Interview with Dirty Bynum: ‘It just kinda came about, we started playing loud and going for that energy’

Hot on the heels of their latest single ‘Sweet Peaches’, Eustace, east Texas rock band Dirty Bynum are working on their debut album.

The band comprises childhood friends Tanner Van Horn (lead vocals, guitar and bass), Joe Hunter (drums), Bucky Womble (vocals, guitar and bass) and Ryan Powers (lead guitar and bass).

Their name is a reference to high school: ‘We’d been playing guitar about a month, we were in Spanish class together, talking about AC/DC’s large, inflatable woman they incorporate during shows, maybe named Dirty Betty, I’m not sure, and we go “Oh, dirty Bynum”, which was the name of our Spanish teacher! She knows we’re named after her, she likes it,’ Van Horn said.

They’re off to college again next month but are determined to try and put together an album, Van Horn and Hunter said, so we can expect more of their trademark scorching riffs, powerful vocals from Van Horn and Womble and ninja drumming from Hunter.

Last month, they released their single ‘Sweet Peaches’, which Van Horn describes as one of the first songs they wrote: ‘One day, Bucky came over and played the main rhythm part – the “duh na na na” – and I started playing the main melody over the top, we were like “Man, it sounds like a dirty rock song”. I had a dog named Peaches, an American bulldog but she passed away. She was huge, she weighed 120 lbs!’

As the song goes: ‘Sweet peaches, honey, and cream. I see ya baby, you’re looking so mean! See ya baby, you’re looking at me. Tell me baby, what do ya see?’

Last year, they brought out their EP, ‘FYS’, which officially stands for ‘Forget Your Sweater: ‘It doubles for the F word, too,’ Van Horn laughed. ‘It’s kind of about me trying to move on from a past relationship. The sweater on the (artwork) cover was mine. It was my favourite sweater and she stole it!’ As the song goes: ‘She’d make you feel better. He was across the room, you saw your favourite sweater on someone else. Man, he kinda looks like you.’

‘I wanted to pursue music, it had a lot of my heart in it’

Interestingly, they didn’t start out on the guitar: ‘I’ve always been real passionate about music all my life,’ Van Horn said. ‘I was in a marching band in high school, I played the French horn. I wanted to pursue music, it had a lot of my heart in it. Me and Bucky started on guitar around five years ago.’ Since then, big guitar riffs have become a hallmark of their songs, although it happened somewhat serendipitously: ‘It just kinda came about, we started playing loud and going for that energy, it just happened on its own, naturally,’ Van Horn said. ‘We went off to college – I was playing acoustic at college – and after COVID hit, we got our band back together.’

Hunter almost didn’t join the band: ‘We were in high school and on a run one day and they’d already asked me a couple of times to be their drummer but I thought I was too cool, haha! They broke me down. Tanner had written ‘Moth Man’ before COVID, Ryan joined during COVID.’ Van Horn nods: ‘Joe and Bucky always loved ‘Moth Man’, I never took it seriously. Sometimes, we’ll play together and, in the moment, we’ll start something. Bucky and I write together and on our own.’

I say that my favourite song of theirs is ‘Rock & Roll Child’ on their ‘FYS’ EP (2020) because it’s such a big song with huge riffs and powerful vocals from Womble: ‘That’s one that Bucky wrote,’ he said. ‘It’s an early one, too. We normally play it close to the end of a set. ‘Waging War’ (on the same EP), we close with that, everyone goes crazy for it.’

He describes ‘Rock & Roll Child’ thus: ‘Bucky’s really into 70’s glam rock, Cheap Trick etc. It’s based on southern rock, being the rock ‘n’ roll child and being inspired by these iconic rock stars, the kind of “now’s your time” mentality.’ The chorus exemplifies that: ‘Rock & Roll Child. Rock & Roll Child. Be bold. be strong, be wild.’

