THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 23, 1994 TAG: 9406220067
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUE SMALLWOOD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940623 LENGTH: Medium
``It came about because I couldn't play and sing at the same time,'' frontman Scott Hackwith explained recently from Pittsburgh. ``I played guitar in all my other bands, but this was the first time I'd ever been the singer. But in rehearsals, I just started picking up the guitar and incorporating it into the songs. It just became a really important part of the sound.''
{REST} That sound will be on display Saturday at the Peppermint Beach Club in Virginia Beach.
Dig displays its textured sonic assault on the band's debut LP ``Dig,'' produced by Dave Jerden (Jane's Addiction, Alice In Chains). Though Hackwith is an aspiring producer himself - he helmed the Ramones' recent all-covers album ``Acid Eaters'' - he felt reassured having Jerden around.
``He wasn't there for any of the recorded tracks,'' the singer said. ``He came in on the mix. But he had heard our EP (1993's ``Runt''), so he knew he wouldn't have to be 100 percent hands-on.
``It was just nice having him (available) so I could call him and say what about this or that. It was more of a confidence-type thing. I always thought there was a master plan to production. What he did for me is just kind of tell me what I was doing was right and there's no wrong - what sounds good is good.''
Dig - named after Hackwith's dog - evolved in 1992 when the singer, then a video art director in Los Angeles, assembled a band with some friends. A practice tape found its way to Radioactive Records and the fledgling band was snatched up immediately.
``We didn't do any shows,'' Hackwith recalled. ``The only `showcases' we did was if somebody wanted to come down to our rehearsal space. We just didn't take the whole thing seriously.''
Since then, Dig's been doing some serious touring, opening for the Posies, Blind Melon, Bad Brains, Prong and the Wonder Stuff. The group recently returned from a U.K. jaunt with Henry Rollins and is headlining a U.S. tour.
``Our record came out the first week we were over there, so nobody knew who we were,'' Hackwith said. ``It really brought everything into perspective because the last show we played in the States was a festival, 20,000 people going completely nuts, tearing out the chairs.
``Then we get on a plane and go to Dublin and there's maybe 400 people there, all afraid to come up close to the stage. It was like, `Prove yourself all over again.' It was great.''
by CNB