Tom Savage is the singer-guitarist at the helm of Canadian rock band Dead Root Revival. David Barbe is the veteran American musician and producer who has worked with everyone from Bob Mould to R.E.M. to Drive-By Truckers.
Together, they could be the members of an awesome duo called Savage Barbe (or Barbe Savage, depending on who wants top billing). But they aren’t. In fact, Barbe produced Dead Root Revival’s most recent album The Controller’s Exam, a rollicking, earthy set of jammy, southern-style rock reminiscent of The Allman Brothers Band. How did they get together? What was it like putting these songs down on tape? Whose gear fell over in the middle of a take that still made it onto the album? All these questions and more were answered when the pair Zoomed in from their respective home bases in Ontario and Georgia. I even managed to sneak in a question about the Truckers’ brand-new reissue of Southern Rock Opera. Enjoy.
