The singing/songwriting duo Ditty Bops have embarked on a tour of the United States. The catch? They're doing it by bicycle.
Amanda Barrett said the bike tour was her songwriting partner Abby DeWald's idea.
"Abby loves riding her bike everywhere," Barrett said by phone at a stop in Nevada City, Calif. "And it has been a great idea. We've been able to see the country in a totally different way. We're not cooped up in a van and we're getting exercise."
The bike stint comes at a good time, with the rising gasoline prices. "We do have a van that carries our instruments and equipment," said Barrett, "but we're able to get healthy and save gas."
Barrett and DeWald formed in 1999. And started playing music in the styles that they liked. "My mom was in a music duo when I was young," said Barrett. "I joined it when I was 13, singing harmonies. And I had heard everything from classic rock and folk to Django Reinhart.
"So when Abby and I started playing together, we just took off from there."
In 2004, the duo released its self-titled debut album. Then they were snatched up by Tori Amos, who took them on tour. "Being a part of the Ditty Bops has it's own challenges," said Barrett. "Touring can be hard. Especially the last tour, when you're in a van for 10 hours going from place to place. At least we don't have to do that this time.
"And being on a major record label is hard at times. You need to know when you need to compromise or when you stand up for a song or art work or other things. I mean, when you work with all the people we work with — marketing, producers and all that — you have to know when to do things."
The Ditty Bops have completed a second album, "Moon Over the Freeway," which will be available for purchase at the show. "We had a lot of songs we wanted to put on this album," said Barrett. "Tons. I mean, maybe 60 songs. So we got the list down to 13 and an additional five. So, 18 songs were ready for the album. But we put 13 on the album."
The band recorded the album over a long period of time, said Barrett. "We did some demos and kept them while we did other things. Then we did some more demos and finally got the album together.
"Michael (Froom), our producer, wanted to capture the band in the moment. So he'd demo us playing live. And there isn't much change from those to the record. And we'd only do four or five takes before we moved on. So there are some mistakes that made it to the album, which means it's fresh."
If you go
What: Ditty Bops, Kid Madusa
Where: In the Venue, 219 S. 600 West
When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
How much: $8
Phone: 467-8499 or 800-888-8499
Web: www.smithstix.com
E-mail: scott@desnews.com