Overkill Bassist D.D. Verni Has a Swing Band Now + It’s Pretty Awesome

Overkill bassist D.D. Verni has swapped his four strings for six, handling guitar and lead vocals with his new swing band D.D. Verni and the Cadillac Band. A music video for the first single, "Cadillac Man," has just been released in tandem with the announcement of the Let's Rattle debut album.

The record embraces Verni's lifelong love of big band, swing, rockabilly, doo-wop and blues, with some of his early favorites being Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bobby Darin, Dean Martin and Tom Jones, on top of his affinity for rock 'n' roll crooners Jim Morrison, Ian Astbury and Glenn Danzig.

The energy of "Cadillac Man" is positively infectious — a rousing dose of upbeat rock supported by a horns section and even stand-up bass, featuring members of the Brian Setzer Orchestra and the Doobie Brothers to help round out part of the lineup.

Of the debut single, Verni said, ["Cadillac Man" is] definitely one of my favorites and maybe the first one I specifically wrote for the album. It kind of encompasses all the different things I wanted for the record. Upbeat, a little rock 'n’ roll and little swing."

Although this song was a catalyst of sorts for the Let's Rattle record, the material on here dates back over a quarter century. "Manhattan Baby" was written 26 years ago after the birth of Verni's first daughter as a present to both her and his wife. Meanwhile, "Just Say You Love Me" was another gift — for Verni's wife's 50th birthday — and "Olivia... That's Who!" came about as a present for his other daughter's 16th birthday.

Let's Rattle, out Sept. 17 on MVD, features nine original songs and four covers and the artwork and track listing can be seen further down the page, alongside the "Cadillac Man" music video.

Pre-order the album here.

Overkill have already begun working on what will be their 20th studio album — the followup to 2019's The Wings of War — and getting back on the road will certainly be a priority, but Verni still has hopes to take his new band out as well.

"I’m very excited to do some touring," he said and added, "We’re looking at possibilities now. Whether it be a support slot, headline shows, or even festivals, I think would be great. How about Paul Stanley and his soul band [Soul Station] and D.D. Verni and his swing band on the same bill…hahahaha…awesome!!!"

D.D. Verni + The Cadillac Band, "Cadillac Man" Music Video

D.D. Verni & The Cadillac Band, Let's Rattle Album Art + Track Listing

01. "Cadillac Man"
02. "Shake It Swing It"
03. "Give Me Your Number"
04. "Olivia...That's Who!"
05. "Powerhouse"
06. "Cold Hearted Woman"
07. "School Of Rock n' Roll"
08. "L-O-V-E"
09. "Just Say U Love Me"
10. "Manhattan Baby"
11. "Close Your Eyes and Dream"
12. "Ain't That A Kick In The Head"
13. "The One Who Loves You"