‘We’re very inspired by break-ups’

Last year, they also released their ‘Moth Man’ EP, featuring the title track, ‘Waste Away’ and ‘Bedroom to Balcony’. ‘Waste Away’, with its one minute guitar/drum intro is one of their standout tracks to date, featuring an infectious riff and lead vocals from Womble: ‘It’s one of those things, that intro just stuck,’ Van Horn said. ‘We’re very inspired by break-ups, we’re a break-up boy band! (laughs). Bucky had a girlfriend in high school, this song’s about putting that behind him. Hunter nods: ‘I always thought line “I found who I am in that tropical wonderland” could be his wanting to feel something else after the break-up.’ 

Eustace, which is about an hour away from Dallas, is very much country music territory, Hunter and Van Horn say. ‘Country is a big deal here,’ Van Horn said. Hunter agrees: ‘Red dirt country is very popular,’ he said. I ask what the difference is between the two. ‘Red dirt country is more traditional, think older style country, it’s the whole “red dirt” going back to your roots,’ Hunter said. Growing up, they both listened to a lot of Red Hot Chili Peppers: ‘Outkast inspired me to make music,’ Van Horn said. Hunter chips in: ‘Where we are, country is such a big thing, so I grew up listening to that stuff but then from around sixth grade, music started to click with me, that’s when I started to listen to Red Hot Chili Peppers and Twenty One Pilots. That whole alt music scene has influenced me a lot.’

The chat turns to inspirational musicians, in particular to drummers who have inspired Hunter: ‘Dave Grohl and Josh Dun (drummer) from Twenty One Pilots. Dave Grohl, he’s the man, to be able to drum with him…’ I ask him if he saw Dave Grohl’s epic drumming battles with 10 year London schoolgirl, Nandi Bushell, over lockdown: ‘YES, oh man!!! It’s bittersweet, it gives me hope but she’s so much better than me,’ he laughed. ‘I learned my first drum beat when I was five or six, I had two uncles who were drummers, so that planted a seed. I played percussion and drums in a marching band at school and I played drums in church, too.’ Van Horn is nodding: ‘A big part of Texas’ music scene is playing in church,’ he said. ‘A lot of people get their start there – I didn’t but it’s the way a lot of people get exposure.’

‘They’re so cool and slick, I love their whole feel’

Both Hunter and Van Horn express their frustration at the decision on the part of many people where they live to ignore advice and not wear masks and practice social distancing: ‘We’ve been able to play shows since the summer, maybe two shows a month,’ Van Horn said. Hunter joins in: ‘We do what we can with what we have, some places do practice social distancing a bit.’ One of the upside of staying at home more is that they have both discovered new bands: ‘I started listening to a band called Peach Pit (an indie rock band from Vancouver), they play a lot of festivals, they’re bedroom pop with heavy guitars,’ Van Horn said. Hunter has found other bands ‘I found The Wrecks (an LA rock band), they’re so cool and slick, I love their whole feel.’ I tell him that I love them as well. ‘My favourite band right now is probably Hippo Campus (an American indie rock band from Saint Paul, Minnesota),’ he said excitedly. ‘I love their song ‘Buttercup’, I guess they’re indie pop or indie rock, they’re super groovy, they feel like The Undertones.’

They have some good advice for first time visitors to Texas: ‘Check out the local food spots,’ Hunter said. ‘There’s live music at a lot of local venues. Van Horn agrees: ‘I’d say go to Austin, it’s such a special place, especially to me, it’s my favourite place in Texas. It’s the music capital of Texas, you could compare it to Nashville, they’re more liberal.’ Hunter nods: ‘I feel that Austin is the best place to be, there’s something for everyone.’ Van Horn jumps back in: ‘Austin is such a beautiful place, downtown is right next to the Colorado River with rolling hills.’

If they could write a song with anyone, Van Horn is quick to say Jack Antonoff, the lead singer of New York-based indie pop band Bleachers: ‘He works with everyone!,’ he joked. ‘It would be good to see how he writes a powerful pop song. Or Kurt Cobain. Do you like Weezer?’ I say that I do. ‘They covered ‘Africa’ by TOTO, it’s hard to live up to something that’s already perfect. I’d like to write a song with Weezer.’ Hunter can’t decide: ‘I feel it’s a cop out answer but to do something with Dave Grohl would be so awesome. Or John Lennon, we could do something cool with him!’

(Photo from left to right: Bucky, Joe, Tanner and Ryan.)