Dovetail Joint (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1992 in Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Founder | Charles Gladfelter, Robert Byrne, Jon Kooker, Joe Dapier |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
| Products | Rock music albums and performances |
| Website | dovetailjoint |
Dovetail Joint is a rock ensemble that originated in Chicago, Illinois in 1992. The founding members were guitarist and vocalist Charles Gladfelter, guitarist Robert Byrne, bassist Jon Kooker, and drummer Joe Dapier. After independently launching their self-titled album in 1995, the group began to attract attention on both local and regional levels. Their track "Level on the Inside" was prominently featured as the opening song on 'Local 101, vol. 1,' a compilation released by Chicago’s alternative radio station WKQX Q101 in 1998. This exposure paved the way for a contract with Columbia Records, which issued their sophomore album 001 in early 1999. "Level" became their only commercial success before Columbia ended their contract. Although they recorded a third album titled 'The Killing of Cool' under Columbia, it was never officially released.
Following a two-decade break, Dapier, Byrne, and Gladfelter reunited to create their fourth studio album, maintaining the musical direction of 'The Killing of Cool.' The album, called Keep the Vultures Fed, was produced and mixed by Gladfelter and made available on Bandcamp on May 20, 2024.
Formation and Early Years (1992–1996)
Musical collaboration between Dapier and Gladfelter began during their middle school years in Wilmette, Illinois during the 1980s. They later formed a band while attending New Trier High School. After two years at the University of Iowa, Gladfelter left in 1991 to focus on music full-time. That same year, Dapier transferred from the University of Dayton to Lake Forest College to join Gladfelter in Chicago and dedicate himself to the band. Their debut live performance took place at the Vic Theater on August 14, 1992, featuring Chuck Gladfelter on guitar and vocals, Joe Dapier on drums, and bassist Solomon Snyder. Robert Byrne attended this show as an audience member before joining as rhythm guitarist in 1994. According to Gladfelter, the band's name does not carry any specific significance.
In April 1995, they recorded their debut album at Chicago’s Warzone Studios with producer Scott Ramsayer. Funding for this project came from Jack Buck through Buckshot Records.
Early interest from record labels occurred twice but did not result in contracts. In 1997, producer Glen Ballard intended to record them for his new Java Records label; however, this session was cancelled before it could take place.
During this timeframe, bassist Solomon Snyder departed to join Cupcakes—a band formed by his brother Matt Walker (noted drummer for Filter and Garbage)—which subsequently signed with DreamWorks Records. Scott Tallarida temporarily filled the bass role for Dovetail Joint following Snyder’s exit.
Association with Aware and Columbia; Breakthrough with "Level on the Inside" (1997–1999)
In 1997, independent label Aware Records, which had recently formed a partnership with Columbia Records, included Dovetail Joint on its annual unsigned artists compilation Aware 5 featuring a demo of "This is My Home," produced by Scott Tallarida. By February 1998, Aware alongside manager Roger Jansen secured a publishing deal for the band with EMI. Subsequently, they began collaboration with producer John Fields.
Scott Tallarida initially handled bass duties but soon departed to pursue other interests. Mick Vaughn briefly replaced him, performing one show and participating in the first John Fields session in January 1998 where "Level on the Inside" was co-written. Jon Kooker began rehearsing on bass that year and officially joined the lineup by fall 1998.
The group signed with Columbia Records and continued working closely with Fields. In spring 1998, Jansen and Latterman arranged for an exclusive EP release through Aware prior to their major label debut under Columbia/Aware. Chicago’s Q101 radio station included "Level on the Inside" as the lead track on its Local 101 compilation CD; this garnered substantial airplay throughout Midwest markets during summer and resulted in sold-out performances at venues such as House of Blues and Metro. Consequently, Aware expedited the release of the six-track Level EP in September 1998.
On January 26, 1999, Columbia/Aware issued Dovetail Joint’s major label debut album 001, produced by Fields and mixed by Jack Joseph Puig. By May of that year, sales reached approximately 16,000 copies. Nationally, "Level on the Inside" achieved #38 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and climbed to #17 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart where it remained for thirteen weeks. Columbia financed a music video directed by Phil Harder.
Following this release, extensive touring supported both album and single. The band opened for notable acts including The Marvelous 3, Train, Goo Goo Dolls, Cheap Trick, Collective Soul, and Ben Folds Five. They also shared stages with artists such as The Black Crowes, Silverchair, Everclear, Blink 182, Third Eye Blind, Eve 6, and Local H. Guitarist Robert Byrne was featured in Guitar Player magazine’s June 1999 issue.
In April 1999, "Beautiful" was released as their second single; it was remixed by Chris Lord-Alge in Los Angeles. Touring continued until September before returning to Chicago to begin writing material for their next album.
Final years and disbandment (2000–2010)
Toward the end of 1999, the group composed around 30 tracks intended for an album initially called Killing of Cool. Although Fields produced it and Columbia had acquired the rights, conflicts with the label resulted in the band leaving prior to its official launch; consequently, the album remains unreleased, stored in Columbia Records' archives.
E.P. from the Underclass was made available on January 15, 2002. The band dissolved later that same year.
On August 14, 2010, Dovetail Joint reunited for a sold-out performance at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall.
On May 20, 2024, the band independently issued an unexpected new album titled Keep The Vultures Fed. This 10-track release brought together Dapier, Byrne, and Gladfelter once again, with Gladfelter handling production and Dave McNair responsible for mastering. The cover artwork was created by Jason Lee. The album can be accessed via Bandcamp and various streaming services.
Side projects (2002–2025)
In 2003, Charles Gladfelter and Robert Byrne launched Ivory Wire alongside drummer Henry Jansen. The group produced two albums before entering an indefinite hiatus.
Dapier has served as drummer for several Chicago-based bands including Plura, Imperial Mountain Villa, The Errol Flynns, and Smush. He also contributed drum performances to Jonny Polonsky’s The Power of Sound (2024) and is involved in forthcoming releases by Newt Cole of Plura scheduled for 2025.
Studio albums
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Demo albums
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Extended plays
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