Big BackYard
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Big BackYard is a San Diego, California based Funk/Rock/Jam bandthat delivers just what that description reads. Founded by Lead Guitarist Derek Dossey and Drummer Kyle Turk in 2003, the BBY went through some personnel changes until the current lineup formulated. Keyboardist Adam Tierney joined the band in the summer of 2004 followed by guitarist and lead singer Trent Hancock in April 2005 and Bassist Chris O’Meally In October of that same year. The band finally had the consistency and mechanics in place and entered Capricorn Studios in November of 2005 to begin recording their first 5 song EP “Big BackYard”. “The Yard” was released on February 6th 2006. The test proved positive for Big Back Yard. In a very short time period, the track “Feel It” was chosen to be included in a compilation disc after being submitted to Sonic Bids thru tunetank.net . The disc will be submitted to the South by Southwest music convention in Mid March 2006 and potentially heard by somewhere in the neighborhood of 2000 music industry delegates.

Big BackYard’s music combines the elements of mid seventies Pop Funk with more of a current musical and vocal sound. Peppered with enthusiastic, mesmerizing jam sections, each track off the EP showcases individual talent as well as the bands ability to gel as one. Live performances of the same songs are often times extended to allow the audience to groove along.

The exclusive LRA interview with Big BackYard:

LET’S ROCK AMERICA: Big BackYard has an originality evident from the combination of modern jam and old school Funk. How does a band so seemingly new to each other find the means to gel so quickly?

ADAM: We've had a number of personnel changes in the past couple of years and when we went looking for replacements we paid close attention to whether or not the applicants would fit our style. We turned down some amazing vocalists and bass players because, though they were technically very proficient, they didn't fit our style all that well. We knew exactly what we wanted, and as a result, once we found Trent and Chris we were able to tighten up our sound very quickly.

DEREK: Having the same influences and also having a background in music (i.e. reading, writing and language) makes for a quicker connection between players.

TRENT: Going along with what Adam said, I think that this really has to do with the time and effort that went into the selection of each individual. It took us 3 or 4 months and we must have tried out at least 30 people on bass before finding Chris, and it wasn't (always) because there was a lack of talent. It simply didn't feel right with the other bassists, and when Chris came in, it did. I think it's that "feel" that makes up for months or even years of playing together.

CHRIS: I think personally, the type of music that we are playing presents the opportunity for a very wide and ever changing pocket. That is not to say that this type of music is easy to jam on...but on the contrary, I've played in bands that couldn't make a pocket out of this sound to save their lives. I think Kyle holding the fort down with a not so flashy, clean, team oriented playing while Adam on the other hand plays a very intricate complex style, yet extremely groove oriented and easy for me to follow. I have always played best off of pianists and constantly have fresh ideas in the midst of improvising. Kyle and Derek, having played together for so long puts them together rhythmically, which is a real benefit for a band where the drums and guitar can communicate without relying on the bass. In the end, I feel full creative freedom and will often explore off tangent rhythms without losing my feel for time nor throwing others off. That aspect is only beginning to be explored and excites me for breaking new musical ground that will have wide reaching relevance.

LRA: Some questions for founding band mates Derek and Kyle. Tell us a little bit about how you both met and what common influences you both had that gives BBY such a unique sound. Did your music have a different direction before adding the current lineup?

DEREK: Kyle and I met at a dive bar in Pacific Beach, California called The Tiki. I bartended there and Kyle owned a restaurant two doors down. A mutual friend (Tommy Walker) wanted to start a band together, so he organized a jam session at The Tiki on a warm Sunday afternoon. Funny thing was...when I had served Kyle many beers but never chatted with him. On that Sunday, the first thing Kyle ever said to me was, "What do you want to play?" I replied. "How 'bout some Meters?" From then on we have grown to be best friends and found many other interests in common. The direction of our band was always to have the best players we possible could find and to play music that was danceable for the crowd and also therapeutic for us…something we could lose ourselves in.

KYLE: I would say that the direction the band was headed back then was toward more of a guitar-rock influenced sound with a harder edge to it.

LRA: The band was founded in 2003 but it took two more years until thepermanent lineup was in place. Why the delay?

DEREK: Well, where do I start?? Long story short...2 bass players got married, 1 singer moved away and has never been heard from since, and the last singer had a different taste in musical styles.

LRA: It seems like only a month went by before BBY hit the studio after adding the final member Chris O'Meally. How was it that you were able to act so fast and produce a quality record? Did the band get a chance to play live before you felt a studio recording was in order?

