Local band blends originality and ingenuity

By Erin Emerson

In a time where all of life seems to be risk management, it is rare to find a music group as willing to take risks as the Los Gatos natives, Dredg, which includes a Santa Clara alumnus.

Their music itself is a rebellion, floating somewhere near the rock section of the record store without ever actually committing itself to just one genre.

Even Dredg's lead singer, Gavin Hayes, describes their sound as something of a contradiction: "brightly dark, certainly positive but dark melodically and musically."

Dredg's originality lies not only in their inability to be classified, but also in their rather unusual use of instruments.

The group has used everything from pots and pans to hand saws to pliers in order to "supplement for a lack of creativity when things get stale," said Hayes.

He chuckles when he recalls the number of times interviewers have questioned his use of the open end of a trumpet to manipulate his voice and create a refreshing new sound.

So why take the risk of sounding childish in their musical experiments?

"Anyone can go into a store and buy an effects pedal; when you do something organically it makes it that much more special," said Hayes. "That's the most exciting part of playing live."

And the gamble has certainly paid off.

Dredg has developed a strong fan base (especially locally) over the last decade and has put out three studio albums.

Their music has been met with rave reviews.

They have been compared to bands as diverse as the Cure, Tool, a heavy Dave Matthews Band and even a few '80s bands.

Hayes has heard fans categorize Dredg as a "heavier Pink Floyd."

"We get a lot of U2 comparisons," said Hayes.

Not a bad reputation.

Dredg is not merely revolutionizing the rock world, though.

True to Santa Clara's commitment to social and political participation, Dredg is collaborating with Music for America for their benefit event "Kids Like Us" today at the Cafe Du Norde in San Francisco.

The event uses "music as a window," as Hayes explains, to promote political involvement in young people.

Dredg plans to use this event as a sort of "dual opportunity for promotion" both to promote their recently released live album, "Live at the Fillmore," and to raise awareness about the nonprofit organization, Music for America.

The program recognizes the fact that our society is often handicapped by youth tending to be "passive or careless when it comes to politics," said Hayes.

And though the midterm elections are over, Dredg still supports "using politics as a model for being active in any matter in your life."

According to Hayes, sometimes it can be just as important to volunteer to plant trees as it is to volunteer for a campaign. The mission of Music for America is to encourage young people to "get out there and support anything you believe in," said Hayes.

Even if efforts are not successful, he said there is always more work to be done.

And what is a better way to support what you are passionate about than by participating in something you love?

As Dredg's guitarist Mark Engles (who also happens to be a Santa Clara alumnus) says, "I love music. I love doing it, I guess that's why I'm happy. It's that simple."

Contact Erin Emerson at eemerson@scu.edu.