Trent Dabbs walks a bit awkwardly, with his hands tucked tight in his blazer pockets. He worries about babbling incoherently (which he doesn’t) and occasionally catches your eye to see if you’ve grasped his dry wit. But he certainly doesn’t look like a man who just discovered he’s opening for R.E.M at the historic Ryman Auditorium this fall.
The Nashville-based singer/songwriter admits there’s no great story behind getting the gig—his booking agency simply sent the band a demo, they liked it and he was tacked on the Oct. 22 bill. When his publicist left the message on his machine, Dabbs immediately deleted it, assuming it was to pass along the band’s regrets. Such is the life of an up-and-coming singer/songwriter. It took almost two years in the studio before Dabbs finally saw the release of his debut, Quite Often, but it was spent in excellent company. Dennis Herring (Modest Mouse, Elvis Costello, Buddy Guy) and musician/engineer Clay Jones co-produced the record, and Dabbs continually applauds the former for pushing him past his comfort zone. “If you sit in a room and sing for someone, and you’re in this vulnerable place, their suggestions have you caught between art and your personal feelings about what you’re doing. But if he makes a suggestion—more David Bowie, less David Gray—then, it’s going to be more interesting, because I listen more to David Gray … but I love glam rock.”
Quite Often was released on Herring’s Terminus imprint—Sweet Tea Records. Dabbs jokes that it was the food that won him over. “The signing bonus was a quesadilla. That’s when you know it’s a small label.”