Tiger Saw CD Release
Thérèse LaGamma: Are you a native of NH originally? Tell us about your fellow bandmates?
Dylan Metrano: I grew up just over the border in Newburyport, MA, where I was heavily involved in the theater, music, and art scenes. Many of my friends from those days have migrated over to the Portsmouth area, so it always feels like somewhat of a homecoming when I am in Portsmouth. As far as my bandmates go, guitarist Guy Capecelatro III is basically the mayor of Portsmouth. He might actually be the mayor, for all I know. Drummer Gregg Porter lives in Chelsea, MA, and bassist Djim Reynolds lives in southern Maine.
TL: What led you to pursue music?
D.M: Music has always been an important, driving presence in my life. My dad was a rock critic in the wild glory days of gonzo journalism, and I remember stacks and stacks of LP’s arriving at our doorstep daily, awaiting review. My mom exposed me to strange sounds from all over the world as a young kid, though I still don’t know the difference between a bossa nova and a samba. I got my first guitar at age 17, wondering if it was perhaps too late to learn this mysterious thing, when many of my friends were already playing all-ages shows in dirty Salisbury Beach clubs. Within a week, my first band was formed, and we lasted seven years. I loved the collaborative nature of playing music with my friends. I loved making fliers for shows. Watching the other bands play. Recording hours upon hours of rehearsals, and eventually making records. I loved everything about it. It was an instant, complete immersion, and it was inevitable.
TL: Tell us about life on the road.
D.M: I literally wrote a book about this about six years ago. But to boil it down to what the best things about touring have been, I’d say it’s about the relationships forged in the minivan and onstage and in some weird basement (glamorous, right?). All the long days working on songs together, and creating the lifelong bond that comes from spending quality time with amazing people. Almost without exception, my most cherished relationships are a direct result of my time playing music with people. Also, the police came and busted up shows once in a while.