Rock group Default will appear at Rick’s Cafe tonight as part of their promotion tour for their newest album, Elocation.
The Canadian-born quartet hit it big in 2001 with their debut album, The Fallout, which went platinum. Their new album, Elocation, was produced by Rick Parashar (Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains) and Chad Kroeger (lead singer of Nickelback).
Default bassist Dave Benedict, who said he was very pleased with the results, described Elocation as honest and raw.
“We didn’t put layers and layers of guitars on,” Benedict said. “Everything that’s on the album, we can play. We didn’t want to record this super-huge sounding album and play it live and have people walking away saying ‘that sounded nothing like the album.'”
Benedict said the band had more time in the studio with the second album, so they got a chance to dissect the songs and experiment with some different instruments. He said the group just wanted to create an album that would stand the test of time.
“When these days are gone and these times are irrelevant, it would be nice to throw in one of our albums and it still be classic instead of saying, ‘What in the hell were we thinking?'” Benedict said.
Heath Upton, lead singer of local band Falter, said he preferred Elocation to the band’s initial album.
“The first album sounded a lot like everything else that was popular at the time, like Nickelback,” Upton said. “This album sounds more like they’re trying to find their own sound. I actually like it much better than the first one.”
Benedict said he totally agreed with Upton’s take on the new album.
“We were really, really new when we wrote the first album,” Benedict said. “We wrote that album before we were even a year old as a band. On this second album, we’ve honed in a little more on our instruments and skills and things like that.
Benedict added: After we were done with this record we all said, ‘Yeah, I think we’re starting to find our own sound now.’ It’s great that other people can see that, too.”
Rick Welch, owner of Rick’s Caf, said he never thought he’d have the opportunity to bring Default to Rick’s.
“I got a call a few months ago from their agent. He told me that Default was doing a quick Southern college run and wanted to know if we could be interested in having them,” Welch said. “I couldn’t believe that they would play at a venue as small as Rick’s so, of course, I jumped at the opportunity.”
Welch said Lynam, who was just added to the bill last week, and Edgewater, who are touring with Default, will be opening the show.
“We’re bringing in the big sound rig for this one,” Welch said. “It’s going be a rock show.”
Benedict said fans can expect to hear songs from both albums, with the set list being half old material and half new material. He also said tonight’s show would be a lively one.
“We definitely bring a lot of energy to the stage,” Benedict said. “It’s first and foremost about the music, but we want to put on a show, too. I can put a record on at home and close my eyes and listen to the music, but when I go to a show, I want to be entertained. I want to see the band members getting excited.”
Tickets for tonight’s show are $12 in advance and up to $15 at the door. Doors open at 8 p.m., with Lynam scheduled for 8:30 p.m. and Edgewater for 9:15 p.m. Default will take the stage around 10:30 p.m.