Since 2010, Arkansas outfit Sad Daddy has traveled down many a road–together and separately–at times focusing on their solo projects and then reuniting for a band project. The four members, Brian Martin, Joe Sundell, Rebecca Patek, and Melissa Carper, all conspired and united in the sudden spare time of 2020 to create their third album, Way Up in the Hills.
They all met up at Brian’s cabin in Greers Ferry, Arkansas, and over a couple bottles of chocolate milk and a few jugs of whiskey they collaborated, writing and arranging songs specifically for the new album. A first for Sad Daddy, they took the brand-new bones of each other’s ideas and worked on them as a band to construct and finish the songs. The collective decided on a down-home, back-to-the-country theme—a reflection on the state of the world and the desire to go back to simpler ways and self-sufficiency, goin’ way up in the hills and letting the chaos settle.
Sad Daddy has had various phases of hitting it hard as a band and times of focusing in on solo projects and other bands, always reuniting and fanning the Sad Daddy flame anew, jumping right back into it like seeing a good old friend again. When the four come together they offer their original material up to arrange ‘Sad Daddy style.’
With a long and dedicated history of making their audiences happy, Sad Daddy is emerging rejuvenated with their third album Way Up in the Hills.With a more down-home and old-timey feel than their previous albums, they all stretched themselves a bit to create a common theme and new songs together and are on a path to becoming a “band” band; a band that writes together, makes breakfast together, fishes together, and floats together—stays together.
Do you have any go-to albums to listen to in the van?
Hmmm….sometimes when we’re driving home late at night, Melissa will start singing along with old Elvis b-sides and rarities from some satellite radio station. Joe finds his way to a lot of crooners and old folk music. Rebecca will jam out some modern pop songs that only she knows. I lean on the old 70’s funk and soul to bump me down the highway.
Explain the title of your album.
We came together in a cabin out on the lake during the first summer of Covid to write and record this album.
Way Up in the Hills is not only representative of the environment we worked in, but also a reflection of our desire to write about the idea of just getting away from it all.
Does your album have an overarching theme?
Expounding upon the previous answer, there is an idea of just getting away from the state that the world was in at that time.
Surrounding ourselves with nature and solitude and getting back to the roots.
Tell us about the first song you wrote.
As a band, I guess that would actually be “Charlie Pickle,” which is included on this album. We’ve always brought our individually finished songs to the group on our previous albums, but this was the first time that we all pulled together unfinished ideas and turned them into a Sad Daddy song.
Recent release you cannot stop listening to?
We’re big fans of Sierra Ferrel’s new album Long Time Coming.
Is there a professional “bucket list” item you would love to check off?
Still be doing this shit when we get old.