Return to Dust Open Up About Debut Album + Grunge Influences

Still celebrating the release of their self-titled debut album, the four members of Return to Dust — guitarist and vocalist Matty Bielawski, bassist and vocalist Graham Stanush, bassist Sebastian Gonzalez and drummer London Hudson — joined Loudwire Nights to dive into the record and open up a bit about their influences.

“There are a few for me and for us,” Stanush quickly admitted to Chuck Armstrong on Wednesday (Oct. 23).

As soon as he said that, he turned to Bielawski and asked him if he had any specific influences in mind.

“We visited our childhood friend, Ryan, in Los Angeles and we met our producer there,” Bielawski recalled.

“Our friend was working underneath Jim [Kaufman], our current producer, and Jim has basically developed our band for the past five years. When we played him music for the first time, we played him a Fleetwood Mac cover of ‘Dreams.’ We love that song, we love indie folk, that’s all right up our alley.”

But as Bielawski remembered, their producer wasn’t satisfied with only hearing Return to Dust’s interpretation of Fleetwood Mac.

“He told us, ‘You should listen to Alice In Chains‘ Dirt,'” Bielawski said.

“I’ve heard a couple of songs before, but I don’t know why the first song that I just put on in the car was ‘Rain When I Die’ and I was like, ‘Holy shit, this is what a band sounds like.’ That minute-long intro, I can never forget what that struck within me — this is pure fucking rock and roll. It’s so cool. That’s what spearheaded the inspiration.”

READ MORE: Jerry Cantrell Celebrates New Solo Album + Discusses Alice In Chains

Stanush told the Loudwire Nights audience that he remembered that exact moment quite clearly and said it was a gateway of sorts to other bands who have become influences on Return to Dust.

“I remember finding, soon after that, Queens of the Stone Age and hearing Queens of the Stone Age for the first time and just thinking, ‘Holy shit, Josh Homme is a genius in all facets.'”

What Else Did Return to Dust Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

• What it was like being on the road with Sevendust: “We really got our asses kicked by Sevendust…Lajon [Witherspoon] kills it every night, he controls the crowd … It’s inspiring.”
• What it’s like dedicating their entire lives to rock and roll: “I had a moment yesterday, I was rehearsing before the guys showed up. I was just warming up on the kid and it was crazy for me to think about, this is what I do every day and I’m just so grateful to be able to do it.”
• What it’s like dedicating their entire lives to rock and roll: “I had a moment yesterday, we were rehearsing before the guys showed up. I was just warming up on the kit and it was crazy for me to think about, this is what I do every day and I’m just so grateful to be able to do it.”

Listen to the Full Interview in the Podcast Player Below

Return to Dust joined Loudwire Nights on Wednesday, Oct. 23; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand.