We spoke with Dirt Road Opera about “Clay Pigeons” and more!

Hi! What made you guys pick “Clay Pigeons” to cover? Was there a moment where it just clicked, like, “Yep, this is the one”?

A: I was listening to a playlist on my phone one day and it came on. I’d heard it before but this time I really paid attention to the lyrics and realized how beautiful they are. The band started playing it at our shows and it went over so well that we decided to record it. (Barry)

Covering a song that a lot of people already love can be tricky—how did you approach it without overthinking it?

A: We just wanted to make sure that we could do something a little different with it, make it our own. It’s such a great song that it works with just a guitar and vocal but Blaze had already done that so we added a few more instruments. A producer friend of ours suggested a Melodica, which is like an accordion but is played by blowing into a mouthpiece. That’s the drone you hear in the beginning, along with a real accordion. (Barry)

Your version has such a calm, honest feel to it. What was the vibe like when you were recording it?

A: Thanks, that’s exactly what we were going for. We recorded the song at Barry’s studio Redhouse recording. The vibe in the studio is always really laid back. We’ve played this song live so many times that it already felt natural. We just wanted to capture that same honesty and not overthink it. It was more about letting the song breathe and keeping the performance real than trying to make it perfect. (Rachel)

Your harmonies really shine on this track—how do you usually work that out? Is it trial and error, or do you just know what fits?

A: We kind of know where each other’s voices naturally sit. Sometimes we’ll try out a few different things until it clicks, but most of the time it feels pretty instinctive. We’ve been singing together long enough that the harmonies just sort of fall into place. (Rachel)

Did this song bring up anything personal for you while working on it? Any memories or stories that came to mind?

A: A song like this has a way of pulling out different memories and emotions, depending on where you’re at. For me, it wasn’t tied to one specific story, it was more like a wave of moments from different times in life. People you’ve crossed paths with, places that meant something, and even the challenges that shape you. That’s the beauty of a song like this, it connects you to your own journey while hopefully resonating with anyone listening to it, in their own way. (Rachel)

Blaze Foley’s got a bit of a cult following—did you feel any pressure putting your spin on one of his songs?

A: He certainly does and yes, we were aware that we were changing an iconic song to fit our style. We didn’t stray too far from the rootsy feel of it, using a banjo, dobro and accordion and stayed true to the guitar part. We asked if it was ok to post it on a Blaze Foley fan page, they said sure and it was really well received! (Barry)

You’ve got that nice mix of country, folk, and roots-rock in your sound—how did that blend naturally into this track?

A: That mix is really just who we are as a band. We all grew up on country, folk, and rock, so those influences naturally come through whenever we play. With this track, we didn’t set out to force a particular style, it just kind of landed in that sweet spot where the acoustic instruments, the harmonies, and the groove all leaned into that rootsy blend. It’s less about planning and more about letting our backgrounds show up in the music. (Rachel)

Was there anything about recording or playing “Clay Pigeons” that surprised you? Something that caught you off guard in a good way?

A: When you record a song, right from the pre production stage to the final mix, you hear it a LOT!:) and the more we worked on it the more we appreciated the depth it has. The lyrics are deceptively simple and brilliant at the same time which is the mark of a great songwriter. If you’re lucky, the song will tell you how it wants to go and that was true with Clay Pigeons. Everything we did seemed to work so it wasn’t really hard to produce. (Barry)

How have people been reacting to it so far? Any feedback that’s stuck with you?

A: The reaction’s been really cool. One listener said Clay Pigeons is the kind of song that ‘leaves you better than it found you,’ and I thought that was such a powerful way to put it. A lot of people have mentioned the harmonies too, saying they feel warm and comforting, like old friends carrying a goodbye together. That kind of feedback really sticks with us, because it shows people aren’t just hearing the song, they’re connecting with the vibe and the feeling behind it. And that makes it all worthwhile. (Rachel)

And what’s next for you all this year—more music, gigs, maybe an album in the works? What should fans keep an eye out for?

A: We’ll be spending a lot of time in the studio over the next few months, working on new material and getting some fresh songs ready to share. On top of that, we are set to play at some really amazing venues before the end of the year, one being the fabulous Venables Theatre in Oliver BC. Releasing an album or certainly an EP down the road is the goal, but right now we’re really excited about the recording process and rolling out new music and connecting with new and old DRO fans as we go. (Rachel)