Charleston, South Carolina-based rock band the The Blue Dogs will release their first album in 16 years, Big Dreamers, on June 3. JamBase is pleased to exclusively premiere a video of the band recording the lead single, “That’s How I Knew.”
Led by bassist Hank Futch and guitarist Bobby Houck, who co-founded the band in 1987, the album finds them joined by longtime drummer Greg Walker, as well as guitarist Dan Hood and pedal steel guitarist Charlie Thompson. Guitarist and fellow Charleston native Sadler Vaden, who did a stint with The Blue Dogs and currently is a member of Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, was tapped by the group to produce Big Dreamers.
“I have a history with these guys,” Vaden stated. “They used to hire me when I was 18 or 19 years old to play with them. I’ve always admired their sound, even on their albums before I started playing with them, but this record represents the best part of The Blue Dogs in my mind. It’s a return to form that also brings out the highlights of their last record. Some things are polished and some things are a little more raw.
“Anytime I hear The Blue Dogs, it takes me home to the Carolinas. I feel like they have never gotten the recognition outside of South Carolina and the Southeast circuit. So, I hope this album can get them out there a bit more and gain some new fans who will look back at their legacy as well. These guys deserve the type of record we made.”
Former member Phillip Lammonds is credited with co-writing several of the songs on the 11-track LP. “That’s How I Knew,” was written by Houck, Jay Clementi and Radney Foster, the latter is also featured on the recording. Charleston singer-songwriter Finnegan Bell appears on the song “The Good Road,” and dobro master Jerry Douglas contributed to the track “The Road You Don’t.”
Houck described the process of recording “That How I Knew” for Big Dreamers, which was captured in the video, exclusively sharing the statement below with JamBase:
“The video quite simply catches the band in the act of actually recording this song, ‘That’s How I Knew,’ written by Bobby with Radney Foster and Jay Clementi in Nashville a few years back…
We recorded June 24 – July 1, 2021, at ‘The Space’ in downtown Charleston, the studio belonging to Wolfgang Zimmerman, producer/engineer/musician who has worked with Band of Horses, Susto, and many others.
“The tracking process started with the three original band members, Bobby Houck on acoustic guitar and lead vocal, Hank Futch on upright bass and vocals, and Greg Walker on drums. Those three played live until they nailed the rhythm tracks, and our engineers/producers Sadler Vaden and Paul Ebersold ended up keeping Bobby’s lead vocals as well.
“While the recording was happening, Sadler (a former Blue Dogs guitarist, and currently a key member of Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit) would play along and figure out parts, and quickly in between takes, he would lay down a number of guitar tracks that were all amazing. Then our current guitarist, Dan Hood, put down a couple of lead guitar tracks and then recorded a high-strung acoustic part, and the song was essentially done.
“When Bobby went to Nashville to do overdubs with at Paul’s studio, he invited Radney to come by to listen, and Radney ended up putting down an amazing three-part harmony part of ‘oohs and aahs,’ in addition to a backing vocal that stands out and features his amazing baritone.
“The video was shot and edited by Charleston videographer Ellie Whitcomb Payne with showyourstorymedia.com.”
Watch the exclusive premiere of The Blue Dogs video for “That’s How I Knew” off their upcoming Sadler Vaden-produced album, Big Dreamers below:
Big Dreamers Tracklist
- The Good Ones
- Big Dreamers
- Young Love
- All Night Long
- That’s How I Knew (feat. Radney Foster)
- Love Is Love Is Love
- The Good Road (feat. Finnegan Bell)
- The Road You Don’t (feat. Jerry Douglas)
- Fever
- Carolina Grand
- All Out Of Time
