Dave Gutter Jr. has a lot going on right now.

The slim 32-year-old Gorham native is in the process of taking over Dave Gutter’s Meat Market in North Windham from his father, Dave Gutter Sr. He and his wife of two years, Ami, recently celebrated the birth of their daughter, Kani Bella Gutter.

On top of that, it was announced two weeks ago that his old band, the popular rock-jazz hybrid Rustic Overtones, is getting back together for another album and summer concert schedule after a five-year hiatus.

“A lot of bands take a break for a while,” said Gutter from behind the counter at the meat market. He said there was no bad blood between any of the Rustic Overtones members and that they decided to split into side-projects after becoming frustrated with the music industry.

“The business side of music really ruins it,” he said. His band Paranoid Social Club appeared on the soundtrack of the movie “Beerfest” with their single “Wasted.”

Dave Gutter Sr. was a Shaw’s Supermarket meat manager for two decades until he left 13 years ago to start his own butcher shop. Now 62, the elder Gutter said when his lease ends Jan. 1, 2008 he’s going to officially sign his business over to his son.

“He does a really good job, and he’s really good with customers. That’s what I built my business on: customer relations,” said the elder Gutter. His son is in charge of the business now but he still comes in three hours each day to help and give advice.

“He wants to do things his way,” said Dave Gutter Sr. He said his son has introduced items like lunchtime soup-by-the-bowl and sandwiches.

“It’s a different direction. I just hope he realizes his number one priority is the meat case,” Dave Gutter Sr. said, adding that he feels very comfortable with his son taking over the family business.

“Dave is very intelligent, the only thing that bothers me is he’s back into his music again,” he said, saying his son will have to split his time between recording, performing and running the meat market.

Dave Gutter Jr. signed his first record contract on the day he turned 18. The Rustic Overtones formed in 1990 and drew a lot of local attention with their trombone and saxophones. Gutter served as the lead guitarist and lead vocalist and the band got to be very popular in the mid-90s with their single “Check.”

The Rustic Overtones signed with the Tommy Boy label, which was owned by Warner Brothers.

When Gutter wasn’t on national tours with the band, he was back home working at the meat market when it opened 13 years ago.

Gutter remembers very fondly working with legendary producer Tony Visconti and having David Bowie perform background vocals on the tracks “Sector Z” and “Man Without a Mouth,” which was featured on the television show “24.”

“It was mind-blowing to think that he was collaborating with me,” said Gutter about hearing David Bowie sing the lyrics he had written.

“That felt like such a huge compliment,” said Gutter. He said most of his song lyrics were written while pacing behind the counter at the meat market.

Gutter said he remembers being on tour in California and drinking Cristal champagne at an A-List party in San Diego with P. Diddy and flying home the next day to work at the meat market.

“The contrast is funny,” he said.

His band mates are supportive of his dedication to the family business.

“I think it’s a family legacy and he should be proud to carry that on,” said Spencer Albee. He plays keyboard and piano with the Rustic Overtones and is the vocalist for “As Fast As.” The two lived in an apartment on Bolton Street in Portland in the 1990s and said they never lost contact after Rustic Overtones split.

The Rustic Overtones were left without a label after Tommy Boy records was dissolved by Warner Brothers and split apart in 2002. A few months ago, they decided to begin recording for an album and realized they were having too much fun to stop.

“They’re the oldest, best friends you could have,” said Albee.

Gutter said it felt incredible to be playing together again. The band has two concerts scheduled in Portland for late July and there are rumors of more being planned. The band has said they are not getting back together for good, just the summer.

Gutter appears very enthusiastic about his two professions. He said the stress of being overworked can be a lot more detrimental to his music than his butcher shop.

“If I stress out at my business, the steaks are still going to be good,” he said.

“One day I hope to be able to make enough money from Dave Gutter’s Meat Market to quit the band,” he joked.

DGutter1&2: From left: Dave Gutter and Spencer Albee hang out in a recording studio in Westbrook while recording the new Rustic Overtones album.DGutter1&2: From left: Dave Gutter and Spencer Albee hang out in a recording studio in Westbrook while recording the new Rustic Overtones album.DGutter4: Dave Gutter (center) hangs out in a recording studio in Westbrook while recording the new Rustic Overtones album.DGutter6: Dave Gutter (center) with Paranoid Social Club band mates Jon Roods and Marc Boisvert.Meat lovers may recognize Dave Gutter Jr. from Dave Gutter’s Meat Market in North Windham. Music lovers know him as the lead singer and guitarist for Rustic Overtunes. The band’s CD has topped sales at Bull Moose Music for the last four weeks.