Edsel Dope Dishes About the Business of Being in a Band

Bouncing around from label to label over the course of a decade and five albums hasn't been easy for Dope or their lanky frontman and founder Edsel Dope. The band has landed on Koch after a pair of two-album stints on Epic Records and the now-defunct Artemis Records, respectively. "It does affect me," frontman Edsel Dope candidly admits to Noisecreep. "I am a basket case. It would be nice if the business hadn't gone down the tubes as much. I would feel better about having to deal with all this crap. I can't complain, though. I still have a career. It will all eventually work itself out."

While Edsel maintains an optimistic and positive attitude, the business of being in a band often derails musicians, due to the constant and unpredictable ups and downs that have become more commonplace for struggling, workhorse and up 'n coming bands. Record sales continue to head south considerably since the onset of the digital age but Edsel Dope is convinced that playing live shows is, was and always will be his band's bread and butter.

"That energy can never be replaced," the singer states emphatically. "You don't switch from one label to another for reasons other than economics. The worm is turning and no one knows where it is going. I could freak out or I can figure out a way to get on the ride." Sounds like musicians are dealing with the same recession BS that the rest of us are! Dope are currently on tour with Black Label Society and Sevendust in support of 'No Regrets,' which came out in March.