dres_
about
dres_ is an alternative rock band from houston, texas—chris sendejo on guitar, brandon hockaday on guitar and keys, michael n’dong on bass, leroy hopes on drums, and quentin hockaday on vocals.
i actually met the band in a small-world fashion while going to see my friend, ken and his project ball.ard perform at a local venue here in houston. i stuck around to watch dres_ play their set afterward and was floored by their energy and lighthearted sound.
after the show, i approached them to compliment them on their performance and chat with them about the possibility of working together. they were all such cheerful and friendly guys that i already felt like we’d known each other for a while. not too long after, we reconnected and began planning time to get into the studio together.
i don’t think i’ve run into a band with the same drive and dedication to their craft as i see with dres_. these guys wear their hearts on their sleeves and aren’t afraid to put themselves out there for the world to see. i’ve always admired them for their headstrong, undefeatable attitudes and their ability to stir up a crowd and grab the attention of everybody in earshot.
they create some killer feel-good music that anyone can enjoy, and i had a great time working with them. to learn more about them, check out their website or follow them on social media and streaming platforms!
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releases
“made up make up” was my 3rd release working with dres_, and the 8th song they’d put in front of me. this one came together rather quickly since we’d spent so much time building a foundation of how to construct their sound in studio.
this track was exciting as the band decided to incorporate synth elements into it, slightly stepping away from the all-guitar sound they had sported in the past, which intrigued me as it presented me a new challenge of how to work it into the sound we’d constructed prior.
it’s a danceable and nostalgic sounding tune that i would definitely take a late night drive to.
lysne was the band's first full-length record, and it was a journey getting it made. i was in the midst of re-working my thought process as an audio engineer, and the songs continually came out in a fashion none of us were extremely satisfied with. due to my frequent experimentation in the studio.
this record was a bit heavier and louder than the first release i worked on with them, so i kept trying to balance the sound to align more closely with that. but, in the end, these songs turned into beasts of their own, and we eventually found a great middle-ground that let both releases shine in their own way.
lysne was a turning point in my engineering and production career as it taught me how to detach from an idealistic mindset and focus on what’s in front of me. countless hours were spent on these songs and they’ll always vacate a soft spot in my mind.
“rain clouds” was the first song dres_ and i began working on together. it’s a poppy, feel-good tune that instills a sense of longing in the listener and was always my favorite from them.
it’s got all the classic elements of a hit pop-rock song but has its own distinct nuances that i feel set it apart from a majority of the music that influenced it.
this track was put together pretty quickly in the studio, and we were all really pleased with how it came out. it started our working together on a high note and i’ll always remember how good it felt to get the ball rolling with them.