Indie Pop Quartet, Deal Casino, consisting of members Joe Parella, Jon Rodney, Joe Cowell, and Chris Donofrio, will be coming to Nashville to play the High Watt December 3rd on their much anticipated North American tour. Hailing from Asbury Park, New Jersey, Deal Casino released their fantastic self-titled LP in 2017 and will release their next LP, LLC, soon. We had the opportunity to chat with the band about their upcoming tour stop in Nashville.
Thank you so much for chatting with us! So your newest LP drops this month…tell us a little bit about it. Where did the inspiration come from?
It feels like a long time since we've recorded it, to be honest. In January of 2018 we decided to travel with our friends Erik Kase Romero (producer/engineer) and Anthony Yebra (videographer/engineer) to North Carolina and record a collection of songs at a studio called Fidelitorium. We were in this heavy mindset of making something different from our past releases, so the first step was getting out of NJ (this was our first time recording out of state). We made it known that there were no rules, which included all different styles of recording techniques and gear. We always limited ourselves in the past with instrumentation and over-dubs, but for LLC, we all brought out modular synthesizers, regular synthesizers, trash bags, chains, coffee cups, and other stuff I can't even remember. There were truly no rules. So to get back to the question, we were basically inspired by our canvas and unlimited tools. Having all this freedom inspired us to create new sounds and new songs.
Which new song means the most to you and why?
This is impossible to answer. We really focused on putting our whole selves into these songs, and if anything lacked meaning, it didn't make the cut. "Color TV" feels like a really powerful song for us, it has an epic ending and a huge dynamic swell in it, but the choruses are subdued enough that the lyrics don’t get lost. The lyrics on that song and some of the others on this album are some of Joe P’s (singer) most honest and direct writing. They really hit close to home, but this is true of a lot of this record. "Father’s Day" and "Baby Teeth" are also pretty emotionally heavy for us. There’s a lot of really personally important songs on this record.
Did you go to concerts growing up and can you remember your first concert?
We were asked this question recently and we all realized that our first concerts were all at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey, except for Jon Rodney (bass).
Joe P (vox)-Rolling Stones -Metlife Stadium
Joe C (keys)-Green Day -Metlife Stadium
Chris Donofrio (drums)-Genesis -Metlife Stadium
Jon Rodney (bass)-Them - Loop Lounge in Passaic NJ
You are getting ready to play in Nashville on December 3rd at High Watt. What songs are you most excited to play for your Music City fans?
We've been ending our set with "Father's Day" recently, and it always has such a huge impact on us while we perform it. Also, "Happy People" is one of our recent singles and we’re really excited to debut that one live.
Any place in particular you like to eat, drink, or visit while in Nashville?
Nashville isn't a location we've visited too much, but last time we were there, we had quite the night at Rosepepper. We all get down with tacos, and the margarita pitchers are great. Also, Jeni's Ice Cream was right across the street and that place is just insane. We also visited a great drum shop, and we will go back there as soon as we can remember the name.
Who is the bigger foodie in the band?
We're all obsessed with pizza. Joe P (singer) is probably the most obsessed, but his obsession effects everyone and we're now pizza experts. That's probably what we’re most nervous about on tour... how are we going to get good pizza? Please hit us up with recommendations for some good spots we can try while we're out there.
From performing in front of all kinds of fans, doing interviews, etc., what types of foods and drinks help you keep your energy up?
Everyone except Joe P is addicted to coffee, so that is a necessity. Joe P is a tea kind of guy, but not really for energy. I've seen him snacking on chips most of the time to get the mojo going, or pizza, obviously.
Favorite restaurant in Asbury Park, New Jersey?
As a collective band, Brickwall has to be our favorite restaurant. It’s a solid, great burgers and beers spot in Asbury. That’s the go-to whenever we wanna go out together. Serpico's is hands-down the best pizza spot, but it's not technically in Asbury Park. We probably go there twice a week. Joe P probably goes there five times a week.
Finally, if you could be sponsored by one food/drink brand who would it be and why?
If Serpico's wants to sponsor us, HIT US UP! Or Wegman's seltzer (Jon would disagree though). Or any coffee company, we're not picky. Free coffee sounds pretty sick.
Website: http://www.dealcasinomusic.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedealcasino
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dealcasino_/
Thanks for checking out this article! To read more great content on food, brews, reviews, and music, please visit our interview section. If you are a artist and/or food blogger and would like to share your culinary knowledge with our audience, feel free to let us know by dropping us a line via grubsandgrooves@gmail.com