SongVault Artist Profile

Dick Prall never meant for his love of food to find its way into his songwriting talents. His latest album has been called “a box of chocolates for the ears.” (Performing Songwriter Magazine). His tunes have even been likened to potato chips, “…wise, crisp and tasty.” (Momzine). And his early diet of melodic lyricists, from Buddy Holly to John Lennon to Elvis Costello, mixed with his brilliant storytelling and his love for the guitar, help define his own blend of songwriting. Shying away from critics’ placement into genres like “power-pop,” “rootsy” and “epic rock,” Dick Prall has triumphed in the creation of his own musical genre: porch-pop. No everyday pop, this genre evokes the sonic midway between Matthew Sweet and the Old 97’s, between Josh Rouse and Pete Yorn, between chocolate and potato chips.

Iowa-bred and Chicago-based, Prall is steadily building a nationwide porch-pop following. The Chicago Sun-Times calls Prall’s music “smart, introspective and filled with great hooks.” Time Out Chicago recognizes that "Prall excels at morphing the smallest of melodic chunks into grandiose statements of purpose.” Performing Songwriter notes: “Prall has captured the excitement of youth…he’s a real gem.” According to the Illinois Entertainer, Prall “effectively describes the frustrations of a musician trying to achieve fame when he notes, ‘All that glitters seems to be my sweat/But I ain’t going down just yet.’” Despite any barriers, Prall continues to support such musical greats as Glen Phillips (Toad The Wet Sprocket), Ari Hest, The Verve Pipe, Michelle Branch, Mike Doughty (Soul Coughing) and Jon Brion.

After releasing two critically-acclaimed albums—Somewhere About Here (1998) and Dressing Up The Failure (2001)—Prall has recently debuted a solo masterpiece, fizzlebuzzie. Supported by an all-star line-up, Prall succeeded in recording well-crafted and understated melodies, exploring the landscapes of roots, pop, rock and honest balladry. The nostalgic anthem titled “Saturday’s Changed” compares the often uncomfortable but simpler days of childhood to complexities of adulthood. In “Learning To Merge,” the lead character‘s habitual wavering resounds with Prall’s striking vocals. “Copperhead Town,” Prall’s signature tune, displays his vocals switching “…from deadpan to gorgeous falsetto to wolf-like howl as instruments give added meaning to lyrics” in true porch-pop fashion. With an album as sweet as fizzlebuzzie, Dick Prall continues to feed our ears with tastemaking tunes. To find out more about Dick Prall, visit him at www.dickprall.com.