Dent May just sent us his new video for “Best Friend,” a psyched-out, hazy affair directed by James Alexander Warren. The video was shot on location in Jackson, Mississippi, which looks like a magical wonderland compared to the urban jungle we rest our heads in. Dent is from Mississippi, and you can hear it in his voice, and all over his new record Do Things, which comes out June 12 on the Animal Collective-affiliated label Paw Tracks. You should probably pick up the record - head here to pre-order it.We’d been hearing a bunch of great things about Cats Purring, the fertile scene around Oxford that orbits the 5000-square-foot barn that Dent calls home. The scene's nurtured May and a ton of our other favorite bands, so we called up Dent to learn more about what’s going on over there.NOISEY: Hi Dent! What are you up to this afternoon?
Dent May: Hi! Just driving back home, I was out running errands. Going to the bank, depositing some cash money. Sunday was my birthday, and I got a very modest birthday check from my parents. I used it to buy a sampler pad for our drummer.Whoa, that’s really nice of you. Spending your birthday money on your drummer like that.
Well, he gets to play it, but I get to keep it. Everybody wins.We’re all freaking out over your new video. It really makes me wish I lived in Oxford. How did you get involved with what’s going on?
Well, I’ve lived here for seven years now. I moved here from college—went to NYU for a few semesters and dropped out. Slowly over the past seven years I’ve started booking and promoting shows around town and making my own music.
What’s Cats Purring all about?
On the one hand, Cats Purring is a way for all of us to put out stuff out on the Internet without looking lame, but it’s also a selfish way for us to make fun stuff pop off down here. There’s always been fun stuff going on in Oxford, I mean, it’s a college town, but as far as bands coming through there really wasn’t much.Seems like you’re doing something right. Don’t you guys all live on a farm or something?
We all moved into a big place about a year and four months ago. We’re calling it the Cats Purring Dude Ranch. There’s five guys in there, it’s a big old house, and at the top of it there’s one large wooden room.Who else lives at the Ranch right now?
Well, there’s me, and also John from Bass Drum Of Death. His stuff’s going really well right now, he just left for Europe. There’s also Cole and Len from Dead Gaze, and Thomas Cooper who plays in my band and also has a band called Gray Things. You should check all those bands out.Will do. Who else should we know about coming out of Oxford right now?
Well, there’s this new band called ILLLS that has a new EP out—they’re great younger kids who are really good buds of ours. Oh, and there’s this kid Martin who plays in a band called Child Star. He hasn’t put anything out but he’s badass. We met him at the Dude Ranch when he was 18—he just got fucking wasted, whipped it out, pissed on our coffee table, and passed out on the floor. Now he’s one of our best friends. Kind of a weird way to meet a dude.Gross.Want to know more about Cats Purring? We shot a mini-doc on Bass Drum Of Death, who lives on the Dude Ranch with our man Dent. Check it out right here: Meet Bass Drum Of Death. Also, Dent is heading out on tour to support Do Things. You can find all the dates below.Dent May Summer Tour5-15 ATHENS, GA - FARM 255
5-16 DURHAM, NC - SALAMANDRA
5-17 BALTIMORE, MD - GOLDEN WEST
5-18 BROOKLYN, NY - 285 KENT +
6-15 DALLAS, TX - BRYAN STREET TAVERN
6-16 AUSTIN, TX - SCOTTISH RITE THEATER $$
6-17 SAN ANTONIO, TX - EL TEN ELEVEN $$
6-18 LUBBOCK, TX - PRAY FOR RAIN $$
6-20 TUCSON, AZ - SOLAR CULTURE $$
6-21 PHOENIX, AZ - CRESCENT BALLROOM $$
6-22 SAN DIEGO, CA - CASBAH $$
6-23 LOS ANGELES, CA - THE SMELL $$
6-24 LONG BEACH, CA - ALEX’S BAR $$
6-26 ISLA VISTA, CA - BIKO GARAGE $$
6-27 SAN JOSE, CA - BLANK CLUB $$
6-28 SANTA CRUZ, CA - THE CREPE PLACE $$
6-29 OAKLAND, CA - NEW PARISH MUSIC HALL $$
6-30 SAN FRANCISCO, CA - ELBO ROOM $$
7-2 ARCATA, CA - THE JAMBALAYA $$
7-3 OLYMPIA, WA - NORTHERN $$
7-5 VANCOUVER, BC - WALDORF HOTEL $$
7-6 SEATTLE, WA - CHOP SUEY $$
7-7 PORTLAND, OR - EAST END BLOCK PARTY $$
7-10 FARGO, ND - AQUARIUM
7-22 WASHINGTON DC - DC9
7-23 GREENSBORO, NC - BLIND TIGER
7-24 ATLANTA, GA - THE EARL
7-25 HUNTSVILLE, AL - VERTICAL HOUSE + W/ THE BABIES, FAMILY PORTRAIT, DJ DUCKTAILS
$$ W/ QUINTRON & MISS PUSSYCAT
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Dent May: Hi! Just driving back home, I was out running errands. Going to the bank, depositing some cash money. Sunday was my birthday, and I got a very modest birthday check from my parents. I used it to buy a sampler pad for our drummer.Whoa, that’s really nice of you. Spending your birthday money on your drummer like that.
