The Lafayette, Louisiana scene keeps growing with a diverse blend of original bands making very original music. One such band, Dr. C & The Gris Gris is creating a sound that is truly unique. A new album “Hexes With Exes” is due out on March 9th. We caught up with the band to get a little behind the scenes and a preview of the new record.
First off, where did the name Dr. C & The Gris Gris come from?
I am actually an eye doctor, so I wanted to incorporate that somehow into the name. I wanted to have some local flair in there as well, and gris-gris just so happens to rhyme. It’s also a little ode to Dr. John, one of my Louisiana favorites.
I’m still trying to find the words to describe your unique sound. How would you describe it?
I am heavily influenced by 70’s and 90’s rock, which were both riff-heavy and guitar-solo-featuring decades. I also live in the South, and you can hear that influence in there. So I would say modern Southern and swamp rock.
Who were the biggest influences of the band’s style?
My biggest influences as a guitar player are Rage Against the Machine and Led Zeppelin; As a singer, Chris Cornell. So, naturally, it’s kind of like an Audioslave-type sound that we have.
What does a Dr. C & The Gris Gris show look like?
We rock, and we rock hard. We also love to invite guest musicians to our shows. One show we may have a guest guitarist, the next a guest fiddle player, the next a guest keyboarding. We like all of our shows to be different.
Preview “Graveyard Dog” by Dr. C & The Gris Gris
Rumor is a debut album “Hexes With Axes” is coming out on March 9th. Tell us how that developed?
My band, Sour Sedans, was breaking up. Meanwhile, I had all these songs I had written over the years in my back pocket that never quite fit Sour Sedans. I picked some of the best ones that fit together, and I wrote a few more. I asked my Sour Sedans drummer, Thylar Cahanin, to back me up, and we sought our friend Brock Trahan to play bass.
I am a big fan of the Lafayette-based band Smoov Ras and the Reflection, and they have a great record out. I sought out the engineer of that record, Chad Fouquier, and recorded at his studio, Maison Fou. The whole thing came together very quickly, especially considering there are 11-songs on this record.
What advice would give other bands creating original music?
Don’t worry about critics or what other people think about your music. You are creating it for you, and it will more than likely connect with an audience that you can grow over time. Keep after it, and don’t listen to the naysayers. Enjoy your craft, work hard, and the rewards will follow.
What is next for Dr. C & The Gris Gris?
Our record release show is Saturday, March 10, 2018 at Blue Moon Saloon in Lafayette, Louisiana. After we get this record out, we hope to hit the road a little for the rest of 2018. We hope to open for some big names and play some big festivals!
Follow Dr. C & The Gris Gris on social media here:
facebook.com/drcandthegrisgris