TRENT: Before we lost our last bassist, Andy, we had plans to get into the studio. We had, and still have so many songs that we wanted to get recorded, that it wasn't a question of if we would record, but when. To answer the question of how we were able to act so fast, it goes back to what I said earlier about feel. Even though 4 months had gone by since Andy left, the addition of Chris felt good/right, and because of that, he was able to pick up the songs quickly, and we were able to get in the studio quickly. As far as playing before recording, we did play a couple of shows which made us want to get in and record even more.

CHRIS: I think the answer here is similar to what I just said. When I first auditioned with the band, Trent asked me if I wanted to learn some of the material before playing together. I felt it was best not to and for us to just get together, play and see what happened. If the pocket was going to be there, it would present itself through improvisation...likewise, if we had no common ground musically that would be immediately apparent. I think we all knew this was going to work out great after about 2 or three notes of playing together. Learning the material to go into the studio was just a matter of learning the material. Likewise, I did not focus on hearing how previous bassists played the material but more so, playing what felt natural to me. The songs have a much different sound now and my playing on this is true to the way I play, not a contrived regurgitation of someone else’s style. I originally felt that going into the studio so soon was a bit too quick but as the holidays approached, it was important to get tracks layed down before people went away. I enjoyed the challenge. Likewise, I learned the song Temporary only 2 days before the studio and basically had no idea what I was going to do on the jam part prior to actually playing it. I tried to muster a little bit of old school Allman Brothers influence in the jamm part on that one.

LRA: I want to get to know the individual members of the band. Let's talk about what instrument you play, your influences, your musical background…basically what makes each of you tick. Anything goes here! Let's start with (in order from left to right of your spotlight photo)…

KYLE TURK (drums/backup vocals): My influences are (Acid Jazz) Galactic, Greyboy Allstars, (Funk) Weather Report, Tower of Power, (Hard Alternative) Jane's Addiction, and Jet. I play a 5 piece Sonar kit with Zildjian symbols. My favorite drummers are Dennis Chambers, Stewart Copeland, Art Blakey, and John Bonham. I was first introduced to music with piano, which I played up to age 10. Then I picked up trumpet and played that up to age 12. It wasn't until I was 14 that I started playing drums. I was introduced to drums by a Berkley student, who really got me into fusion and complex syncopated rhythms. I went through a series of acid jazz and rock bands between high school and college, and marched snare drum in college, and in the orange bowl. I then took a break for five years to form a restaurant, and then formed Big Backyard with Derek.

TRENT HANCOCK (lead vocals/guitar): I would say the styles I try to emulate the most when I sing would be Jason Kay from Jamiroquai, Adam Levine from Maroon 5, Chris Cornell from Soundgarden/Audioslave, Gavin DeGraw, Ben Folds, Mason Jennings, Jason Mraz, Brandon Boyd from Incubus, and John McCrea from Cake. My first musical influences came from my family. My Dad loved oldies and whatever my Mom listened to, and my Mom loved everything, so from an early age I was into music. In addition my grandfather (mom's side) was a band leader during WWII and traveled the world entertaining the troops, so basically it's in my blood. I Learned how to play piano after getting an electric keyboard for Xmas when I was about 10. Took lessons for about 5 years when I realized that pianos weren't very portable, and classical music wasn't very popular. So I decided to try to be cool, and taught myself to play guitar when I was a freshman in high school. After playing for a couple of years I started singing and playing at the same time, an amazing concept which would come in handy later on in my life. And after jamming with some high school buddies, I decided to start a band. It was formed my Junior year of high school, but we weren't together long enough to actually think of and agree upon a name. After graduating high school in 2002, I moved out to San Diego to attend USD, and joined a local band called Upshot Bidder, which broke up after about a year due to "creative differences", and shortly thereafter I decided to take a break from bands. I started playing open mics at my school, and all over San Diego at places like Lestats, Hot Monkey Love Cafe, Blind Melons, and Longboard Grill. Longboard's was actually where I met Derek, and his girlfriend Sarah, who wasn't hitting on me as I had suspected at the time, but was actually inviting me to tryout for her boyfriend's band Big Backyard. So after being tricked into trying out, I loved what I heard and had no choice but to join! And the rest is history!

