By Kaitlyn Pleasants
The Durham, NC-based Americana band Delta Rae are known for their intoxicating live shows and their memorable Southern rock aesthetic. The band is back on the road and headed to Orlando tonight at The Social with their newest release, April’s After It All.
Kicking off the second leg their “After it All Tour,” Delta Rae started off their tour in the city in which they wrote the eerie single, “All the Good People” about Charleston, SC. Though the single isn’t featured on their latest LP, Delta Rae still took to the studio to address the mass shooting at Emanuel AME Church.
Bungalower freelancer Kaitlyn Pleasants had a chance to chat with singer Elizabeth Hopkins, and here’s what she had to say about “All the Good People,” working with rock producers and cultivating their distinct, rich sound.
What’s it like performing a song that’s about a sensitive issue in America right now?
We had been working on the song two or three days before [the shooting] happened. It’s been very strange. I don’t feel nervous about this song at all. We think it’s important to engage with what’s going on in the world and I feel that racism is like the elephant in the room for the United States. This song is a way to talk about it.
Describe After It All and working with renowned rock producer, Rob Covallo.
After It All is really two halves; one half is more a straight-ahead rock album, “road trip across America” theme and the engine of the album. [Covallo] understands rock and giving songs the horsepower for rock and roll. The other half is bit more romantic with tinges of love and melancholy, which Peter Katis really helped us with. It’s really great to have those [themes] juxtapose in one album. We spent about 18 months recording in 5 studios across America, which is basically like a road trip across America.
How do you play up the female and male vocal talent?
I like that we have female and male voices because we can do duets. We are able to do call and response and create an experience of a Greek chorus (“Never Die”, “Bottom of the River”). There’s a voice that is good for expressing a sentiment of anger, a heartbreak or sadness, love or being in love. We each have different personalities and it’s really fun to have all of those options. If a song is going to be raspy or soulful, then Liz will sing it; if it’s angry or witchy, then Brittany will probably sing it; or if its an every-man, American blue collar-type song, it’s probably Ian singing.
It feels like an emotional roller coaster when you come to our shows. We have four voices and each song has an expression of a certain personality. It’s up and down and it twists and turns and then it calms down a little bit. We’re celebrating all different influences from blues to rock, giving a variety and sort of rolling landscape musically. It’s literally like a trip across America.
Delta Rae will perform 7 p.m. Thursday, July 9 with guests Genevive Shatz of Company of Thieves at The Social, 54 S Orange Ave. Tickets are $20 and are available at thesocial.org