Dave Stone celebrates the South in his debut album ‘Hogwash’

Atlanta has quietly been producing some damn-fine comedians who’ve gone on to become nationally touring headliners. One of the biggest names to come out of the South is Atlanta native Dave Stone. A pillar of the Atlanta stand-up scene from its early beginnings, Stone toured for years as part of the Beards of Comedy (alongside Andy Sandford, Joe Zimmerman, and TJ Young) including putting out two albums as a group. This month, Stone hit a personal milestone releasing his first solo album, Hogwash, via Comedy Dynamics.

Since leaving Atlanta and the Beards, Stone moved to L.A. where he’s further honed his craft and made appearances on “The Late Show” and “Last Comic Standing,” and was featured in the critically acclaimed web series “Modern Comedian.” But for his album, Stone returned to his old stomping grounds, recording at the Laughing Skull Lounge in March.

In Hogwash, Stone reflects on his love of the South, from it’s beautiful, buttery biscuits to it’s overly friendly inhabitants.

“The South is like Amsterdam for fat people.”

A mix of down-to-Earth charm, and effortless delivery makes Hogwash a delight. Stone is one of those comedians with such a strong voice that he can take the everyday things and make them funny. He can just talk about whatever is on his mind and make it entertaining. My favorite entry on the album, entitled “Loverboy,” hilariously explores what sex is like when you’re not in the best of shape, using a new and imaginative analogy for doing the deed.

“Fellas, you ever dry-heave with a boner? That is a bitter-sweet experience, right there.”

CL caught up with Stone to talk about putting together the album, and the Atlanta comedy scene.
You’ve been on two albums, splits with the Beards of Comedy, but this is your first solo album. What did it mean to you to put out this album?
It means a lot. I’ve always been a huge comedy and music fan, collecting and admiring albums is part of that fandom. An album is something tangible that a fan can enjoy and that the artist can look back on as a reference point in their career. The fact that a record label is willing to spend the time and money to produce and release it is pretty flattering.

How many years in the making was this album? When did you feel ready to do it?
Rarely does a comic feel ready to record an album, as the jokes are always subtly evolving. Most of the material on this album took about two years to develop.

How did you feel on show day, before and after the show?
I tried to approach the recording like any other show. In stand-up, if you stress too much about a performance you risk coming off as tight or uncomfortable. I wanted to capture what a typical show of mine was like, the spontaneity, the imperfections — all of it. Perfection can be boring.

Why did you decide to call the album Hogwash?
I’ve always loved Southern colloquialisms. To me, “Hogwash” has always been slang for nonsense or bullshit, which kinda sums up my comedy.

You mention your parents on your album. Have they seen you perform? Are they pretty supportive of you doing comedy?
They’ve seen me perform twice. They’ve always been supportive, mainly because they know I can’t do much else.

You’re from Georgia, you mention on the album how much you love the South. Why was it important to you to record it in Atlanta?
You always want to use the home field advantage. I hate saying the word “fans,” but if I do have any fans, most of them are in Atlanta, and I knew I could get some folks excited for the show. In retrospect, I would have preferred recording it at Star Bar, as it’s the true home for Atlanta comedy.

Even though you live in LA, you come back to visit pretty often. How has the Atlanta comedy scene grown since you’ve moved?
The scene seems to be in great shape. Every time I come back I see a whole new crop of talent, new shows, new venues; it’s exciting.

ATL has a great scene, arguably one of the best outside of LA or NY, although not as well-known as some other secondary cities. Where do you think ATL stands amongst the other big comedy scenes?
I’ve traveled all over the country and have experienced all the big scenes, and Atlanta stacks up with any of them. It’s a great place to get good at comedy, with the ample stage time and the friendly competitiveness amongst comics. It’s a true training ground. And the talent is incredible. I would put Atlanta’s top tier comics against any secondary scene in the country. Folks like Clayton English, Caleb Synan, Rob Haze, Paul Gallois, Brian Emond, Kevin Saucier, Trey Dunn, Paige Bowman, Craig Hoelzer, Samm Severin, David Perdue, Greg Behrens ... these are LA/NY-caliber comics creating hilarious stuff right here in Atlanta. Some of these folks are going to be a very big deal one day.

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You can purchase your own copy of Dave Stone: Hogwash on iTunes and Amazon.