deer Tick owed me [laughs] wired into my account so I could continue on my journey.

Is it true Phosphorescent recently played your drummer’s wedding reception?
F--- yeah, it was great. One of the guys in Phosphorescent—I won’t say who—got into a fight with the bartender. And when they pulled away they tore up the grass with their tires. It think it was a final f--- you to the bartender. [Laughs] And then we all went to the Courtyard Marriot and partied until the sun came up.

Since “Divine Providence” ends with a hidden track I was wondering what hidden tracks you’re into from other artists?
“Endless, Nameless” and “Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip” are two of my favorites from Nirvana. There’s a pretty funny one on “Jerky Boys 3.” They call up a dog-grooming salon, get the answering machine and they play a bunch of mean dog sound effects, like growling and barking. It’s a pretty good one.