DEREK DOSSEY (Lead Guitar): My influences include David Gilmore, All the Jimmy’s, The Meters, and The 3 Kings. Basically I like Blues, Funk, and Jam Bands with a 'lil Jazz twist. I started playing when I was 17. I moved to SD when I was 20 and took private lessons until I was 23. Currently, I am a senior in the Music Program at SDSU. (What makes me tick)... The reason I want to play stems from when I was a basketball player and loved the thrill and rush from the crowds cheering me on. Eventually, I found I wanted to be great at my instrument and decided to study it, which is the reason I love the "jam band" aspect of BBY.

CHRIS O'MEALLY (Bass): My original and most dominant influences were from The Grateful Dead
and bassist Phil Lesh. I was always intrigued by how his bass playing didn't sound like any other bass players with his cross beat, highly melodic lines that put the bass in a role more like a lead instrument than a rhythm instrument. In Colorado in 96, I was turned on to New Orleans Funk. The Meters (George Porter), Maceo Parker etc. That was a huge breakthrough in my playing but I was frustrated with the guys I was playing with because even though hey turned me on to "it", they were missing the whole point. They talked about "pocket" but it was contrived. The Keyboardist of that band was phenomenal and highly
innovative. He went to school with the guys from Phish and played with them often while attending UVM. We would play off of each other and he turned me on to the whole "Vermont sound" but the drums were very confining. That drummer would lock me into confining grooves that I couldn't break out of while the keyboardist would be inspiring me to be more free flowing. It was interesting how the keyboardist would write songs that sound like Phish songs yet they were not trying to sound like Phish songs, they just came from the same background. My challenge as a bass player is to somewhat kill the beat while not
getting lost or losing everyone else in the process. Break the beat down and run with the flow. Respect the 1, make sure everyone knows where it is but it's not necessary to acknowledge it every time around the horn. I think between Phil Lesh's approach on one hand and the New Orleans, George Porter on the other makes for an expansive pallet to draw an extremely diversified sound from. I'm really only beginning to explore this sound because unlike in the past being confined, the guys in Big Backyard are always allowing me to move any direction I can feel Along with what I mentioned about killing the beat and such, I think Phish has been the most successful innovators in blending styles and rhythms. I am often inspired by Mike Gordon’s playing when I find myself amidst a strong rhythm and simply want to explore what other directions it might go without abruptly changing things for the rest of the band. There is a key out there, kind of like the Rosetta stone, I can often feel it's presence but sometimes when you try to grab it, it disappears with no trace. Phil, Mike and George have that very key and they keep it tucked away very neatly in their pockets. (I know that sounds stupid).

ADAM TIERNEY (Keys): I was first introduced to the piano at age six. Like many keyboardists, I was first introduced to the instrument by playing classical music. It wasn't until more than a decade later, when he joined the Indiana School for the Blind Jazz Quartet, that I discovered jazz. Finding that the spontaneous creativity of improvised music better suited my interests--that is, it was less boring--I largely abandoned classical music and began my jazz training, which I continued at Indiana University, where I performed in a wide variety of jazz ensembles, rock bands, and funk collectives. Shortly after moving to San Diego in the fall of 2004 I joined Big Backyard. My keyboard influences include Herbie Hancock, John Medeski, Brad Mehldau, Keith Jarrett, Stevie Wonder, Ben Folds, and Steve Nieve. I play a Yamaha P120 Digital Piano and a Fender Rhodes Mark II Stage Piano.

LRA: The EP "Big Back Yard" contains five dynamic songs. What could I expect from Big Back Yard if I attended a live show. How many tunes do you have in your arsenal and are there any plans for a full length record?

KYLE: Expect to be pleasantly surprised and entertained by different styles and dynamics presented in a wide array of songs. We love to improvise solos and rhythm section stops and starts. It's a good danceable and esthetically pleasing experience all around!

TRENT: You can expect to sing, dance, and go crazy all night long! You can also expect to hear a range of music. We like to mix it up and weave covers into our songs, from Eazy E and Beck to TLC and Beastie Boys. We also like to get the crowd involved so don’t be surprised if we ask you to sing with us! We love to have fun and put on a show. We have about 25-30 songs in our arsenal right now most of which are originals.

LRA: I'm interested in buying your EP and want to be notified of Big Back Yard News…what do I do?

BBY: Check out our new website at www.bbymusic.com and sign up for the
email list! You can also find the cd at www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbymusic
and it should also be available soon at iTunes!

This dialogue was reported by Rich Kubicz for letsrockamerica.com.

If you know of an independent band that deserves a place on our spotlight page, contact Rich at rkubicz@letsrockamerica.com . The dude is here to help!