by Dan Goldin (@paintingwithdan)
It’s time to get to know Dreyer, a new band from Indiana via Chicago founded by none other than Tim Crisp. If that name sounds familiar, perhaps you know him from the Better Yet podcast, one of the greatest collections of modern day DIY scene interviews put to tape (metaphorically, it’s all digital). We even had the good fortune of having Tim pen a few words for Post-Trash here and there way back when. The important part is that now he’s rocking with Dreyer, and he’s brought along bandmates Marcus Nuccio (Ratboys, Pet Symmetry) on drums, Nick Casali on guitar, and Vince Casali on bass. Set to release their self-titled debut on January 30th via Rat King Records, the record feels very much like the heartland, there’s an ease, a warmth that feels settled in. Influenced by artists ranging from Lucinda Williams and Tom Petty to Joyce Manor and The Lemonheads, Crisp’s songwriting feels tried and true, a reflection of his new relaxed state of mind following a pandemic move from Chicago to Valparaiso, Indiana.
Together with special guests Julia Steiner (Ratboys), Mike "Slo-Mo" Brenner (Magnolia Electric Co.), and Logan Roth (Slaughter Beach, Dog, Trace Mountains), Dreyer enter a world that’s bright and twangy on lead single “Three Sisters Garden,” a song that’s bristling with an immediate charm and a loose melodic jangle. It’s part alt-country and part power-pop with a touch of Modest Mouse inspired itchiness, but there’s an undeniable splendor to it all. It’s a song about a garden that houses the “three sisters” - corn, beans, and squash - and yet Crisp sings about it with such affinity and admiration, taking in the beauty and drawing an impression on us all.