They’ve been called, an alt-country band, an indie rock band, a band that blends folk, blues and country into their rock’n’roll, but at its heart Deer Tick is a garage band – just some guys getting together, setting up, plugging in and letting it fly -- no pomp, no big concept, no pre-fabricated vision of commercial success. Led by guitarist/songwriter/singer John McCauley, this Providence, R.I. based band harkens back 25 years to CBGB, college radio and independent record labels like Twin/Tone, home to bands like The Replacements and Soul Asylum. These were the days when bands played for the love of playing, ripping through a set of originals laced with choice covers, guitars droning and screeching, vocals often off-kilter but always loaded with genuine heart. Deer Tick is just like that. It’s not that they don’t know what they’re doing, it’s just that they don’t care if you like ‘em or not. They play what moves them, be it originals, covers from everyone from John Prine and Hank Williams to The Stones and The Kinks. They’ve done full sets of Sex Pistols music without a rehearsal that supposedly kicked ass. Last year they did a brief run as Deervana, playing the music of Nirvana, celebrating the 20 year anniversary of the release of Nevermind, the breakthrough 2nd album which featured the single “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, though Deer Tick refused to cover that song because they felt they just couldn’t do it justice. It’s precisely that kind of non-attached honesty and self- awareness that makes Deer Tick’s music so likeable.
