Music

Big Back Yard

local country cover band gets original on new album

Zack Katz, photos by Andrea Paulseth |

BEYOND THE TWANG. Popular cover band Big Back Yard, fronted by Chad Dalhoe, above, is reinventing itself as one of the only truly original local country bands.
BEYOND THE TWANG. Popular cover band Big Back Yard, fronted by Chad Dalhoe, above, is reinventing itself as one of the only truly original local country bands.

It’s festival season in the Midwest once again, when country dominates the musical landscape. So there’s no surprise Eau Claire locals Big Back Yard are about to make a splash in their own backyard, the Chippewa Valley.

Chad Dalhoe, frontman for the country-rock up-and-comers, said his group’s goal is to stray from the bluesy “dog died, broken-down truck” conventions that contemporaries of the genre tend to follow.

And, after citing the likes of Santa Claus, beer pong, and Run DMC on their sprawling list of influences, it’s clear the high-octane quartet is ready to party this summer with its self-titled debut.

“It’s a standout compliment for us to see people who don’t like country enjoying our music.” – Big Back Yard frontman Chad Dalhoe

“Debut” is a deceiving term for Big Back Yard, though. Dalhoe said the group has been something of a staple in the local scene since roughly 2005, covering crowd favorites and progressively rounding out its style.  

“We always try to make sure there are songs people want to hear,” Dalhoe said. “But we also have to draw a line in the sand and say we’re not going to play a song just because it’s on the radio. ... We have to live with ourselves after the show so there’s some we won’t touch.”

Dalhoe said the band originally deflated from the pressure of bigger gigs, and eventually disbanded because of the lack of fulfillment without an original setlist. Recently though, Big Back Yard came back to fruition after he hooked up with longtime jam buddy Todd Barneson, who decided he would join the band under the condition they play their own tunes.

“We’re just beginning to dabble with the original stuff … I’ve known Chad for 20 years and we’ve always kind of messed around with writing songs,” Barneson said. “To me, playing your own music sort of builds your credibility as an artist.”

Big Back Yard have made its mark performing country classics, but Dalhoe said adding the rock edge is their means of standing out. Taking that and peppering in Barneson’s folk background, Dalhoe said the band’s arrangement transcends the standard three-chord progression country tunes, as they strive to “not be the quintessential country guys.”

To top off the rock, there’s a little bluegrass, some fast-paced modern sounds and echoes of a more throwback style on the band’s record — an eclectic approach Dalhoe hopes will draw more than just country traditionalists.

“Some nights we have people who were planning to leave upon hearing a country band will be playing end up staying the whole night, which is great,” Dalhoe said. “It’s a standout compliment for us to see people who don’t like country enjoying our music.”

For any given song, though, drummer Alex Pederson said an authentic approach is the name of the game.

“We’re all about keeping things nice and acoustic as opposed to overusing digital stuff,” Pederson said. “Country nowadays kind of almost has a poppy, hip-hop underlay whereas we want to preserve the swing.”

Leaving the cover-era in the dust means the band is still fairly green in terms of material, with 15 original songs to date and 10 committed to the album, but their recording quality is something to take note of. “I think people will realize this thing wasn’t done by a bunch of guys sitting around a garage,” Dalhoe said.

The guys made a conscious decision to steer clear of using studio artists in place of any band members, and with the helping hands of some family musicians, it’s an honest, home-grown effort.

Looking forward, the highlight of Big Back Yard’s summer agenda is performing at Country Fest for their third year running. Dalhoe said this year will be a different experience considering it’s the band’s first with original material. Although they’re not sure what to expect in terms of reception, they can count on having a good time with the Fest crowd.

“We abide by the Warren Brothers quote that we don’t sell a lot of records, but we sell a lot of beer,” Dalhoe said. “We get people in a partying mood, and now we get to do it with our own music which will be a ton of fun.”

In the meantime fans of Big Back Yard will have a chance to see the new material in action at their May 31 CD release party hosted at The Firehouse.