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When they arrive at the Gulu-Gulu Cafe,
after recording the final notes on a new
album, The Dejas are glowing like new
parents. And Callie Lipton, the band's
pretty lead singer, adds to the mood
when, breathing a heavy sigh, she says,
"[Creating an album] is like having a
child. You bring up this living thing
and it's a creature in itself. You put
so much time into it."
With an Art Throb show at Soma
restaurant in Beverly on July 30, and
plenty more gigs planned throughout New
England this summer, the two musicians
are all too happy to gush about their
new baby, an album called Speeding
Softly, that was produced by 37′
Productions, a Rockland-based studio
that's seen the likes of musicians
including Elliot Smith and Rush. They
say the album, due out this fall, is
their best yet, steeped in their
signature mellow indie-pop sound, but
with more rock n' roll edge thanks to
the incorporation of electric guitar.
Also, Lipton says her voice has evolved
in the two years she's been playing
shows throughout the northeast.
"I'm pushing my voice more now," she
says. "It's about being more confident
with what we're doing."
Listening to The Dejas is like taking a
dreamy walk through the woods. Lipton's
voice is soft and natural in a Susan
Vega kind of way, the perfect complement
to Katz's drum playing and smooth
harmonizing voice. The new album is rich
in musical instrumentation,
incorporating everything from xylophone
to ukulele.
Musical upbringing
Both Katz and Lipton experienced
childhoods steeped in music and
creativity. Katz, a Worcester native, is
the son of two musicians. Lipton, who
grew up in the Boston area, proudly
declares herself the daughter of "hippie
parents." Mom, a music teacher who once
followed the Grateful Dead around, had
the good fortune of teaching Joan Baez's
child in school in California. Baez
became a family friend and in inviting
the family to the Newport Folk Festival
to see her perform, gave Lipton her
first taste of the musician's life.
"She was this spiritual wise woman I
looked up to," Lipton says. "She cooked
eggs for us in the morning sometimes,
but then I’d also see her on the stage,
performing, and I was totally in awe of
that life..."
Like her childhood hero, Lipton is
determined to pursue the musician's
life, no matter how difficult it may be.
"I really want this to be full time,
everyday," she says. Katz, it seems
feels the same.
These days
The Dejas are in the middle of a
bustling summer playing shows across New
England. Adventurers at heart, the two
are hoping to launch a tour of
Massachusetts in the fall on a bicycle
built for two, beginning in Salem and
hopping off to play at venues within a
two hour radius. To be certain, pedaling
along the road together is a great
analogy for where they are in their
musical career: two artists sharing the
same life path come what may. But,
really, Katz says, it's about having a
good time. "It's funny," he says,
flashing a smile. "We are serious about
our music, but we also have a fun
side... People will say, look, here come
The Dejas!"
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