The Untitled Interview #123: Starring Daniel Zott (Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.)

It's not just my racing genetics that make me really dig the dudes with the tongue-in-cheek nomenclature Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., my lovely little speedracers. Nor is it the fact that their name almost always makes me think of the character Major Major from Catch-22. Oh no.

You see, it's their tuneage that makes me dig this here Earnhardt. I like to think of their music as being somewhat akin to Willy Wonka on a tropical vacation, blithely tormenting belligerent children on holiday while coming up with piles of wacky new confectionary ideas. In layman's terms, it's pretty awesome stuff, y'all. One half of the DEJrJr braintrust, Daniel Zott, sat down and answered away. See below for his musings on Carole King, chocolate milk, and his tragically unrealized dreams of an NBA career. And then go see the band in the flesh, DC friends, tonight at the Red Palace and Tuesday at Iota. Both shows with the divine Generationals.

Fuzzy Logic: How the hell are you?
Daniel Zott: Halfway D.

FL: What was the last song you listened to?
DZ: "Higher Love" - Stevie Winwood.

FL: Playing music is:
DZ: Superfluous.

FL: What album most made you realize you wanted to make music?
DZ: Tapestry - Carole King.

FL: Beatles or Stones?
DZ: Beatles.

FL: Top 5 albums (of now, of this month, or of ever):
DZ: Right now - The Archandroid, 24 Post Cards in Full Colour, Little Sun, Brothers, This is My Country.

FL: Favorite music-related movie?
DZ: Sound of Music, The Music Man.

FL: Half full or half empty?
DZ: Annoyingly half full all the time.

FL: Which of your peers do you think is making the best music these days?
DZ: Chris Wills.

FL: What’s the first thing you think when you wake up in the morning?
DZ: I can breath! Where's my love?

FL: Little-known Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. fact?
DZ: We don't sleep.

FL: The greatest record store in the world is:
DZ: UHF in Royal Oak, MI.

FL: Shaken or stirred?
DZ: Chocolate Milk - the one thing I can really dig about Charlie Sheen.

FL: Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
DZ: You'll know. You'll just know.

FL: How do you know when you've played a really great show?
DZ: Merch brings in a monetary blessing.

FL: If you weren’t in a band you’d be:
DZ: An NBA basketball player.

FL: What do you find most comforting/most disconcerting about going out on tour?
DZ: The comfort of people liking your music is rewarding! We can get pretty disheveled trying to book hotels. Eh!

FL: How has the response been to the on-stage presence of the skeletons?
DZ: People start sharing their secrets.

FL: If you were so inclined, whom would you form a tribute band in honor of?
DZ: Procol Harum.

FL: Best song ever written?
DZ: "Jimmy Mack."

mp3: Vocal Chords (Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. from the Horse Power EP) (thanks, Tale of the Tape!)