Interview: Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band

Photo by Tyler Zoller

So much has happened since my interview with Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band.  The Indiana trio released another music video, started tour, and today was announced to perform at Cincinnati's Bunbury Festival in June. I spoke with bearded frontman, Reverend Peyton, about his band's strenuous tour schedule and "real" music.

Motor City Blog: Let's talk about "Raise a Little Hell" and the music video. The music video was shot in Bloomington, who are the people that were involved in the shoot?

Reverend Peyton: They are all volunteers, fans, and friends. There are so many different groups represented.  It is amazing.  We had to close streets, raise up cameras in cherry pickers, and organize it all in one day.  There are cameos from people in all of our other music videos, too. The whole town came together to make this happen, and all in the name of good music and good times. 

MCB: I read that the band tours the majority of the year. How do you keep the energy up during your exhausting schedule and playing the same songs?

RP: First thing, and most important thing... We love it, we live for it.  I have a relentless desire to top myself too.  Also, good songs just never seem to get old, and we rotate some songs in an out of the set too.  That helps keep it fresh.  

MCB: There seems to be a resurgence of what I like to call, as a general term, Americana music. What're your thoughts on why it's again coming towards the forefront.

RP: I hope that from the heart, real, handmade music will never go out of style.  I really believe there is a movement around the world happening that goes beyond music. Everyone is tired of plastic food, plastic music, and fake imitations of everything.  I think there really is a real movement toward "real." I personally love it.  In this margarine world, we are butter. 

MCB: What inspired the name of the album, "So Delicious"?

RP: It is inspired by lyrics from the song "Pot Roast and Kisses." The song is fun and we have an amazing music video for it. It just felt right for this album. This album just is tastier and meatier than our other records, and I think it is just a fun title.  There are some heavy songs on the record, but I also believe some of the most fun songs we have ever laid down are on this record.   

MCB: Another stand out track on So Delicious is "Music and Friends", I took it as a fantastic of way of describing why you guys do the things you do, and just why the band has such long tours. Can you expand on that?

RP: Absolutely thank you, that song is a celebration of who we are and what we are all about for sure, but it also has some of the saddest verses on the record for me.  The verses are very personal.  All I ever wanted to be was a musician and an artist, but there is a lot of ugly stuff that goes along with the music business.  From mean spirited hipster critics to crooked promoters. The song for me is a reminder of why we put in the time, and why we work so hard.  And like the song says... Since I was 12 years old.  

MCB: As a person who has never had the pleasure of seeing the band live, what can we expect from the live show? Or should we just expect the unexpected?

RP: So many live bands simply phone it in.  They stare at their shoes, and they pretend the crowd isn't even there.  I refuse to do our show that way.  We want our live shows to be just that... a show. We want people leaving full of adrenaline and covered in sweat.  That's the way I leave the stage, and I believe a live music show is a community event.  It isn't just us regurgitating songs at the crowd.  It is a shared experience.  


The (mighty) Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band performs tomorrow night in Flint at The Machine Shop and this Friday at The Magic Bag in Ferndale.Tickets are $18 day of show and are available at the door or online, here or here. Thank me later.