For the last three years, the Salem-based duo The Dejas have been playing all over the Northeast, from festivals to house concerts. They even played The Gap this summer in a nation-wide acoustic night, celebrating 40 years of Gap jeans. In June, they were our featured band at Art Throb’s Midsummer Mingling event at Soma in Beverly. See our complete feature from last June here.
We love them. And you can too this week at Gulu and again on Halloween!
They are soulful, singing of nature…and hope for the future!
Tyler Colby was able to catch up with The Dejas, Callie Lipton and Aaron Katz, for an interview this week and get some insight into their realm of music and creativity.
Q: Discuss the connection that you two have musically.
Aaron: We have an incredibly deep respect for each other as people, which translates into an ability to give each other the presence and space needed to artistically express our individual thoughts as well as our unified visions. We both love experiencing and feeling life in intense, passionate, and beautiful ways.
Callie: I think Aaron pretty much described this one perfectly. It’s incredibly rewarding to have Aaron or I create a song or idea, and share it with the other. It’s also very exciting to see how we both add to the songs with our own unique flavors to make the final creation.
Q: You two have traveled two distinctly different roads thus far: Aaron touring the country with multiple groups and Callie perfecting her craft more privately; how do those experiences help you grow as a band?
Aaron: Callie injects fresh new energy into my occasionally tired, veteran, road-withered bones. I bring years of experience as a full time musician, producer, road warrior, and teacher to her life. We learn from each other daily. It is very much a Sun/Moon relationship with both of us taking turns at being there for the other based on the moment and situation that presents itself.
Callie: I think we both benefit greatly from our past experiences in the paths we have taken musically. We definitely came into this musical journey at the perfect time. I was a singer/songwriter who finally got enough courage to share my music with people. I had always wanted to be a musician but just didn’t know the right path to take in doing that. When Aaron came into my life, he was a surge of inspiration and confidence in me and my music playing. His experience and knowledge from the road and from being in professional bands for the past several years helped open doors for the beginning musician/ band mate that I was.
I can tell you the minute we first took the stage together — it was magical yet it felt so natural. I was hooked and I still am. We have been playing shows all around the Northeast for the past 3 years and this is just the beginning. We have high hopes and big goals!
Q: What are your aspirations for yourselves and the group? Do you even think about it?
Aaron: Staying vital, inspired, and creative always! Appreciating and cultivating the gifts we have been given, playing in theaters across the world, providing for a family and others in need from the fruits of our labors. Also, creating some form of an Arts Community Center, making albums until death, and spreading and attracting a life full of motion, growth, love, beauty, and knee-slappin’ river dancin’ fun.
Callie: First off, I want to try to feel as inspired and driven as possible. I want to continue writing and performing music for the rest of my life but growing as much as possible while doing it. I would love to tour nationally and internationally. Two of my favorite things besides music are traveling and helping people, so to be able to combine all three of these passions together would be one of the most incredibly fulfilling things ever. I want to make people happy though music. I want to connect with them though the songs. And I also want to see a shift in the world, with music being one of the most powerful and positive forces in the process.
For more information, check out:
The Dejas Band Website:
http://www.thedejas.com
The Dejas on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/thedejasmusic
