The Drews
Tahuya, Washington, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2014
Music
Press
Described as "Americana singer/songwriters with twisted roots," the Drews play music based on blues and country licks but their interests are more eclectic, encompassing everything from soul to B-52's-style camp. Their delivery is sincere and direct, and the continually changing styles make for a number of nice surprises. True, some of this is conventional small-time stuff, but "Lager Drinkin' Laggard," "Lloyd's Eyes," and "Ain't Got No Friends" are quite enjoyable and memorable, and there's even an Irish-styled singalong, "Lucky Ones," complete with clever lyrics and a chorus that doesn't sound tired or kitschy. In fact, there's very little one can criticize about the Drews — they don't overstep their talent, and the record's homespun energy and flow are an unanticipated delight. — Jim Smith - allmusic.com
“The Drews describe themselves as ‘Americana singer-songwriters with twisted roots.’ Consisting of Andrew and Jen DiMartino, who sing, write the songs, and play guitar and bass, their songs have a low-key, comfortable feel. Calling their style ‘Americana’ is probably as good as anything, although limiting – the songs on the CD range from a country feel, to an Irish drinking song, a slide guitar blues, and a John Fahey-like instrumental, among other things… An enjoyable album…” - Kenneth Strong, Victory Review
I love this album! The Drews will put a spell on you with their incredibly contagious songs on the album The Sins Of Others. Right out the starting blocks when Andrew DiMartino started singing the opening track “Not So Near To Here,” that was it for me I was sold. He sounds like Dave Alvin and the music is that smoldering country-rock-blues that sticks to you like flypaper on hot summer day. I promise you, after one spin of this CD, you will be hooked.
“Nasty Girls” is a real hoot, complete with a kazoo to give it that old time vaudeville Red Skelton effect. “God’s Green Room” puts the TV evangelists in their rightful place. The words shout out loud and clear what a scam those people can be pointing out lines like- we accept credit cards, praise the lord, now you will go to heaven…yup, sure we will. “Make Me Scream” is Jen DiMartino’s moment in sun, she sings like a woman that knows what she wants…lyrics like-I don’t care about anything else just make me scream, tell tale straight away. The title track is a real scorcher with some nasty slide guitar as an intro; this particular track shows how the blues can inspire an artist.
This is one fine album, from top to bottom. There honestly was not a track I did not enjoy on this CD. Think of a bunch of good old boys sitting on the porch passing around the jug labeled XXX and you can feel the atmosphere a little bit better. Your feet will be tapping and your heart will flutter, this is music that reaches down and pulls your stomach inside out, and you get a few laughs along the way too.
- Keith MuzikMan Hanneleck
When I heard that The Drew were labeled Rock-Country-Blues-Folk I was not expecting something I would like, since Country and Blues are two genres I don't care for. Then for some reason the cover art made me think it would be rap or hip hop. So things were not looking good for The Drews getting a positive review from Collected Sounds.
Luckily, these things didn't matter once I put the CD on. The sound is indeed country-ish but also has this pop sensibility and is humorous in the way the Gear Daddies approached country music (I'm still a huge fan of theirs). I might call this alternative bluegrass or something like that. I don't hear real blues, thank goodness.
This is their second album. Their first being Strategically Interrupted Silence, in 2001.
The vocals on "Not So Near To Here" are a combination of Johnny Cash and Brad Roberts (from the Crash Test Dummies).
The country roots show in the lyrics as well, they have a lot of words ending with in'. "Make Me Scream" has some pretty suggestive lyrics - yes, it's about what you think it is.
"The Sins of Others" is a fun ride. I mean, you gotta love a band that has drinking songs, right? Or is that drinkin'?
- Amy Lotsberg
With a vocalist who sounds barely one step behind the late great Man in Black, The Drews forge Americana and roots rock with a renewed sense of urgent audacity. What do you mean you ask? Well they have songs like the bio sheet suggests, that sound as if they were stripped from some old cartoon reels’ soundtrack. Lyrically they delve into the inner realms of mankind’s most messed up material talking it up about serial killers who just happen to be optometrists but with a firm grasp on the coffeehouse mentality that oozes a relaxed atmosphere and a sing-a-bility that will quickly find you humming along even if you’re not too sure of the lyrics.
- J - Sin
Discography
The Sins Of Others
Strategically Interrupted Silence
Photos
Bio
"Then there are the times
You think you'll lose your mind,
But you don't,
And then you're walking through the world
With your heart in your hand,
Free once again..."
---The Drews, "Stairwells"
The Drews are songwriting team and life partners Andrew and Jen DiMartino, who hail from from Tahuya, WA, on the beautiful Hood Canal.
Andrew was a teenage runaway in Washington Square when he overheard Dave van Ronk giving a guitar lesson. He spent the next few years with an acoustic guitar and as many folk recordings he could find. Shrapnel from the Great Folk Scare can be found in every Drews song.
Multi-instrumentalist Jen (bass keyboard, congas, bongos, accordion) is an artistic wanderer, her musical journey ranging from rock to theatre to latin percussion, and eventually back to her Southern roots.
Shortly after migrating from LA to the Seattle area, Andrew heard Jen playing bongos on a beach, and The Drews were born. After playing the Seattle club scene in many incarnations from acoustic duo to a full band with as many as 9 members at one time, their sound evolved to the quirky, no-frills, Basic Unit A approach they have now.
With 2 critically acclaimed recordings and a fan base throughout the US and Europe, The Drews were poised to take over the world when fate intervened, and Andrew was dealt a series of medical blows that left him fighting for his life for several years.
The music kept playing, however, and Andrew has emerged from those years with more determination than ever. The Drews are still writing songs, one of which was recently picked up by a movie (Bayard Wootten - The Big Stride), and are recording and playing out again - with more stories to tell, and their basic acoustic sound that endures, as they have.
"Think of a bunch of good old boys sitting on the porch passing around the jug labeled XXX and you can feel the atmosphere a little bit better" -- Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck, Muzikreviews.com and Blues Matters (UK)
"Head-turning, no frills music that's full of chance-taking and imagination." Gary von Tersh, Sing Out!
"These roots sure are twisted, but there's a place on the tree for everyone." -- Joelle Seligson, leftoffthedial.com
Band Members
Links
