"Project SLC Interview with Dallon Weekes"

[11-24-2012] SALTROADS

This is Justin with Project SLC on the phone here with Dallon from Panic! At The Disco, and locally known as The Brobecks. Dallon, how are things going so far with you and Panic?

Things are great, it's been a few years, and things are better than ever.

So, how long have you been an official member?

Oh, um, let's see. Well, I started with them in 2009 as sort of like a hired gun with the Blink-182 tour that they were doing, and that sort of continued for a year, and then we did some shows in China in 2010. And Brendon and Spencer - that's kind of when they proposed to me, as it were, so. Ever since then...

They christened you in at that point?

Yeah yeah, you know, kind of under the radar, because i think we're still kinda getting used to each other and stuff, and how to work together, how to write together. But yeah, it's been a couple of years, and it's been awesome.

So does that mean you're officially on their Wikipedia page under 'band members'?

I hear that I am.

And so, it's been a while since they've put out an album, are you guys currently working on anything?

Yeah, we've got a few tracks finished already, and we're out of the studio right now for the rest of November. We're kind of trying to figure out the last few songs that we wanna do, because we wrote about 20-something, maybe even 30 songs or so. And we're just kinda whittling it down to what's gonna be best for the record, so.

The plan is, I think, to get it all finished at least recording-wise before the new year.

Where are you guys recording?

We're down in Santa Monica at RubyRed studios. It's owned by the singer-songwriter/producer/awesome guy named Butch Walker. He records like, I don't know, everybody. He's written stuff for like, Weezer and P!nk, and he's just one of those hotshots that everyone wants to work with. And we're lucky enough to be doing that.

When you guys are writing new songs for the record? Is it a collaboration or does one person kind of go out and think of the concept, and bring it back in? And are they pretty open to your ideas, or is it still kind of the 'core band'?

It's a bit of everything that you mentioned, actually. Like um, I know we'll all sort of write on our own time, and then we'll bring ideas to the table and we try to meet - at least we have been meeting at least once a week to write together as well.

So it's kind of been, you know, taking the best of whatever comes up and just running with it. And I think each one of us has the philosophy of "we don't care whose idea it is, if it's yours or it's mine or if it's a janitor outside, if it's the best idea, let's use that".

Backing up a little bit, when did you first start playing music?

Well, it was something I always wanted to do ever since I was a little kid. One of the earliest memories I have is driving past a pawn shop that had a bunch of guitars hanging in the window.

And I remember looking at those and going, I want one of those. I want to play guitar. I want to do that. And I didn't even know any bands or even music in general, I just knew that I wanted one of those things hanging in the window. And I never really got the chance to do that until I was about 15. I think I spent all my birthday money on a guitar in a pawn shop and just sort of started learning to play on my own.

And then when did you form The Brobecks?

Brobecks was after I served as a missionary in Oklahoma for two years. I came back and I knew that music was what I wanted to do. So I got together with some old friends and just started playing, you know, not with any real goals or anything in mind, other than wanting to play music. And The Brobecks kind of formed out of that. I think it was just, you know, a jamming in the basement sort of thing for a good year or two before we actually started playing shows. And even then, when we started, we really had no idea, like, anything about the Salt Lake City scene that was going on, or anything like that.

We were kind of introduced to it as we went along. So it was a learning process.

We've seen that a couple new songs have popped up on your guys' Bandcamp. Were those songs written a long time ago or are they brand new songs?

Let's see. "Anyone I Know" is a song that goes way back. I remember it was one that I had written for Brobecks originally, and just never got a chance to record it. So it was lying around for a while, but I got the chance to dust it off. And then Clusterhug was a new one that came about maybe a year or so ago when I started thinking, well, if we're going to be writing songs for a Panic record, better get started.

Clusterhug happened early on, but as we went along writing for Panic, the vision for the record became more clear. It just kind of became obvious, that Clusterhug wasn't going to work for Panic and what we're doing. So I just thought I'd lay it down and get it out there.

So is Clusterhug any indication of which way, you know, Panic might be going?

No.

Or was it kind of hostile because it's a completely different kind of sound that you guys are looking for in Panic! At The Disco?

Yeah, it's really nothing along the lines of what we're doing for the Panic record. It's definitely its own animal, you could say.

I wanted to clarify that before people got, you know, maybe confused about it.

Yeah, and that's been an interesting thing, too. I mean, because Panic! At The Disco and Brobecks are definitely two different animals, I think some songs that would work for Brobecks definitely wouldn't belong on a Panic record, because they've developed a sound and a brand for a lot of years before I was ever around. So you kind of have to adapt when it comes to writing songs for, and with other people, and with a different vision in mind.

How long did it take to adapt to that?

I'm still adapting to it, actually. I did Brobecks for a good portion of the first decade of the 2000s. And it was all, you know, touring in the van and loading and unloading your own gear.

And I think the first week of touring with Panic! At The Disco, it was on the Blink-182 tour, and playing for 30,000 people a night. And I actually got in trouble for helping unload some of the gear. You know, I was just so used to it and had nothing to do. So I figured I'd go help out the roadies, and I got pulled aside by our security, our day-to-day guy, Zack. He's like, "you know, you don't need to do that, and you probably shouldn't because if you got hurt or something, you can't play. And these guys are getting paid to do this, too. So it's your job to go sit down somewhere, relax, or do something".

So that was kind of a weird experience, but, yeah. Doing stuff like touring in a bus and getting to stay at hotels every night, and flying a plane to your next gig. That's not hard to get used to.

You said that you guys have quite a bit of songs written with the new Panic- going into the new recordings and all of that. How do you think you're going to break it down to what actually stays on the new album?

I think that the philosophy that we're using is - whatever the best ideas are, that's what we want to go with. It's a matter of making those ideas fit together to form an album. That's probably the hardest part of the process.

Because writing songs with Brendon and Spencer has been tremendously easy. It's been different for me because I'm not really used to, you know, collaborating with people writing that way. It's been a long time since I've done that. Both of those guys are really good about when something is good and it's working. They're really great about running with it. If you bring an idea to the table that they're not really into, they're totally fine going, "hey, I'm not really into this. Let's push on it a little bit more and see if we can make it better or move on". And they're really professional about it. No one gets like, you know, hurt feelings or anything like that, which is awesome.

What's been on your mind lately?

Oh man. So much of my time is occupied right now with this record and just wanting to get back on the road, playing shows. Like, I think about that all the time. But when I'm not thinking about music and stuff and, you know, getting back to work... just mostly my family. You know, how to best take care of them and spend time with them while I'm not on the road. Because that's something that's definitely important to me.

Last but not least, what piece of short advice would you give to upcoming musicians?

I would have to say that whatever it is that you write, make sure that it's honest, first and foremost. And then treat it like a job, even if you're not getting paid. Treat it like it's your job until it is your job. That's what I'd say.

Well, thank you. Is there anything else you'd like to add? Anyone else you'd like to thank?

Um, yeah. Thank you for talking to me about this stuff. I appreciate it.

Thank you so much, Dallon, for your time. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to sit down and speak with us at Project SLC. Once again, this is Justin with Dallon from Panic! At The Disco.

Yeah, anytime, man. Seriously.