By Caleb Haley
Usually it happens this way in the music industry: A band comes together based on its talent and, eventually, drugs and alcohol get in the way, tour dates get canceled, and members go their separate ways into substance-abuse rehabilitation and counseling. Rock/hip-hop group Rehab took the opposite route; they were formed inside a rehab center.
Led by singer Danny Boone, Rehab has played music they love (and some they hate) across multiple genres for more than a decade, finding success with jukebox sing-along anthems that support deeper, more personal stories. Their upcoming tour and album, Whore, looks to hook the next generation of Rehab fans. In the meantime, we talked to Boone about the band's new album, his current state of mind, and how he manages to keep his music fresh.
Rehab is scheduled to play Tuesday, May 7, at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe.
What do you consider to be the band's most complete work to date?
My favorite -- and I guess the most popular one -- still is Southern Discomfort.
How do you work to appeal to the younger generations with every album as you get older?
I don't really worry about it too much, but there is obviously a desire in every artist to appeal on a mass level. I don't know. We just kind of keep it fresh by using different producers and getting a different take on the music.
When I first started, I just did hip-hop and was just a hip-hop artist. Jumping around on [Whore], we have DJ Burn One who did stuff, and he's working with Jeezy now. So you know, through the producer you get different vibes about what to do. The new album we [have] is kind of going back to Southern Discomfort stuff . . . a little more hip-hop shit.
As compared to your last two albums, Gullible's Travels and Welcome Home?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Gullible's Travels and Welcome Home, you know those albums . . . We were signed to Universal and they were pushing us to do country music.
Which we [weren't] crazy about that idea. Actually, we hated it. But we signed and we were on the road and it was like, "Let's keep our job and let's do this. Let's write and, you know, it might blow up," you know what I mean?
So we did that and they called and said, "Just keep it simple," and we said, "Okay." The "Sittin' at a Bar" thing definitely [influenced that], with them putting what they did into it. I think it was the path of least resistance for them as far as plugging it into places, but it wasn't where our heart was. I think that kind of reflected in the albums.
So if you were referring a new listener to Rehab, it wouldn't be either of the last two albums -- you'd go back to Graffiti the World and Southern Discomfort?
Yeah, and the new one that we [have] coming out that's still in mixing and mastering.
When can we expect that one to come out?
I would say mid-July to August for a release.
I did hear the single ["Whore"] off of the new album. Is that the sound you're moving toward in the new album?
No. The new album [has] a lot of different flavs in it. That song just was -- you know, just funny. It was an attention-getter. It's catchy and it's funny. Everybody's thought that or said that at one time or another, even women. [laughs]
You repeatedly reference substance abuse, redemption, and relapse in your music. Today, do you maintain a life of sobriety or still live out the songs that you write?
I don't do everything that I used to. I do drink beer and I do smoke weed, but I no longer mess with cocaine, meth, ecstasy, and all that.
Well, I say that, but as of now I don't. You know what I'm saying? As of now I don't, but that other stuff for me . . . I guess I just like it too much. It allows me to be a -- nut.
I want to ask you about the song "Red Water" off Graffiti the World. It deals with the topic of suicide from a unique angle.
I've had -- I can't remember how many I've counted -- so many friends and people I've been acquainted with commit suicide. There's always that thought of, "I wonder what they thought right before they died, like, 'Crap,' when they pull the trigger and they realize they've screwed up." Pretty morbid stuff, but then I put another twist on it; the grass is not always greener on the other side.
When does the Whore tour begin?
Right now we're staying local, doing some stuff. Then the official going-out-west thing is going to be the Whore tour. Actually, whenever the T-shirts get here -- that's when it's official. [Laughs.]
What music are you listening to while on the road?
We're usually making beats on our laptops and trying to stay creative. When I listen to music, I listen to some of anything. I listened to Ben Folds Five the other night and Cody Chestnut -- you know, a lot of stuff. A lot of old-school hip-hop and stuff like that.
