Episode 058–Ray Dafrico “Tunnel Visions” with Bruce Hilliard

Ray Dafrico - A founding member of legendary Atlanta bands The Nightporters and later Kathleen Turner Overdrive. Guitarist, singer, songwriter Ray Dafrico has been playing original music professionally since April of 1981. He has toured, opened for or performed with artists such as The Clash, The Ramones, The Replacements, REM, Bo Diddley, Joan Jett, Weird Al Yankovic, Peter Tork and more. In the studio he has worked with Peter Buck (REM), Rob Fraboni (Bob Dylan, The Band Beach Boys), Brendan O'Brian (Bruce Springsteen) and Pierre De Beauport (The Rolling Stones). It sounds like a lifetime of chasing the rock and roll dream. "Well, I grew up in the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, so I was exposed to a lot of power pop growing up and a lot funkier kind of music, plus early punk rock and new wave, so I just thought it was a fun term to use. I like songs with a lot of hooks, and my songs tend to have that quality too, so it just fits. What they call “pop” today is kind of like a negative thing. Pop is not the pop I knew. The Monkees, Beatles, Kinks, Stones, Ramones, Sex Pistols all had great pop songs. So did Sweet, Queen, KC and the Sunshine Band, Ohio Players, etc. I’ve always had a very wide variety of influences, lol." A warm summer day, a call to Ray and a lawn mower. All components of one of the best interviews to date.