The distance between Athens and Pittsburgh is only 195 miles, but for Greg Dutton, the two cities seem like two different worlds.
The kind of music that we play is very Midwestern
Dutton said,- our music makes sense when we play in Ohio.
Dutton is the lead singer and songwriter for Lohio, a Pittsburgh-based sextet that draws on influences ranging from Wilco to Brit pop. However Dutton, a Flushing, Ohio native, also brings a lifetime of listening to country music to his songwriting process.
It's definitely why the country aspect still exists in the music he said of his small town upbringing. You don't have as many outlets for the kind of music that is going on around you
and you have to seek out bands a little harder.
Dutton started Lohio as a solo project, and began recording his debut EP, Sleeping Stereo, at 3 Elliot Studio with producer Josh Antonuccio. Over the course of recording, the two developed a close bond.
We share the same musical interests and ideas
so we became great friends
he said.
During the recording process, Dutton assembled friends from Pittsburgh to play on the record and all of them eventually joined the band.
With most bands
one guy starts a band and drags his friends into it and they try to pretend that that's not the situation
said Josh Verbanets, who plays bass and guitar. With Lohio
it's always been obvious that everyone in the band does it to enjoy themselves
and I think people react to that.
The band will release their first full-length album, History, the Destroyer, on Nov. 8. The record is much more of a team effort, Dutton said, as he and Verbanets shared the producing and recording duties. They also received input from Antonuccio, who mixed the tracks.
While Lohio has created a buzz in the Pittsburgh music scene and shared the stage with Tokyo Police Club and David Bazan of Pedro the Lion, the band still looks forward to making the trip to Southeastern Ohio.
It's the polar opposite of what we get in Pittsburgh
Verbanets said.-
