Lead singer Dustin Payseur moved from North Carolina to New York in order to pursue music.
Brooklyn, N.Y., two-piece Beach Fossils stops in Washington tonight to play DC9 in support of its newest album, Clash the Truth. And though the long-in-the-works album has barely been out for a week, lead singer Dustin Payseur is already looking ahead.
“It’s exciting to finally have it out,” Payseur said. “I’m already working on stuff I want to come out soon. I’m already thinking about the next stuff.”
This restlessness can already be heard in Beach Fossils’ latest work: Skittering and frantic, yet dreamy and lush, Clash the Truth marks a concerted effort to transfer the sound of the band’s raucous live shows to the studio, Payseur said.
“That’s the band I know,” said Payseur. “That’s the band my friends know. But if you haven’t come and seen it live, you were just going to have a completely different impression.”
A sense of community is important to Payseur, who moved to Brooklyn from Charlotte, N.C. to pursue music. He’s quick to sing the praises of his adopted home, which is occasionally attacked as a hipster enclave.
“People come here because there’s so much creativity,” he explained. “Everyone kind of works together in a really helpful way. It’s a really nice thing.”
Initially a DIY solo project for Payseur, who played every instrument on the group’s self-titled debut, Beach Fossils has expanded and switched out rosters over the years, but drummer Tommy Gardner joined the band full time for Clash the Truth.
Though the twosome did all of the playing on the album, Payseur and Gardner flesh out their drum and bass sound on tour with a full band, including Tommy Davidson and Craft Spells’ Jack Doyle Smith.
“They’re pretty talented guys,” Payseur said. “I’m borrowing them from other bands. Or maybe I’m stealing them. They’re just friends of mine.”
And Clash the Truth could not have come together without friendship. The New York recording studio Payseur and Gardner worked in was “demolished” by Superstorm Sandy while the album was in the mixing process, Payseur said. They were, however, able to relocate to another studio to finish the LP.
Payseur also called in favors from other friends and artists, including visual artist Peter Campus, whose artwork became the album’s cover.
It was a bit of a rough transition from fandom to friendship with the digital videographer, Payseur recalled.
“I called him, and at first he actually said no,” Payseur said. “I asked him in a more heartfelt way, made it clear that I was a fan. We made some sort of connection. He’s a cool guy.”
Beach Fossils plays DC9 with Young Rapids and Go Cozy tonight. Doors open at 8 p.m. The show is sold out.
