Meet Mr. Dinkles – The Defining Sound of American Youth
These are turbulent times in America and the rest of the world. There’s general disillusionment with public figures and a lack of faith in major corporations and their leaders. But a new voice is emerging; a voice that is raw, screaming and destined for musical greatness. Meet Mr. Dinkles – the defining sound of American youth.
Mr. Dinkles have the talent and vision to produce music that acts as a lens on the current state of the world. The band bring into sharp focus the trials and tribulations of life and do so in an intimate and relatable way. The lyrics are matched with sumptuous melodies; as sweet as anything Neil Young has written and employing a similar emotional feel and tone (check out the track ‘And Just Like That’).
Categorizing Mr. Dinkles isn’t easy. Power-Punk Duo is a good term, but there’s something more to it. There are elements of Post-Grunge and Garage Rock too. Mr. Dinkles also evoke a sense of nostalgia, harking back to a time when singers and their guitars screamed. The Lo-fi production and Drop D style tuning add sonic texture, and the shift of pace mid-song is as smooth as the gear change on a Ferrari.
Mr. Dinkles consists of Rocco Ramos on drums and Mac Rettig, who shines brighter than the Northern star on vocals/guitar.
Earlier today Makeit-loud.com caught up with Mac Rettig over a virtual coffee.
MI-L: So where were you born and raised?
Mac: I was born in Santa Monica, but my family moved to Seattle when I was 2 months old and that’s where I grew up. I’ve now moved back to California; the weather here is better.
MI-L: How would you characterize the music scene in Seattle these days?
Mac: I do think the Seattle scene is an evolved version of Grunge from the 90s, but I see Grunge as more depressing, I think with social media and Fem Rock and Alt Rock of the 2000s the scene in Seattle is a more garage band feel.
MI-L: How old were you when you first picked up a guitar?
Mac: I come from a musical family. My dad played in a Southern rock band and my sister played too. She taught me how to write songs. When I was in 5th grade I played the bongos. My teacher said I had a sense of rhythm and suggested I play guitar. I said I was happy with the bongos, but he persisted and taught me how to play blue grass and classical style guitar. I then went on to study at the School of Rock.
MI-L: What is the inspiration for your songs?
Mac: I come from that Southern Rock/Folk heritage, but I’m more of an emotional songwriter. The songs are about me filtering.
MI-L: Which tends to come first; the words or the melody?
Mac: It comes in different ways. Sometimes a lick comes into my head and I hang onto it for months. Same with the lyrics, and then one day I think ok, let’s try putting them together.
MI-L: ‘I’m Off My Meds’ has an amazing riff. How did you come up with it?
Mac: I came up with it on an acoustic guitar whilst at camp some years back, and I wrote all the lyrics right there.
MI-L: What have you been up to recently and what’s next for Mr. Dinkles?
Mac: I’ve met with the manager of Janes Addiction, the organisers of Lollapalooza and a Producer who has worked with Queens of the Stone Age. It’s been a hectic year, and the most LA thing I’ve ever done (laughs). We also head out on a West Coast tour next week, which we are really excited about.
MI-L: Do you have any plans to tour the UK and Europe?
Mac: Our manager is from London and we’d love to play the UK and Europe sometime; it’s just something we need to figure out.
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