It blogs. It books cool local music shows. It's a must-follow Facebook and Twitter page. It promotes bands, free of charge. So what is Dallas Distortion Music, exactly?
Essentially, DDM is Matt Vickers, 34, and Evan Henry, 15. They started out as big fans of Sub Pop Records and ended up not being able to hold back their passion for music. It only made sense for the two to start collaborating last year, considering they were both doing the same thing.
They say 75 percent of show business is just showing up. And they do. They're in the record stores, they're at the shows. They live and breathe it all. And, as Vickers and Henry say, they basically "get paid for it in band T-shirts." Which is just fine by them. They're having the time of their lives expressing themselves through their own community outlet, and setting a strong example for the kind of support it takes to really rocket a local music scene.
First, congratulations on one year for DDM. You have a lot of grateful people pulling for you in the local music scene. Were you two even aware that DDM has earned a pretty swell reputation in one year?
Matt Vickers: I wasn't fully aware of the extent to which we have the community's support. I must say, the people with whom we have worked have made Dallas Distortion Music what it is today, to a larger degree. Without the unyielding support from the many bands, venues and people involved with DDM, we would just be two people writing and continuously clogging up everyone's feeds on Facebook!
Evan Henry: Dallas Distortion Music started as an endeavor to promote local music and bring a sense of inclusiveness to the music community. As we've begun to notice, those involved have as much fun working with us, and are so thankful for the support we give them. As far as having a "good reputation" goes, that's something we don't really dwell on. But we do insist our relationships with the people who attend and/or play our shows and support us are of utmost importance.
What started you both off on this endeavor?
Henry: Back in January of 2011, I saw No Age at Sons of Hermann Hall, which prompted me to delve into the Dallas music pool, and in doing so it created the inspiration for DDM. We unofficially launched on February 14 of last year.
Vickers: Sometime around late April, Evan got in contact with me, wondering if I'd like to join him in writing for Dallas Distortion Music after seeing I pretty much was doing the same thing daily. Since then, we have just been doing what we do from day one, really.
What happened to begin your relationship with music, local or otherwise?
Vickers: Truthfully, our relationship to the local music community has just come to fruition. I've been attending local and national shows for the better part of the last decade in Dallas, Fort Worth and Denton. I've always had a desire to create something that was open to discussion and an invitation for all to be a part of. I mean, I grew up reading fanzines and spinning Crass records, and in those independent ideals I formed a relationship with the music that has lasted to this day.
Henry: I began my relationship with music following Sub Pop Records and many of the artists on the label: Nirvana, Mudhoney, No Age and, more recently, Male Bonding, which opened me up to the possibility of somehow being involved in music in a more tactile way.
Vickers: We have always had a life-long fascination with movements that are outside the realms of the mainstream. I'd dare to say the influence of underground culture, D.I.Y. mentality and sense of community surrounding it all gave us a sense of belonging.
Read the full interview of DC9 at Night
