Interview with Dave Marr, October 27, 2016

Partial Transcript: Well, where did you grow up?

Segment Synopsis: Marr describes living in Chicago for most of his childhood. He also discusses the influence of his mother and artists like Carole King on his own musical interests.

Keywords: Chicago; Tapestry; childhood; parents

Partial Transcript: I don't know. I don't really remember thinking that I wanted to write songs as a kid.

Segment Synopsis: Marr talks about his first electric guitar, a Gibson Marauder, and recalls hanging out at The Guitar Center in his free time. He also discusses his lack of desire for technical training and his preference for loud, rhythmic guitar playing.

Keywords: amps; guitars; lead; rhythm

Partial Transcript: You say you're just a rudimentary lead player. That interests me because mostly you hear most people talk about how into it they are.

Segment Synopsis: Marr describes emulating Willie Nelson on lead guitar and mentions Merle Haggard's guitarists, the Bakersfield country sound, and Charlie Christian.

Keywords: country; folk; guitarists

Partial Transcript: What inspired you guys to start a band after putting your instrument away for four years?

Segment Synopsis: Marr recalls attending an all-male Catholic high school, where he felt like something of an outcast due to his strong interest in punk rock. He talks about transferring to a magnet school, where he became involved in the drama program and met others who shared his musical preferences.

Keywords: Chicago; Lincoln Park High School; Mount Carmel High School

Partial Transcript: Was it original stuff when you started out or some covers?

Segment Synopsis: Marr talks about renting a practice space with his high school band, Mantis, and another band, Burnout, which he says was more serious and produced more music than his own band. Marr also discusses DJ-ing for WNUR, Northwestern University's student radio station.

Keywords: Burnout; Mantis; Northwestern University; Wicker Park; radio

Partial Transcript: You're known as such a songwriter now, but it doesn't sound to me like you started really even investigating that until pretty late.

Segment Synopsis: Marr discusses some of his experiences working with various record labels and distributors in Chicago.

Keywords: Discord; Kaleidoscope Records; Touch and Go Records

Partial Transcript: I'm playing in Mantis at that time, we, you know, started playing shows.

Segment Synopsis: Marr talks about recording singles with Mantis, which broke up shortly after the songs' release. He also discusses meeting Beverly Babb and Kim Rowe, who eventually led him to move to Athens, Georgia.

Keywords: Beverly Babb; Drag City Records; Kim Rowe

Partial Transcript: And I had actually been here once before during that year, like in October.

Segment Synopsis: Marr remembers his first visit to Athens, which included a Deonna Mann art show, a Porn Orchard and Jack-O-Nuts concert, and a prom-themed party. He briefly mentions the houses he eventually lived in when he moved to Athens.

Keywords: Diane Radford; first impression