Over the course of the band’s 25-year run, Big D And The Kids Table has released nine studio albums, traveled the globe, and earned a place as one of the planet’s premier ska-punk projects. As Big D’s lead singer, one of its founders, and its last remaining original member, David McWane has seen it all. In advance of the band’s forthcoming record, Do Your Art (available for pre-order on Side One Dummy, out October 22), McWane talked about the new album and all that came before it.
During the extensive conversation, McWane discussed some of Big D And The Kids Table’s most significant moments—including numerous international tours and countless shows with some especially notable bands—and some of his early projects. Along the way, McWane talked about his years as drummer in bands like Twisted Reality and Spu, the start of Big D, his unlikely path to becoming a vocalist, and the importance of continuing to make art in a culture that seems to no longer value creation.
My First Band is sponsored by Mystery Room Mastering and Lakefront Brewery. The show is edited by Jared Blohm. You can listen to My First Band on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and wherever else you get podcasts. You can also listen to rebroadcasts of previous My First Band episodes on WMSE every Wednesday from noon to 12:30 p.m. CST. Music used in this episode comes courtesy of Devils Teeth (“The Junction Street Eight Tigers”) and Big D And The Kids Table (“Too Much”).