From Nashville by way of Murfreesboro come De Novo Dahl, restless and inventive popsters who garnered attention when their debut album, Cats and Kittens, hit the shelves in 2005. With a single CD failing to offer enough space to their creative ambitions, Cats and Kittens ended up being a double album—one disc of the original songs, paired with a second on which those songs were remixed, reconstructed, and reimagined.
The results: pure enjoyment. Even at their most experimental, the band simply has a tuneful knack for pleasing the ear. And on tour, they don’t rest, either. Following their sense of whimsy and their desire to make every show a unique spectacle, De Novo Dahl typically takes the stage as costumed madcaps, bringing an additional kinetic kick to their performance.
However, after the release of the album and lengthy tour, De Novo Dahl returned home and shed three of their bandmates. They’ve since reconfigured their lineup, blending some new musicians in with their core lineup, and are very near completion of a follow-up album. The sort of turnover they’ve undergone is enough to end many bands, but if new songs like the cathartic blast “Shout” are any indication, the adversity they’ve felt hasn’t even dampened their spirits. DCist recently spoke with new De Novo Dahlian bass player Keith Lowen about the source of the inspiration and their plans for the future.
You guys have recently gotten back on the road down south and throughout the Midwest, how’s touring been going thus far?
It’s been really great. I just joined the band about a year ago, so it’s taken a little time for everyone to adjust to each other and all the new material, but it’s gotten to a point now where it’s become really natural. I’ve played in a lot of bands and this is the first one where I feel like we can play to just about any audience and get a good response. We just played in Alabama in front of a bunch of bikers in our little striped 1920’s swimsuits, and we got a lot of disturbed looks, but by the end of the show they were at the merch table.
