Dan Plowden's interview
by Philippe Archambeau - Octobre 2002


Can you introduce the band members ?

The band has had many members through the years and I think we have our best combination now. On keyboards from Rock Hill SC there is Phil Killough who has played music with me for going on 10 years now. He also sings high harmony vocals. On Guitar is Allen "Mudcat" Mullins. Allen also sings lead and harmony vocals. He is one of the finest guitar players I've had the pleasure of playing with and is from Spartanburg SC. On the drums is Randy Gosnell. Randy is also from Spartanburg and played with Dixiana in the past. The newest member is Pat Elwood on the Bass. Pat joined us for Bike Week Myrtle Beach in October and has done an excellent job for us. On acoustic guitar and lead vocals is myself.

I received your album 5 years after its release, and it seems it reminds me of Travis Tritt or Vince Gill, sometimes a bit of Hank Williams Jr ot the Marshall Tucker Band. Which musical direction are you going to ?
I grew up with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker, The Allman Brothers, Hank Jr., and Charlie Daniels. We cover all of these at live shows. When we play my original music " live " it has a little harder edge than what was recorded with Marshall Tucker in the studio. I think we are headed in more of a Southern Rock direction than country. I am a big Southern Rock and old country fan and not so much new country. Travis Tritt is my favorite artist on the radio today. He seems to be one of the last true outlaws left.

Can you tell us how you wrote "What are you looking For", which I really love ?
"What Your Looking For" was written years ago. Most of the songs I wrote just came to me all at once. This particular song I wrote while I was on the road somewhere. I can't remember the exact time or place. Sometimes songs would come to me before I actually experienced them. This was one of them. I lived this song many times after I wrote the words.

The intro of "Georgia Girl" reminds me of Johnny Van Zant's "Brickyard Road". Did you write that song as an tribute to him ?
"Georgia Girl" was actually written for a girl from Kentucky. I can't even recall her name. I was told she was from Georgia, and found out later she was from Kentucky. Just my luck. Until I got married the only thing I ever got from prior relationships was songs.

How did you meet Paul T.Riddle who produced the album ? How was it to record in their studio ?
I met Paul Riddle through a friend of mine who taught drum lessons for Paul on occasion. Paul heard some of my original music we had recorded in my friends garage. He called me and asked if I had ever thought about recording them professionally. At this point we layed out a plan to record with several musicians from the old and new Marshall Tucker Band. We spent several months in the studio with the finest players around. It was the thrill of my life to record with those guys, and I made a lot of close friends in the process. Recording in Marshall Tucker's studio was incredible. The CD we produced was supposed to be a demo tape, but we decided to put a cover on it and sell it to try to offset studio costs.

You're from the same area of Marshall Tucker Band. What do they represent to you ?
I grew up about an hour away from Spartanburg. I grew up listening to Tucker. They produced a lot of great music for many years. At first I was blown away by those guys but after you get to know the history and get to know the musicians, they are just normal guys that are excellent at what they do. I guess to me they represent musicians everywhere that work hard and keep it going. Their music is timeless.

How was it to be on stage opening for Mashall Tucker band at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach in 2001 ? You certainly had a blast singing "Can't you see" with them ?
Playing at the House of Blues was certainly an honor in itself as was opening for Marshall Tucker. It was a show that I will always remember. The crowd was awesome and we played an all original set. Just when I thought things could not get any better, Doug called me on stage to sing "Can't You See". The crowd was going nuts. This was the thrill of my performing career. The whole experience was incredible and a time I will never forget.

I've read you opened for David Allan Coe. Is it easy to find out that kind of gigs ?
Opening for David Allan Coe was also a great time. We were offered this gig by The House of Blues based on when we opened for Tucker. The House of Blues is an incredible venue and the audience is always kickin. These types of gigs are hard to come by and are unforgettable memories. Hopefully we will be back there soon.

Do you have any plans for a new album ? Will it be a live or a studio album ? Can we expect more southern rock songs ?
I have many more songs that need to be recorded. Most of it has a Southern Rock edge. Studio time is very costly. It seems all of our time and money is spent just keeping the band on the road. We are prepared to make another CD but would need help from an outside source. Being that Southern Rock is only being played on classic radio stations, Record Labels don't think it is worth thier time and money. We are discussing a "live" recording which may be in the near future.

Which kind of lusic do you generally listen to ?
I listen to Classic Rock Stations or I listen to old Skynyrd, Charlie Daniels or Tucker CDs. Anything Classic is fine with me. I don't like much of todays radio.

Is there any chance for you to come and play in Europe or in France ?
We would love to play over seas. However we all have familys to support. An over seas tour would require much money which seems to be scarce for a band like us. I think we would go over very well in a foriegn market but this would once again require help from an outside source which we havn't discovered yet.

Which albums would you bring with you if you had to spend the rest of your life on a desert island ?
Skynyrd Gold and Platinum, Country Tucker, Allman Brothers Greatest Hits, Eagles "Live", Charlie Daniels Uneasy Rider, Hank Jrs Greatest Hits.

 

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