Local San Diego band Dadlore releases their new single and reveals what it’s like to be musicians
On June 28, Dadlore released their second single, “Spiders,” right before their show at SOMA in San Diego. Dadlore first debuted “Spiders” live back in February of this year, and it stood out from the rest of their set. With its unique intro, “Spiders” catches the attention of its listener right off the bat. The single keeps listeners connected with its shoegaze rock elements and intimate lyrics. Dadlore finishes off the song by giving us a heavy instrumental that showcases each band member’s individual talents - making “Spiders” a song that you do not want to miss live.
I had the privilege of interviewing Dadlore before their show at SOMA. We discussed the single, their experience as musicians, and how they feel they have grown as live performers. Here is what they had to share:
From Left to Right: Steve (lead vocals, guitar), Walker (drums), Ryder (lead guitar, vocals), and Colin (bass guitar).
Photo taken by Vanessa Cordova (@tpwkvanessa)
Amy: What, or who, inspired you to write “Spiders?” Is it inspired by a specific event?
Steve: “Yes, funnily enough, it’s based on true events. An obscene amount of spiders started appearing in my girlfriend’s room, and being the big and strong masculine force of nature that I am, it was up to me to do away with them. I had to act tough and unafraid, even though I absolutely hate spiders. So that’s sort of where the chorus came from, me thinking about an instance in which I had to put aside my fears (no matter how little or stupid they may seem) because I love my girlfriend and don’t want her to be uncomfortable.”
What was the writing and recording process for “Spiders” like? Did you ever feel stuck?
Steve: “Ryder had this one riff that was really cool, and I started playing something that was similar, and Ryder and Walker said: ‘No Steve, that songs sounds like others we have, we’ve got to change it up.’ So, I wrote a cool little riff, and then we started writing the song with both riffs, but there were no lyrics.”
Ryder: “We felt so strong about it right off the bat, even before we figured it out entirely. We knew this was it.”
Steve: “We knew the song was going to be good as we were writing it, and when we were about to record, it came to a point where we thought ‘What are we going to record?’ We had just written [Spiders] a few weeks prior, and we knew we had to record it.”
Walker: “The drums were pretty Blink-182 inspired, that felt like what was right. When I was approaching the drums, I was going for that esque, but slower and more grungy.”
Ryder: “Adding to that, when it came time to do vocals, we had to convince Steve not to sing it, but rather rap it.”
Steve: “The song would have been totally different.”
Did you ever feel stuck during the writing and recording process?
Steve: “For me writing the lyrics, yes. It took me so long, because I just didn’t know what the song was going to be about. Then I did a little freestyle- ‘killing spiders for this girl, she thinks I like her, she’s my world’- and I thought that it was kind of tough. I needed some mojo, so I went into Ryder’s room while he was gone, sat on his bed, and I wrote the first verse.” Eventually that tiny freestyle changed a little bit and it eventually turned into the chorus.”
Walker: “ We went into the studio and Steve didn’t know what the final lyrics of the song were going to be.”
Ryder: “We had 3 days in the studio prior, and then the last day, Steve said ‘guys, I don’t have the full lyrics’.”
Colin: “I feel like with the vocals, there was some preparedness that did kind of get in the way at times, but we didn’t let that stop us.”
How do you think “Spiders” will influence future music you release?
Ryder: “It was a risk. It stands out from our other songs. I think Steve tends to draw to this certain type of writing with a certain type of chords, and it shows that even with the same chords, we can figure out a way to still make it different.”
What made you think of the name “Dadlore”?
Steve: “ I knew that I wanted to rebrand from my solo project, which was called Steves at the time, and I felt like the music that I had started to write on guitar was a lot different from what I was releasing previously, which was definitely more lo-fi, R&B Indie Pop. Once I started playing guitar it sort of changed. I knew that if I was going to rebrand, it would need the perfect name. A few months went by before I stumbled on the name Dadlore. Basically, I was on Instagram doom scrolling through reels, and stumbled upon a video of a kid who knocked on some old guy's door, and the old guy straight up just shot him. He was rushed to the hospital and they saved his life, and I was like oh my god this is crazy, I need to read the comments. The top comment was 'this kid’s dadlore will be crazy,’ and I immediately went oh my god, that’s it!”
What keeps you guys going as musicians?
Steve: “It’s super rewarding and it’s super fun. I don’t know how else to express my feelings other than through song. It’s also a double-edged sword sometimes, because it’s hard for me to write songs when I’m feeling really good. I wrote way more songs when I was feeling bad about stuff, than now, when things, in my mind, are going well.”
Ryder: “I think the band is what inspires us to write music. Having a place where we are no longer just writing for ourselves, but rather, writing with intent to share with others is truly special. For me, after a show, I feel most inspired to write because I get to sit back and think ‘wow, that was worth it, let’s keep this going’.”
Steve: “Also seeing other people perform is super motivating, because you get to think ‘wow, that performance was sick, I need to be as good as them.’”
How do you feel playing shows now compared to your first show as Dadlore?
Ryder: “It’s like night and day.”
Steve: “I mean, at the beginning, it was a very real possibility for me to f*ck up playing guitar, and singing into a microphone is also really difficult when you’re just starting out. Then I’m playing guitar, singing into a microphone, and pressing the one pedal that I had, and for me, at the time, it was all a lot of stuff going on. I’m thinking about a million different things, and it was really stressful at first. Now, it’s second nature. But that just comes with maturity and experience with anything that you’re doing for the first time.”
What has been your favorite show you’ve played so far?
Ryder: “This one is about to be. I think this is our best set.”
Steve: “The last show that we played on May 3rd was really special. We were able to say ‘wow, almost 400 people showed up just to see us,’ when just a few months prior we were scraping 50 people to come to a show.”
Walker: “From our first set, compared to our set now, the only song that survived was “Crashing” (the other song they have released) I feel that this just shows that we’ve gotten better.”
Steve: “Shout out “Crashing” for surviving the set, that’s how you know it’s a banger.”
If you guys could open for any artist, who would it be and why?
Colin: “Inhaler or Boy Genius”
Ryder: “Boy Genius is such a hot take.”
Walker: “Boy Genius is lit.”
Ryder: “Definitely Title Fight.”
Walker: “If they ever come back, that’s facts.”
Walker: “Turnstile.”
Steve: “The Grinns.”
Ryder: “Honestly, any band ever.”
Dadlore proceeded to give an amazing show. They opened for a local San Diego band, New Aesthetic, alongside Veto, Joywalk, and 12 Gauge Trixie. Each band had their unique styles that made the show one to remember.
I have personally been lucky enough to watch Dadlore grow as performers and as a band from their first show to now. Back in August, Dadlore was still warming up and figuring out what direction they wanted to go with their music. At their most recent show, you can see, and even feel, the chemistry they have between their members.
It’s evident that they absolutely love every song they play now, and they give you their all with each one. The crowd stayed alive throughout the entire show with dancing, moshing, and even some people singing along to their released songs. I can say, without hesitation, that Dadlore is a band that you need to see when you’re in San Diego.