DAN HOYT
The State Streeters are a relatively new band, but you personally have roots in the Boise, ID punk scene dating back to the 90's. Can you tell us about that history?
It was definitely a great experience playing in punk bands in the 90’s here in Boise. It was a small scene but there was a really great DIY spirit and a lot of dedicated people that made stuff happen. Brent, the drummer for the State Streeters being one of them. Most everyone knew each other and played in multiple bands. You could play three degrees of separation through band members. Like so and so plays bass in my band but also play guitar in some other band and the singer for that band plays drums in my other band. At one point I played guitar in one band, (questionable) drums in another band and bass and vocals in a third band. There were a lot of really talented musicians.
You also spent a long time in San Francisco, which is where we met. You and I linked up and formed The Sprains, which was a great experience. What are your fondest memories from that time?
Oh man, I am pretty fond of all the Sprains memories. It was really a great group of guys having a blast playing punk rock in a fun city. It was a great time in my life.
Some highlights include:
We played a show at El Rio in SF that really stands out to me. There was a great crown of friends, we were really tight and our witty banter was on (at least i think it was).
Band practice in Lower Haight was always a blast. A meal from a variety of Lower Haight institutions, beer, snacks, punk rock and numerous lame and questionable jokes. What’s not to like?
You left San Francisco and moved to Australia for quite some time, returning to the USA with your family and settling near where your punk history began. What was the experience like in Australia, and what were you up to musically at that time?
I lived in Australia for almost eight years and it was great. My wife is Australian, which is why I moved there. I am actually a dual citizen now! For the first year we lived in a very remote region of the Northern Territory. Think Crocodile Dundee and you’re not too far off. It’s a magical place full of adventure and was a truly amazing experience living there. I didn’t find a lot of music happening there and I didn’t bring much gear with me so I really only played acoustic then.
The rest of my time in Australia was spent in the federal capital, Canberra. There isn’t a great deal of night life or music scene there, or at least I never really plugged myself into it if there was. It’s only about a three hour drive from Sydney so most touring bands skip Canberra.During that time I really dove into the acoustic and learned a lot of finger picking and worked on my voice.
While there I also took a bit of a dive into Australian hip hop. There are some great artists there that are damn clever. Seth Sentury being my favorite.
Now that you've been back in Boise for a while, have you noticed a lot of changes in the music scene? How about the city in general?
The scene and the city are definitely much larger than when I left. Boise itself if much cooler than when I left with a lot more fun bars, restaurants and river fun. If it was still the same city I probably wouldn’t have moved back. We only moved back about a year and a half ago and the first eight months were largely focused on the transition. It was easy moving to Australia as I was just a dude with a guitar. It’s much more intense moving overseas with a family. Trying to find jobs, cars, new bank, transferring and exchanging money, new phones, housing and million other things is quite a lot to take on. We were just getting settled into our new lives when Covid hit so unfortunately I haven’t gotten a chance to jump back into the music scene. Like many others I am definitely looking forward to live music again.
You've been a songwriter as long as I've known you, and you write great songs. What's your approach with The State Streeters? It seems to me a meat-and-potatoes pop punk kind of thing, which is very satisfying.
With the State Streeters I am writing a bit more stripped down version of my normal style. I am also trying to focus more on lyrical content and actual ideas behind the songs rather than words that just fit the melody. I’ve never been a current events type of writer or have never gotten too personal with my lyrics, which is definitely a difference with the State Streeters. I suppose the current climate of the the modern world is somewhat responsible for that. But don’t worry, there are some backlogged songs from a previous era in the pipeline about zombies and other silly things.
As a guitarist I know you came up in an era of big riffs - we both share an appreciation for thrash and other styles of metal/hard rock. Do you approach songwriting with a riffy mindset instinctually? How do you fit in your riffs in the context of simpler pop punk structures?
My writing approach has definitely changed over the years. I used to focus more on the riffs and try to build songs around them. When I go back and listed to old stuff you can probably tell that’s what I was doing. Now I focus more on the song as a whole and add riffs in places after the structure of the song is complete. Kind of like back up vocals in a way. Unfortunately some of my favourite riffs I have written have ended up orphaned as I can’t seem to find a place for them. Anybody want to adopt some abandoned riffs?
How has it been trying to start a band while raising two young children and transitioning back into life in Idaho? I imagine there are many challenges and limited time to spare.
There is definitely a deficiency of time with two young kids and adult life in general. I am thankful I have a dedicated music space in the house to play music. My kids love coming down to the basement and getting crazy while I play loud(ish) music. It’s probably the only time I don’t tell them to stop screaming! And with all of their energy it’s the closest thing I can get to a live show at the moment. A keen ear can probably detect some faint kid noise in the background of some songs.
Your dad and brother are both great musicians - do you have a chance to talk music or jam with them very much now that you're all back in Idaho? Was it cool to grow up with a dad who rocks?
I didn’t realize it at the time but it was great growing up with guitars all around me. I think seeing my Dad play all the time made it seem much more attainable to learn. It wasn’t such a mystery as it might have been. My Dad and I talk music and gear often. He doesn’t skimp on gear either so it’s fun to go over an play around on his stuff. I have played a bit with my Dad, but it’s one of those thing where there just isn’t as much time as I’d like.
My brother doesn’t play much anymore which is shame because he’s one of the best bass players i’ve ever encountered. We still chat about music though.
What's your take on the punk scene these days - do you follow any newer bands or labels? Got any recent favorites?
You mean besides The Gungans?
In all seriousness I have listened to a great deal of your work and get most of my new band listening from your posts. One of my favorites is the band Vista Blue. I love their baseball themed songs as I’m a baseball fan. Their stuff is so catchy and clever. I admit it’s a pretty specific target audience but pop punk and baseball is sure to be a winner with me.
One of my other current favorited is the Subjunctives, which is a dude from the Seattle band Sicko. Does it count as listening to new bands if they’re made of people from old bands?
These days with the ability to record and release music so easily there is more content than ever so there is a ton of good stuff out there. Unfortunate there is also a lot of stuff to sift through to find the specific bands and songs that resonate with you.
What's the game plan for The State Streeters? If you could ideally meet any band goals, what would they be?
The State Streeters really started out because I was recording some songs I had laying around and wanted them to have real drums. I thought many times in the past about reaching out to Brent for some drum tracks but I really only had seen him twice in the last 20 years. Once I was back in Boise I finally contacted him and luckily he was into it. I am very fortunate because he is a seriously awesome drummer and really brings the songs to life.
I have a lot of songs in a few different styles so we plan to have some different themed releases ranging from Power Metal(ish) to indie rock (if that’s still a term). Ideally we just want to record a few albums and make them available to anyone who might enjoy it. Also once things are back to normal we'd love to get out and play some shows!
