Before P-Roach got signed, I received weekly updates on the band from Avila, but he rarely calls with the scoop on dredg. It does appear that Bair and Avila are taking a fairly hands-off approach with dredg.

But while the surprisingly shy group hesitantly talked about their music and history, they wouldn't budge in their refusal to discuss their impending deal with Interscope or their ties to Bair and Avila. After all, it's not every day a South Bay band gets signed to a major label. I sat down on the couches near the fireplace in Orchard Valley Coffee in downtown Campbell with Engles, vocalist Gavin Hayes, drummer Dino Campanella and bassist Drew Roulette-all in their early 20s-to chat about their big news. Not only that, dredg is managed by BigTime Management founders Bret Bair and Gary Avila-the same team that led Papa Roach to the top. That's an unexpected approach, considering that the unconventional underground band that formed in Los Gatos is very close to signing a deal with Interscope Records, where Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst is a vice president. Rather, they hope their complex songs will strike a chord with a smaller, more selective audience that can truly appreciate what guitarist Mark Engles describes as their 'unspoken vision.' They insist that they're not trying to become rock stars or make a million dollars. Major label Interscope looks to sign South Bay rock conceptualists dredgĬOMPARING THEIR ARTISTIC, almost orchestral, style of rock to an art-house film, the four players in dredg don't seem particularly interested in mainstream commercial success.

On the Map: dredg's ambitious concept album, 'Leitmotif,' caught Interscope's eye.

Leitmotif- by dredg