Give It To Me Rusty
Seattle, Washington, United States | SELF
Music
Press
" Give It To Me Rusty’s songs capture the strength, resilience and heart of Seattle's homeless population. Their mission reminds us of the importance of sharing our stories and the belief that we can pull each other up, one person at a time, through the simple act of listening. Give It To Me Rusty is a valuable addition to the Seattle community. " ~ Mayor McGinn, 2011 - Office of the Mayor
Discography
Pioneer Square Recordings, 2012
Photos
Bio
((To View Video Of Give It To Me Rusty Visit))
http://giveittomerusty.blogspot.com/p/video.html
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Give It To Me Rusty began in 2008 when Noah Dassel was in a car accident that landed him on Aaron Zig’s massage table. After discovering a mutual love of music, we began meeting regularly in downtown Seattle during the summer of 2008, intending to write songs and busk for change. This is when the project evolved and in many ways happened to us.
During a Seattle park bench jam between Aaron and Noah one afternoon, Dean, a Vietnam veteran and traveller, began improvising words over our music. We sang along, turned on Noah’s handheld recorder, and created our first song. It became our namesake, “Give It To Me Rusty”, and embodies our ideal of sharing one’s truth in all its real, raw, “rustiness”. Not long after, Dean’s friend, Jim, told us his story. Jim was in Seattle seeking an experimental cure for ALS and called the police on himself so he could land in jail for the night and meet the locals. Jim began telling us his story in stark, poetic lines: ”I shot a man and went to prison for 16 years. What did I learn? - I really can’t say.”
As we put these words to music, we realized the depth and power within the stories and lives of the homeless we pass by everyday on the street. We began to formalize our process, bringing a digital recorder, guitars and open ears to the streets. We always ask permission of our participants. Editing is done for cohesion and brevity, but no words are altered. From this, we create a bed of melody and song structure. Our most satisfying moments have been running into someone we’ve worked with and playing their finished song back to them. Our sound is often compared to Simon & Garfunkel and Johnny Cash, while our project embodies the archival spirit of Alan Lomax.
Our mission is to personalize and empower the homeless through music.
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