Stream It From The Mountain: The 1984 Draft – Make Good Choices

Dayton’s The 1984 Draft released their new album, Makes Good Choices, and made their label debut for Dayton-based label Poptek Records over the weekend at an album release show at South Park Tavern.  Led by vocalist/guitarist and longtime fixture of the Dayton music scene, Joe Anderl along with Justin Satinover, Eli Alban, and Chip Heck; the band filters 90's punk and emo through heartland rock like, The Replacements, Tom Petty and The Hold Steady for a timeless sound.

I spoke with the members of the band in an interview originally published in the Dayton City Paper (http://www.daytoncitypaper.com/dont-dodge-this-draft/).

Read an excerpt below and stream Makes Good Choices here:

Joe, the lyrical themes on the new album are very personal but also very relatable, with odes to your wife and kids, as well as your mother with the cover art.  What song on the album means the most to you and why?

Joe Anderl: This is a hard question to answer.  It’s kind of like asking, “which of your kids do you love the best?”  There are days some of them are bad and some of them are really good but you still love them all the same.  There are songs on this record that are hard for me.  Hard to choke out over and over again but I look at it and I think to myself, I’m not in that place, I’ve overcome, I’m better off for it and at that point you can see the positive in a song that may have more of a negative lyrical representation.  It makes you proud that you endured. 

With all that, if I had to pick one, I would go with “Red Dress”.  I so vividly remember my wife standing in the middle of the street getting a Polaroid taken of her.  That song brings me to all of those emotions of a new relationship where I didn’t feel like I was good enough.  It brings back those butterflies in my stomach.  My wife still gives me those.  She is that constant warmth and beauty.  I think that’s why it means the most to me on this record.

Which song from the new album is your favorite to play live and why?

Justin Satinover: Personally, I really enjoy “Honest”.  It has a bit of everything and we try really hard to make each section be impactful. I also love “Lutheran Heat”. It’s so upbeat and fun with plenty of hook on the vocals; it’s one that seems to bring a smile to everyone’s face.

Chip Heck: I agree with Justin on this one. “Honest” is great because of its intensity and heaviness and “Lutheran Heat”, being our newest song, is really fun because it’s fast, catchy and still really fresh.

Eli Alban: “Morrissey of Mandy's” is one of my favorites to play live because it gives me a chance in the set to catch my breath and Joe and I have completely separate guitar parts.  “Honest” and “Lisbon Falls” are fun songs as well because they allow us room to improvise a bit and we are able to trade and double up lead guitar parts.

This is the first release with this lineup of the band.  Not only is it your most solid release, it is also being released on vinyl and on local label, Poptek Records, both a first for the band.  How did that come about?    

JS: I cannot say how it all started with the vinyl pressing but if memory serves, this will be the first for anyone in this band to have a vinyl release and we all loved that idea. We have some friends at Poptek and love the intimacy with each of their bands so it was a welcome sign when the opportunity presented itself. We are privileged to know these folks and love they are willing and able to work with guys like us to bring this dream to a reality.

JA:  Andy Ingram at Poptek is the best.  We are very lucky he was willing to work on us with this and help a dream come to fruition.  Andy is like the fifth member at this point.  He has his hand in so much helping us with the communications side of the game, building the website, helping with press.  We are really lucky to have the backing of Andy and our friends at Sweet Cheetah helping us with all the press activities around the record.

For more info: www.poptek.com/the-1984-draft