Dex Romweber’s stature rises to meet his talent
by Chris Parker
These days, guitar/drum duos are as common as hoodies—a ubiquity that can be traced back a quarter century to the Flat Duo Jets. Featuring guitarist Dexter Romweber and drummer Chris "Crow" Smith, the Jets' feral roar channeled the spirit of rockabilly, country and garage-blues, while Romweber's vocals vacillated between a smooth lounge-worthy croon and a possessed howl like Elvis Presley pursued by demons.
Though he possesses an evocative voice, it's Romweber's inspired guitar playing that's earned him approbation. Full of ringing, slashing chords, it crosses the borders of old country, blues and rock like a fugitive in familiar territory. Jack White heralds his influence, as have artists like Neko Case and Chan Marshall, both of whom contributed vocals to his latest, Ruins of Berlin. Though the Jets broke up a decade ago, Romweber's forged on with the Dexter Romweber Duo (whose existence overlapped the Jets for several years), mining a still-expanding klatch of influences.
"It's not like totally removed from [my prior material] or anything," Romweber says on his way to Charleston for the first show of a two-week stint with country legend Charlie Louvin. "I'm just exploring other stuff too."
Indeed, he released an album of classically inflected piano instrumentals in 2006, and his latest explores a variety of more sedate tones. Ruins of Berlin mixes the cabaret strains of the title track, the '40s trad pop of "Love Letters" (with Marshall), and the hopped-up murder ballad country of "People Places and Things" with more typical fare like the racing rave-up "Lookout." He and his drummer/sister Sara Romweber also participate in the nine-piece Dexter Romweber and the New Romans, who released their debut, Night Tide, late last year.
As if that weren't enough, Romweber headed into White's Third Man Studios in April to lay down a couple tracks for a 7-inch record—the country blues Geeshie Wiley track, "Last Kind Word Blues," which features the two guitarists trading vocals and licks, and the hot-stepping rockabilly-blues of "The Wind Did Move." The sessions didn't take long—not much more than 24 hours—but White and Romweber, who had previously only met backstage at a show, got a chance to spend a little time together.
"Jack was busy with all his recording stuff, his family and stuff, so I only really got to talk to him one-on-one the day we were leaving. He was excited for me to hear songs and recordings that he'd done," Romweber says. "He kind of reminds me of myself when I had all my home recording stuff and how fascinated I was with it, and I think he kind of mixes the way I would."
Among other things, Tony Gayton's 2006 documentary Two-Headed Cow, about Romweber and the Flat Duo Jets, shines a light on Romweber's travails in the aftermath of the Jets' split, which left him in a substance-abusing depression that took him several years to overcome.
"I turned around slowly but surely," Romweber says, unwilling to go into detail. "Let's just say I had something that I had to deal with."
The whole experience was a mixed blessing. He says he still lays awake at night wishing he could change some of the things he said, now captured for eternity on film.
"It caught me very vulnerable, so I was saying what I thought my truth was, and I'm not saying that's all bad or anything," he explains. "My friend [former Dexter Romweber duo drummer Sam Sadler, a.k.a. Crash LaResh] said he wished there were more humor in it, but that wasn't a very funny time for me."
Fortunately, things are better these days. Not that all the attention has put more money in his pockets, but Romweber's settling nicely into his role as a guitar icon and musical lifer. He's looking forward to Nashville and the opportunity to visit Ernest Tubbs' record shop and maybe stop in at Loretta Lynn's Kitchen in Hurricane Mills. Meanwhile, he chugs along indulging his diverse tastes and making great music as his legend and audience continue to grow.
Email music@nashvillescene.com.
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