Hail Dale is a southern rock/hot rod revival band from Sarasota, Florida. Started by Garrett Von Rad (The Umbrella Cult), Chris Flannagan (Dune Train), and David Cornicelli (Physical Plant). They released two albums; Honkey Kong, and Smoke it Off.
“We were tired of all the indie, artsy hipster music that was coming out of this area,” says guitarist and vocalist Chris Flannagan. “I mean, we were all in those kinds of bands, but we found each other and felt like we could make some real, southern rock ‘n’ roll.”
Singer and guitarist Garrett Von Räd, drummer David Cornicelli, and bassist Brockford Lee play in another band, called Umbrella Cult, and they recruited Flannagan to help achieve their gritty sound.
“We actually came together as a joke,” says Cornicelli. “The name Hail Dale came about because apparently, some people like to fly Dale Earnhardt flags above the American flag in the South. So, it started as a play on words, and something that was a funny, beer-drinking joke has turned into a pretty decent band — at least we think so.”
The four-piece has embraced and exaggerated the persona, which they say often spills over into their live performances.
“People kind of expect us to be a mess, though,” says Cornicelli. “If we weren’t, I think people would be like, ‘Wait, they have their stuff together?'”
The members say the band’s name has grown to represent their affinity for small-town, southern lifestyle and its accompanying authentic music. They recently took a trip to Bomb Shelter Studios in Nashville to record with Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Natural Child), where they recorded an analog, seven-track album, called “Smoke it Off,” which they’ve released on cassette tape, 10″ vinyl, and as an MP3 download.
They hope the album will help deliver a more diverse sound to Sarasota and that listeners will appreciate the authentic musicians who have influenced them.
“I think southern rock holds a special place in everyone’s heart, and we’re just trying to help get it out there,” says Von Räd. “We want to remind people that rock, in its purest form, is still alive. We’re such music lovers that we want people to respect the music history that’s inspired us.”