By DONNA BALANCIA
Movie Club, comprised of Vince Cuneo and Jessamyn Violet, like surf music. They like it so much, they put together a video to honor Dick Dale called “Navy Seal.” The track has a “Munsters” feel to it but there’s no doubt the song was fashioned in footsteps of Movie Club’s favorite surf legend, who passed away last March.
California Rocker broke the news of Dick Dale’s passing, read here.
They collaborated with local mural artist Muck Rock and surf videographer Michael Veltman. “Navy Seal” is off of the band’s recently released second EP Hammerhead.
We had a chance for a Q and A with the band.
Why do you think Dick Dale was so important?
Jessamyn: I saw Dick Dale perform twice and both times he was a staggering force of vibe that left a lasting impression. People were losing their minds. As an instrumental band, we aim to arouse the audience that much without need of words as well.
Vince: Dick Dale created the image of surfing with his music. He was a product of his surroundings and family upbringing. Dale wasn’t trying to be anybody else, and that is true artistry.
What is it about surf music that is so appealing to all generations?
Jessamyn: Waves are timelessly captivating, and surf music aims to imitate the waves. The ocean does what it wants, and we’ll never fully understand it, so it will always be cool.
Vince: Surf music has a global connection that can take anyone to the beach, especially because there usually aren’t lyrics. We can be anywhere in the world listening to surf music and there will be an undeniable connection in the room.
How did you and Vince meet?
Jessamyn: We met at the soft opening for the new Cat and the Fiddle on Highland by Melrose. My dear friend and sometimes bandmate, bassist Eva Gardner, her family has always owned the Cat. So I was sitting at the counter, keeping Eva company while she was guest bartending, and someone came up to my left and ordered a beer. He paid with a card, and when Eva took it, she turned to me and said, “You two have the same last name.” The rest is absolute history.
Who taught you to play the drums?
Jessamyn: I’m mainly self-taught, but fortunate to have a deep background in classical piano, years of strict lessons starting when I was eight. Playing drums eventually proved way more fun than piano and it was a relatively smooth transition Jan of 2011 by incorporating all the music theory I already knew and just playing all the time, with all my heart.
If you could talk to Dick Dale and tell him anything what would it be?
Jessamyn: I’d tell him how much I respect him for daring to do something no one else was doing at the time, something that fully captured what he loved and wanted to express in his individual soul, and sticking to it. That is the best that any artist can achieve, in my opinion.
Vince: I would thank him for the inspiration to be a creator. He made ripples all through California in the 60’s and then everyone heard “Miserlou” on Pulp Fiction in the 90’s and he rightfully became a worldwide legend after decades of hard work.