A BIT TOO HEAVY - HOMESTYLE DINNER ROLLS
Homestyle Dinner Rolls. You might be drooling but you’d be mistaken because I’m not referring to the food but I’m referring to the band, or rather, the duo. Described as a “captivating indie, pop-punk, and classic rock band that serves up a delectable blend of musical genres”, Homestyle Dinner Rolls originated in the city of Springville, Utah, and the duo consists of Danny Kawai (vox, bass) and Jake Follette (guitar, backing vox).
Courtesy of their official website (which you can find at the end of this feature), the question Utah’s Greatest Band? Is found in large lettering and since they’ve just released their newest single, a song titled A Bit Too Heavy, I figured I’d see if I can find the answer to that question.
During the pre-writing stages and research, I wasn’t sure how a style that combined indie, punk, pop, grunge, and rock would work together but now that I’ve ventured into their music, I get it. It’s totally original while also paying homage to the greats that surely inspired them: in a way, they are carrying the torch on with their own uniqueness.
A Bit Too Heavy is a punch in the face...but in a good way. It opens up with a powerful cocktail of vocals and instrumentals that fuse together into one epic creation that reeks of The All American Rejects, Mötley Crüe, Vampire Weekend, and Guns N’ Roses all in one. Kawai’s vocal technique is near-perfect for the style they have established and Follette’s doggedness on the guitar only elevates everything to the next level, making for a blast-from-the-past yet futuristic whirlwind.
After the first listen through of A Bit Too Heavy, it was near-impossible to not listen again. I found it on repeat while I was in the car, at work, in the shower, you name it (all the while, headbanging until I got a migraine). Most of my music taste lies in the realms of classic rock and older blues (The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, CSNY, and Black Sabbath if you want to be specific) and I’ve found myself to be overly picky with modern works so this totally took me for a ride of surprises and inexplicable joy.
After this fresh release, the next steps for Homestyle Dinner Rolls remains to be a mystery. As of publishing, no future shows or projects have been announced but personally, I can say that their video series “Pitching New Band Names Until The Other Person Laughs” is quite the treat if you need a pick me up. In the meantime, A Bit Too Heavy along with the rest of their discography (including a single titled Taco Bell, hell of a track name AND one hell of a song) is available anywhere you find music and I implore you to give them a listen (or two, or three...)!