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sinceileftyoublog · 4 years

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Dogleg Interview: Buckle Up, Motherfucker

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Earlier this year, Michigan punk four-piece Dogleg released one of the most blistering, endlessly playable debuts of the year in Melee, which, yes, is a Super Smash Bros. game. At this point, much has been written about the band, from their beyond wild live shows to their Pokemon-referencing and video game-playing prowess. Lost in the shuffle is that 2020 was poised to be their year to gain even more of a national following. Released on March 13th, right as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Melee was supposed to be supported by three cancelled tours--SXSW, an opening slot for Microwave, and an opening slot for Joyce Manor--and an appearance at this year’s cancelled Pitchfork Music Festival. Listening to the songs on the record, you can only imagine how they translate: the jerky momentum of “Bueno”, build-up of “Prom Hell”, gang vocals of “Fox”, clear-vocal anthem of “Wrist”, and odd groove of “Ender”. The band agrees that playing live is what makes them Dogleg: “Our live shows is what made us the forefront of the DIY music scene for as long as we were with such little released music,” bassist Chase Macinski told me over the phone in April.

The band’s self-titled debut EP--at the time, the band was simply a solo project of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Alex Stoitsiadis--was released in 2015. Full-band follow-up Remember Alderaan? (Macinski, drummer Parker Grissom) came out in 2016. In the four years between EP2 and LP1, Dogleg took their time writing what would become Melee but wasted no time debuting unreleased songs as they were finished. It was not just their energy, but their steady stream of new material that garnered the band a growing fan base, local and beyond, and eventually a deal with venerable indie punk label Triple Crown Records. “Fox” and “Kawasaki Backflip” were released as singles last November and February, respectively, and the generated hype garnered them rave reviews from publications like Pitchfork that, 10-20 years ago, probably would have scoffed at them.

Dogleg’s bigger moment--they’ve certainly had plenty of already big ones--may be on hold. Macinski continues his day job as a janitor in Southfield, about 20 minutes northwest of Detroit, while Stoitsiadis has played around with live-streamed acoustic and solo electric sets. While the group approach to writing that allowed the band to flourish when making Remember Alderaan? and Melee may not be possible without a completely reopen Michigan, and while Dogleg won’t be able to feed off of crowds for a bit, I have no doubt they’ll come back when they can with an even greater drive.

Read my interview with Macinski below.

Since I Left You: To what extent can Melee be fully appreciated without the context of the Dogleg live show?

Chase Macinski: I think you get a feeling for it. You understand it. But you still haven’t experienced it. We have been playing these songs for a long time. “Headfirst” for example, we basically had that song written by the time Remember Alderaan? came out in 2016. But we didn’t want to include it on the EP because it was close but not finished. Two weeks later, I’m pretty sure we wrapped it up, and then we were like, “Cool. We have the first song for the new album.” At that point, we thought it was time to make an album. We were playing it ever since it’s been done. As we were writing songs for the album, we were incorporating them into our live shows. A year ago, when the album wasn’t even out, half our set was still this album. Locals who saw us on the most recent tour we got to go on did catch that experience but didn’t get the whole context of the album, you know?

SILY: "Headfirst”, especially, is the most maximal song on the record.

CM: Oh yeah.

SILY: At the same time, when I read reviews of your music that say things like, “Dogleg plays loud,” or “Dogleg has energy,” it seems to leave out the complexity of the arrangements. The stop-starts, the drum fills, the crescendos. There’s a lot going on in the music, beyond it obviously being loud and fast. Can you talk about achieving a balance between raw energy and composition?

CM: We want to build up a lot of tension when we play, and we keep that in mind when we’re writing songs. We definitely try to think of, “What’s really hype? What builds up a lot of energy? What gives us butterflies in our stomach and makes us really jazzed up to hear this or anxious?” For the live shows, since we focus so much on those details, the start-stops and crescendos, it fills itself in pretty easily since we’re all focused on that and on the same page in terms of execution, that it just happens, and on the other side of that, we’re trying to be as energetic and involved and engaging with the music as possible. What we do in theory helps us out in practice, if that makes sense.

SILY: How did you approach the sequencing on Melee?

CM: We took it very seriously. It took us a lot of time to figure out what order the songs should be in. I immediately said we should start the album with “Kawasaki Backflip”, and I got some backlash on that. The other two contenders for the first track were “Fox” and “Prom Hell”. “Prom Hell” had more of an argument than “Fox” did. My attitude was, “‘Kawasaki’ starts off like a roller coaster, and that intro guitar riff is just like, ‘Buckle up, motherfucker.’ Let’s go for a ride.’” I really thought it had that tension immediately out the gate and blasted you with what could be a middle ground for the entire album, where I thought “Prom Hell” didn’t really address or show you what you can fully expect on this. For the first track, you might think something differently. After that, it was a lot of, “Okay, how does one song end and another begin?” We thought a lot about what key songs were in, what note songs ended on, how they ended, what the band was doing, what they sounded like, and then we thought about the same thing for how songs begin. “How does this one start? Does it start full-band, just guitar, drum fill?” We wanted to make sure we weren’t being too repetitive and created a sense of flow that could make one song go into the other. We even incorporated those moments where we were very specific about the time change between “Kawasaki” and “Bueno”. We were very specific about when “Kawasaki” ended and how much time passed between that and for you to hear the drums of “Bueno”. We wanted it to be an exact timing just for enough tension to be built up.

SILY: Were there any considerations to the thematic sequencing of the songs?

CM: No, not really, other than when we wrote “Ender” and decided to call it “Ender”, we knew it would be the last song. Otherwise, there wasn’t thematic sequencing because the lyrical content and the themes through the lyrics throughout the album were Alex’s thing. We write a song, and when the whole band writes the song, it’s an instrumental. Then, Alex comes up with a melody, and we all pitch in with what the lyrics might sound like, and Alex writes all the words. I’ve contributed when he’s got writer’s block and have helped him out a bit there, but for the most part, all of the themes for the lyrics he puts in.

SILY: There’s a line on “Kawasaki Backflip” that does seem like an appropriate introductory mantra to the record: “We can destroy this together.”

CM: Yeah, I mean, I think that’s a pretty powerful statement as an introductory song on the album. “Kawasaki”’s that “buckle up” song, as well, so the instrumental aspects definitely lead into that idea of “get ready for what you’re about to experience.”

SILY: A song like “Cannonball” is a bit more swaying instead of clearly uptempo. When you go into write as a unit, do those differences occur naturally, or are they forced with any sort of intention?

CM: “Cannonball” I would say occurred naturally because we wrote the song as we were practicing one day. In between songs we were practicing and making noise, I played that main verse riff, that A to C progression. I was just bored, not thinking, and playing my bass, waiting for Alex and Parker to be like, “Okay, let’s play another song.” While I was doing that, Alex was like, “Yo, what’s that?” I was like, “I don’t know, I was just messing around.” We started building on that and took that swaying feeling for what it was, and the lyrics to add to that--I think “Cannonball” was maybe the 4th, maybe 5th song on the album, so we didn’t have any idea what would be on it at that point. We knew it was a Dogleg song.

SILY: On “Ender”, are those actual strings in the outro?

CM: Yes, those are our friends who go to music school in Chicago. We know them from the School of Rock music program we all did when we were in middle school and high school. They were home for summer vacation and had their instruments, and we asked, “Yo, can we record y’alls playing violin”...I forget the other instrument. [Editor’s note: It’s double bass.] Those are actual strings. Honestly, I thought they played the parts so well, I made a comment that, “I don’t think people will think this is real because it sounds so genuine and good.”

SILY: I actually assumed it was a synthesizer.

CM: It’s legit. They’re just really good at playing their instruments. The horns are real as well.

SILY: What’s the story behind the cover art?

