Interview: Dan Sturdevant of Planetary Overdrive

Dan Sturdevant is 1/3 of the Power rock trio Planetary Overdrive with his wife, Nat Sturdevant, and drummer Cam Thomas. Their first album will be released this friday, March 31st. 

Party Time: (L) Dan (C) Nat (R) Cam

37) Planetary Overdrive consists of you, Cam Thomas, and your wife Nat Sturdevant. How long have you guys been together and how is the dynamic as a three piece and being married to one member? 

DS) We have been together for right at a year. It's great being able to work on songs with Nat here at our home studio and bounce ideas off each other just in daily life. We have been playing together for over a decade so we are certainly on the same wavelength. 

The three piece dynamic really keeps things tight. Cam is one of the best drummers I've had the pleasure playing with and we really clicked off the bat.  I personally have always been drawn to the power trio model, it allows everyone in the band to really weave their part in. 

37) Your brother, Nate Sturdevant, is the co-owner of New Wave Burritos, home of the Party Weekend Hot Sauce. Is there a connection with that and the first track 'Party Weekend' on the new self-titled album?

DS) Yeah! We love New Wave Burritos. Nate would yell Party Weekend at shows back when Nat, Nate and I were in the band Supertruck with our buddy Jordan. I had always wanted to write an anathematic song about the frame of mind and lifestyle that is Party Weekend. Going out with your friends and just having a good ole time no matter what kind of week you had.

New Wave's Party Weekend sauce and crispy chicharrones

37) Your older brothers Nate and Andy have been mainstays in the Louisville music scene for years, playing together in the early oughts. Is rock n' roll in the genes and what's it like coming up in the music scene on the heels of rock legend brothers? 

DS) No doubt about it. I have been playing guitar since '98 and some of my first jam sessions were with Nate. I remember going to a Glasspack and Red Sun show with Andy around that time. Andy, Nate and Nat and I did a one off band named One Term Senator in 2010 when Andy was in town for a week. Some of my first shows were Andy and Nate's band, The Blow Up in Japanese. After seeing them I got together with my high school buddies and we started our punk band, Hung Jury. 

37) Speaking of the Louisville music scene, what local bands inspired you growing up and are you listening to any contemporary local bands in particular?

DS) I was definitely inspired by The Blow Up in Japanese. I actually tagged along with Nate and one of the guitarists in the band, Dave Wolkensperg. I pulled some old junky guitar off the wall and started messing around with it upside down (I'm a lefty) and Dave walks over and asks if I'm interested in it. I said yeah I was and he put it on layaway for me right there. I mowed a few lawns and got back up there as soon as I could to take it home. 

When I was growing up I remember seeing Your Black Star and really being impressed with some of sounds coming out of Jeremy's amp. I also had the False Cathedrals cassette and really enjoyed Elliott. The Glasspack put on an awesome show and I was blown away by their energy. I saw Ayin more than a few times at the BRYCC house. 

Supertruck played many times with Adventure in the past and I am really stoked on playing with them again at our album release at Haymarket. Jordan Frost of Adventure mastered our album and really helped it come together. I just saw Powell for the first time this last Saturday at Galaxie, they had a great three piece feel, they're all brothers and they were tight. Kingslayer is an awesome power metal band with a ton of energy. I love Stagecoach Inferno's sound and their new album is fantastic. 

37) Where do you see Planetary Overdrive going into the future?

I'm really pumped on this first album. It's self produced and recorded and we plan on making many more. We had been working on it over the last few months and have many more songs to share with the world. Looking forward to playing many more rock and roll shows in the future and spreading the party! 

Planetary Overdrive self tittled album Release show with Adventure & Jet Black Orchid is this Friday March 31st at Haymarket Whiskey Bar. 9pm. $5.