If there was a shade of a doubt in anyone’s mind, we here at WSPN now have absolute proof that teachers don’t spend every waking moment grading papers. Ms. Erin Dalbec, the Media Center Director and Photography teacher, leads another life outside of the library as the bassist of The Beatings, a successful Boston-based band with a quirky and addicting sound.

When and how did your band originate?

We started approximately ten years ago. We formed out of college when I moved to Boston and met a group of guys who were in bands. I played the drums while I was in high school, and in college I wanted to get involved in music again. The band quickly formed out of this friendship. And soon after we formed, we started writing songs and playing shows.

What inspired the name “The Beatings” for your band?

I have no idea. Brainstorming. We liked the sound of it. It’s not really an interesting story.

How did you get discovered?

We didn’t actually get discovered; we started our own record label (Midriff Records). It was hard to get shows and get our music out there, so instead of going the route of trying to find a record label, we started our own. We grew up in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s when bands were DIY. We were inspired by that whole movement and took it upon ourselves to form our own label. The record label has been pretty successful over the years, and we have had the chance to also put out music by other local bands.

How would you describe your band’s sound to people who have never heard your music?

I would say noisy, but melodic. We’ve got a layer of distortion oftentimes, but coming out of that is a very tight rhythm section and interesting guitar parts.

Do you have any musical influences?

Definitely. Sonic Youth, The Pixies, The Cure. Those first two bands had female bass players and they definitely inspired me to play the bass.

Your band has been together for over ten years. How has your music evolved since you began?

When we first started our music was very raucous. We didn’t know what style we wanted to play and that was the beauty of the band. There are 3 songwriters in the band, so this makes every song sound different and this has evolved into our style of music. Our music is now less raucous. Our newest album is more “pop” influenced, but the rock is still maintained. We also have more confidence as musicians now than we did when we started.

The Beatings recently released an album, Late Season Kids. What went into making that?

A lot of work. We recorded in a different way than most of our other albums. In the past, we’d go into the studio for a weekend or two weekends, and we’d record song after song after song. We always recorded to tape. This time we recorded digitally, and we went into the studio and basically spent two months recording. It allowed us a lot more flexibility to be creative and take some time off to rethink the songs. This time it [the process] was very organic.

What is your favorite song off the new album?

“Blown Away.”

Do you have any upcoming performances?

We’re playing November 1st at TT the Bears.

You can preview some of The Beating’s music in the player below: