By: Matt Wright
For those unfamiliar, Daytrotter is a website featuring exclusive live performances from a huge selection of rising indie/folk/rock bands, as recorded in the site’s studio and home base Futureappletree Studio One. I’ve had the honor of attending a couple of these sessions in person, and have been struck by how fun and honest the whole thing feels. What’s more these sessions have grown into a fantastic promotional vehicle for bands, as the site has been covered like crazy in the press and traffic has steadily increased (as of this writing the site has served over 5 million MP3 downloads). I sent Daytrotter founder and head honcho Sean Moeller a few questions via email, and he was kind enough to reply. Enjoy the interview below, and definitely stop by Daytrotter for some great music and good vibes!
IODA: How long have you been doing Daytrotter?
Sean Moeller: Daytrotter will turn three years old at the end of February. I basically came up with the idea two weeks before we started recording sessions. So, we’ve got a birthday coming up. We’ll be celebrating it out in San Francisco during the Noise Pop week so people can feel free to buy us as much beer as they’d like.
What were you doing before Daytrotter?
Prior to and during the first two years of Daytrotter, I was working as a sports and music writer for the newspaper here in Davenport — the Quad-City Times. It was a run ragged sort of existence during that time — still is — but it had to happen that way as we built the name on our quality work and made it into something that we could do as a full-time thing.
Where does the name come from?
The name just comes from the ether I think man. It can kind of be explained with a small tangential story from my youth when I was constantly doodling and I always doodled frontwards and backwards Ks. It probably started from being a baseball freak and recording strikeouts — both looking and swinging — but then it just evolved into me scribbling Ks all over the place on paper — though, let the record show, that this never ventured in Ku Klux support. Just strikeouts. Just baseball. I think I wrote a couple of songs about horses around the time I started Daytrotter — a trilogy about a horse living in a mental institute — and the horse theme just carried over for some reason.
How do you select the bands to bring in for sessions?
The selection is really easy. I just choose bands that I think are great, bands that make me want to write, to move, to boast and bands that inspire me. It’s very simple.
It seems like you guys are always coming up with new features and columns on the site. Any big plans for ’09 and beyond?
I think we’ve got a couple of good ideas for 2009. Some things that will take us to some cool new spots. We’ll see how they get rolled out though. I anticipate it being a fun and great year. I don’t hear the naysayers.
IODA’s based in SF, as is Wolfgang’s Vault. Can you explain Daytrotter’s connection to the Vault?
WV bought out our original business partner and assumed the role of helping us in that capacity. Us originals retained all our our ownership in the company as well as complete creative and editorial control so it’s been a really nice partnership. They believe in the spirit and the goal of Daytrotter to make the music world better and to chronicle the most inspiring form of entertainment known to man — live music. We’re here as a document of what is and was in American and international music and they get that. They know that we’re doing something important in history and they’re here to support us.
I noticed Wolfgang’s Vault recently debuted an iPhone app, which is pretty sweet. Any chance of a Daytrotter app at some point? People would download it like crazy, I’m sure.
I think we’re working on one of those. [Editor's note: HOLY CRAP that's awesome!!!!]
OK, last question! Every band I’ve known that’s played Daytrotter has left absolutely loving you guys. Touring is draining, and it seems like you guys are kind of this oasis for bands. Why do you think that is? I personally think it’s because you’re just really good people and you’re doing this for the right reasons, but I’m curious to hear your take. [Editor's note: I swear I am not trying to kiss Sean's ass with this question.]
I think that’s really what it comes down to. We record a lot of sessions, but there’s not one person who enters our studio that isn’t invited. The reason they’re there is because I find something incredible in what they’re doing with their art. I want to meet them and I want to know them and I want to see them work. We are fans, but we know that we’re just people and they’re just people. It’s something of a mutual respect that we share with everyone that comes in. It’s just a big art project involving good people on both sides. We try to make their few hours or day with us a pleasant occasion, one that sticks out as a definite highlight on whatever tour they’re on. I hope that that stays as our legacy above and beyond everything. That we were great people doing this for the right and pure reasons and that we meet a lot of new friends along the way.
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