From prison to pandemic, Dale and the ZDubs aka “Snail and the Zebras” are back in full force. Inspired by Dale’s 2017 to 2020 incarceration for a non-violent drug crime, DZD’s most recent full length, “Off The Rip,” dropped in mid 2024. Blending groovy reggae influences with a hard hitting rock style, DZD is here to tell raw, ridiculous, and vulnerable stories while thrilling audiences across the country. As Snail describes the genre-bending quartet, “We are storytellers. And when we tell these stories, there are no click tracks, no vocal processing, and no backing tracks. WE PLAY LIVE!”
After the three-year hiatus, DZD went to work putting instrumentation and melody behind the lyrics Dale wrote on the inside. Dale also hit up some old friends to be part of the comeback. The result is the current steady stream of dope-ass singles including “This Time” ft. The Elovaters, “Pathological” ft. Bumpin Uglies, “Johnny Freight” ft. Passafire, and of course, “Her Melody” ft. HIRIE. In addition, ska-punk-fan-favorite, “Neighbors,” ft. BALLYHOO! was also finally released on the new 12-song LP, “Off The Rip.”
In early 2024, a seismic lineup shift occurred. Snail selected a new prolific cast of players hailing from up and down the East Coast, and plugged them into the nationally touring act. The new Zebra blood includes multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Tyler “T. Nasty” Vickery (bass and harmonies), formerly of Sun-Dried Vibes (Charlotte, NC), and groove specialist Ethan Jones aka “The Marine” (drums and vocals), formerly of The Orange Constant (Athens, GA). The newest piece to DZD’s sound and style is Josh Boyd (lead guitar) out of Wilmington, NC. Joshy is a rare talent who brings both a heavier rock and jam-influenced element to the live performance. These new ZDubs have invigorated DZD’s classic sound, but with upgraded energy and bravado. “We’ve toured the country with Snail and these Zebras. They have manifested what I call, ‘a sauce,’ with their live show, that may be too spicy for some,” said Jackson Hauserman, lead guitarist of Kash’d Out.
DZD’s obsession with performing live keeps the wheels on the tour van turning across the country. DZD has recently shared the stage with the likes of Sublime with Rome, Andy Frasco, Little Stranger, Kash’d Out, Long Beach Dub Allstars, Joe Samba, and Artikal Sound System. High-energy live shows feature vocal harmonies, thick guitar-driven melodies, and fat rhythm section based grooves. And sometimes Snail gets a little crazy on stage too.
Snail
Gorilla tape enthusiast, exhibitionist, surrealist, and 5-time convicted felon, Dale aka “Snail,” started the band in 2012 after consistently being fired from restaurant jobs. Snail currently resides in Maryland with his “boommate,” Elizabeth, who is a hoarder-patent-litigating-
T. Nasty
You might recognize Tyler aka “T. Nasty” from his previous Charlotte, NC based projects, where he founded and fronted the reggae 3-piece, Lovely Buds, and held down bass, keys, and harmonies for the nationally touring Sun-Dried Vibes. At 16, T. Nasty cursed out his teacher mid-class, dropped out that day, and has been on the road ever since. Apparently, that English teacher didn’t (and still doesn’t) know what skanking is.
Ethan Jones
Ethan Jones plays the drums. Ethan Jones is a Marine. Ethan Jones benches 405. We try very hard not to piss off Ethan Jones.
Joshy
Somewhere deep in the cut of rural North Carolina, Joshy cares for his 7 guitars along with his disabled cat. Oftentimes, Joshy will choose to hang out with his guitars and cat for days, or even weeks on end, rather than socializing with what he calls, “Incorrigible humans.” When Joshy isn’t touring the country as a ZDub, you can catch him performing in downtown Wilmington, NC where he proclaims, “The weed is tight and the beer is free, so I ain’t leavin!”
