Taking a few minutes with The Dudes

The Dudes, an indie rock band hailing from Calgary, have recently embarked on another nationwide tour in support of last year's release Brain. Heart. Guitar, playing several dates with fellow Canadians Hot Hot Heat. With a sound that has been compared to Modest Mouse and Weezer, The Dudes have been going strong since their formation in 1996. One of our Strand writers had the opportunity to get to know the band a little bit better, through an internet interview with drummer Scott Ross. A lot of modern bands today usually will get a generation Y audience - do you guys ever notice other age groups at your shows, like perhaps the elderly or kids going through puberty?
Actually we do notice a broad spectrum of ages enjoying our shows and especially CDs. But yes, mostly the elderly and kids in puberty.

It is incredibly easy to make an album today. Thanks to technology, we have the internet and all these programs where people can just jump on a computer and record whole albums in weeks. How do you feel about that? Are you here because of it?
Wait, wait, wait....who told you it was incredibly easy to make an album?

What's your favorite place to perform?
I don't know if there is a special venue for me, just more special nights and people. I like showing up to a city/town that we've never played and to not know what to expect and it turns out a great rock party for everyone. Yeah, those venues.

You guys have been around for a long time ('96 ... "what"!), when did you get your first legitimate break?
A couple of years ago things started moving forward for us. Like you mentioned, we have been around a while, so it is hard to pinpoint when it all started coming together. I wouldn't say we have had our break yet, but I do know we are broke.

You did some shows with Hot Hot Heat. What was that like?
Great, we got to play at the Commodore [in Vancouver], which is quite legendary, so that ruled. And Victoria is just about my favorite place to play right now, so the whole experience was a blast.

Speaking of which, you're still a little bit fresh. Do they ever come up to you and ask you for some much needed wisdom?
Do they ask us for advice? No. People, you should never ask us for advice.

Do you guys still feel like you have a lot to learn about the "biz"?
A lot less than we used to need to know, which makes me believe that there is probably a lot more to learn. For instance, I didn't know we needed a personal therapist for 1000 dollars a day in the recoding studio. But ever since our label saw that Metallica movie, it hasn't been negotiable.

What else do you have in store for the band?
Well we just worked out a deal in the UK, so I guess work on promoting our album out there. Record some more before Christmas. Then tour again. Release a new album and tour some more.