The classic guitar, retro-esque keyboards, heavier percussion, and smooth, raw-textured tenor vocals may not be the sound that Clemson, South Carolina is known for establishing, but the guys in Daddy’s Beemer certainly did a good job bringing together their own styles to create this retro, mild alt-rock sound. Dan Fetterolf, Wesley Heaton, Brady Sklar, and Luke Waldrop founded the band while at Clemson University, have since graduated, and are now performing as a three piece (minus Luke Waldrop) around the Southeast, including tonight in Columbia at New Brookland Tavern and Saturday at El-Rocko Lounge in Savannah, GA with Dead Swells and Rare Creatures. We got to chat with vocalist/guitarist Brady about the band, their successes, and what they’re working on.
First off, I have to ask, how did you guys decide on the band name Daddy’s Beemer?
We had all heard the phrase ‘Daddy’s Beemer’ in passing and especially in the Clemson area. A lot of people drive around in really fancy BMWs that they obviously didn’t pay for because they’re like 18. We were brainstorming band names and when that one got thrown out we simultaneously came up with the idea to have our Instagram just be pictures of us and our friend posing in front of other people’s Beemers. The only way to get any attention nowadays is to be a meme.
Tell me a little about the band members and how you guys got together!
Dan and Wesley had been playing together in bands since they were in middle school, and I had been playing music since I was 8. Wesley recruited me and Luke through the radio station at Clemson, WSBF, which is how we all knew each other. We started writing songs in the basement of Pablo and the rest is history.
I heard Daddy’s Beemer recently lost a member; what is that like? Are there any situations or changes being made in response to that?
After we all graduated from Clemson we decided that we needed to move to a bigger city. We set our sites for Charlotte, but Luke, our guitar player, had to keep with his commitment to finishing his degree. He’s got some projects of his own in clemson, also, Grover Walcott and Miami Vice Principal, so he is staying busy in tiger town.
We’ve rearranged the songs so that we can play them as a three piece since then. We’re also trying to switch up our lineup more often by bringing in a new drummer or synth player and having Dan play keyboard and violin and bongos.
What sort of style or genre were you guys going for when you got the band together? Were there any other bands or artists that you picked up traits from?
We didn’t really consciously aim for a style when we started. We were playing Pablo and similar house shows with a lot of energy, so that energy naturally made its way into our music. Everyone in the Pablo generation was an influence. Being in different bands ourselves influenced what we wanted to put into our music and live shows and sometimes what we didn’t want to include.
I know you guys recently moved from Clemson to Charlotte, what is it like being a fairly new band in the Charlotte band scene?
Being a new band in Charlotte is fun. It’s nice to be in a new place and able to connect with bands and meet new musicians. The venues are really cool and we’re all working hard to make that rent and grocery money.
You guys recently released a new EP in February called Pucker. Tell me a little about that. Is there any specific theme/connection between the songs? What was the process of putting it together?
Pucker was put together very similarly to the first EP, as a school project for my senior capstone class. We wrote the songs in Pablo and brought them into the Brooks Center to record them over the course of several months.Â
A lot of the songs were written from different times. I was looking through old demos on my phone from years ago and also writing stuff immediately before and during recording sessions. That’s why some of the songs, at least to me, sound like memories and some sound very in the moment and sporadic.Â
Not only will Daddy’s Beemer will be headed to Columbia, but we can look forward to you guys performing at the Extra Chill Festival! What’s it like going from playing around Clemson to performing at shows and festivals around the south east?
It’s super sick! Playing on bigger stages and systems to larger rooms lets us really have fun on stage, though, which is a huge pleasure. Even though the venues have gotten a little bigger, we get to see similar faces at the shows, too, which is nice.
Are there any personal favorites of your songs the band likes to perform/listen to that listeners should look out for at New Brookland Tavern?
We are working on some new songs, so if you keep your ears peeled you’ll be able to pick out some unheard material.