Well, he gets to play it, but I get to keep it. Everybody wins.We’re all freaking out over your new video. It really makes me wish I lived in Oxford. How did you get involved with what’s going on?
Well, I’ve lived here for seven years now. I moved here from college—went to NYU for a few semesters and dropped out. Slowly over the past seven years I’ve started booking and promoting shows around town and making my own music.
On the one hand, Cats Purring is a way for all of us to put out stuff out on the Internet without looking lame, but it’s also a selfish way for us to make fun stuff pop off down here. There’s always been fun stuff going on in Oxford, I mean, it’s a college town, but as far as bands coming through there really wasn’t much.
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We all moved into a big place about a year and four months ago. We’re calling it the Cats Purring Dude Ranch. There’s five guys in there, it’s a big old house, and at the top of it there’s one large wooden room.Who else lives at the Ranch right now?
Well, there’s me, and also John from Bass Drum Of Death. His stuff’s going really well right now, he just left for Europe. There’s also Cole and Len from Dead Gaze, and Thomas Cooper who plays in my band and also has a band called Gray Things. You should check all those bands out.Will do. Who else should we know about coming out of Oxford right now?
Well, there’s this new band called ILLLS that has a new EP out—they’re great younger kids who are really good buds of ours. Oh, and there’s this kid Martin who plays in a band called Child Star. He hasn’t put anything out but he’s badass. We met him at the Dude Ranch when he was 18—he just got fucking wasted, whipped it out, pissed on our coffee table, and passed out on the floor. Now he’s one of our best friends. Kind of a weird way to meet a dude.Gross.Want to know more about Cats Purring? We shot a mini-doc on Bass Drum Of Death, who lives on the Dude Ranch with our man Dent. Check it out right here: Meet Bass Drum Of Death. Also, Dent is heading out on tour to support Do Things. You can find all the dates below.Dent May Summer Tour5-15 ATHENS, GA - FARM 255
5-16 DURHAM, NC - SALAMANDRA
5-17 BALTIMORE, MD - GOLDEN WEST
5-18 BROOKLYN, NY - 285 KENT +
6-15 DALLAS, TX - BRYAN STREET TAVERN
6-16 AUSTIN, TX - SCOTTISH RITE THEATER $$
6-17 SAN ANTONIO, TX - EL TEN ELEVEN $$
6-18 LUBBOCK, TX - PRAY FOR RAIN $$
6-20 TUCSON, AZ - SOLAR CULTURE $$
6-21 PHOENIX, AZ - CRESCENT BALLROOM $$
6-22 SAN DIEGO, CA - CASBAH $$
6-23 LOS ANGELES, CA - THE SMELL $$
6-24 LONG BEACH, CA - ALEX’S BAR $$
6-26 ISLA VISTA, CA - BIKO GARAGE $$
6-27 SAN JOSE, CA - BLANK CLUB $$
6-28 SANTA CRUZ, CA - THE CREPE PLACE $$
6-29 OAKLAND, CA - NEW PARISH MUSIC HALL $$
6-30 SAN FRANCISCO, CA - ELBO ROOM $$
7-2 ARCATA, CA - THE JAMBALAYA $$
7-3 OLYMPIA, WA - NORTHERN $$
7-5 VANCOUVER, BC - WALDORF HOTEL $$
7-6 SEATTLE, WA - CHOP SUEY $$
7-7 PORTLAND, OR - EAST END BLOCK PARTY $$
7-10 FARGO, ND - AQUARIUM
7-22 WASHINGTON DC - DC9
7-23 GREENSBORO, NC - BLIND TIGER
7-24 ATLANTA, GA - THE EARL
7-25 HUNTSVILLE, AL - VERTICAL HOUSE + W/ THE BABIES, FAMILY PORTRAIT, DJ DUCKTAILS
$$ W/ QUINTRON & MISS PUSSYCAT