CM: The cover art is Alex’s aunt’s artwork. She’s a really great artist, and we’ve used her designs in the past. If you’ve ever seen the dog pack t-shirt, where it’s the bunch of dogs in watercolor--it’s also the artwork of our first EP--she also did that. She just really likes drawing dogs. We’ve never really commissioned something from her--she’s always already made something that we’ve thought is really cool, and then Alex asks her whether we can use it for the band, and she says, “Yeah, sure go ahead.” One day we were playing a show in 2017, way before we had half the songs on the album written, before “Fox” was even an idea. [Alex] was scrolling through his aunt’s Instagram and came across that picture. I saw it out of the corner of my eye and was like, “What is that?” He just goes, “It’s just something my aunt made.” I was like, “That is a fucking phenomenal piece of art. We have to use that for our album artwork.” He was like, “Okay.” He asked, we got permission. We made no edits to it. I don’t know when it was drawn or made, but when I saw it, I immediately knew it was perfect.

SILY: Is she a fan of the band?

CM: Yeah, she likes the band. She thinks it’s really cool.

SILY: Have any of these songs evolved, from the song structure to the performance, as the fans get to know both the recorded and live versions?

CM: We play the songs faster live, that’s for sure. Before we did any recording for the album, we had to decide on a tempo we wanted to play them at for the album. But since the songs were written, it’s just whatever tempo we’re feeling. For Melee, none of the song structures have really changed. But for the Dogleg self-titled EP, a lot of those songs, we play very differently live. Alex did that all by himself, recording, drums, bass, vocals, guitar. When we got incorporated in the band, that’s when we had the ability to put our spin on it. We changed and added those stop-and-go’s, different solos. No major changes to structure, but they feel more like Dogleg songs you’d expect to hear today.

SILY: Have you written anything during quarantine?

CM: Alex has been making some riffs, but we haven’t written any music. Alex says it’s pretty difficult for him at the moment. The songwriting process for every song on Melee and every song on Remember Alderaan? has been a band experience: Someone comes to the table with a riff, melody, one piece of the puzzle, and then the entire band fleshes it out. It’s pretty difficult for us to write music at the moment when we can’t get together.

SILY: Is there anything else next for you? Are you releasing any more music videos?

CM: We have some ideas. Nothing fleshed out yet. The last thing we did was the “Wartortle” video. We also have the Eureka [Records] sessions, which were all filmed before Michigan was put under lock down. We have some guitar play-throughs that will get out eventually, where it’s Alex playing along with the songs.

SILY: Is there anything you’ve been listening to, watching, or reading during or before quarantine that’s inspired you, comforted you, or caught your attention?

CM: I’ve been listening to a lot of music that I’ve listened to in the past. Once I graduated college and was really active in the temporary jobs I had and on the road, I stopped using Spotify for a long time even though I still had my account. My senior year, my Spotify minutes were huge: You listen to music when you study, do homework, whatever. Once I graduated, I couldn’t listen to music while doing things. A year ago, I was working at a hospital on a research project, and you’re not allowed to listen to music during work. I had like 15% of the music usage I did the previous year. So I’ve been revisiting a lot of old music. I’ve been listening to a band called Colossal. I forget the name of the album--it’s the only one I have in my car. The first track is called “The Dusk of Us” so it’s the first thing that comes to my mind. [Editor’s note: It’s Welcome the Problems.] Phenomenal album, really nice. I’ve listened to that a lot. My roommate has an extra PC, so I’ve been playing a lot of PC games, which I haven’t done in a long time because I don’t have a PC that can keep up. I’ve been playing [Civilization VI] with friends over Discord, which is nice, because I haven’t talked to them in a while. I haven’t really been reading anything, and I’ve been trying to watch movies I’ve been expected to watch for a while. Yesterday I watched The Matrix for the first time.

Melee by Dogleg

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fomo4ever · 3 years

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An Interview With Chase Macinski of Dogleg

Today we are excited to share an interview that Andrew (@andycinderella) did with Chase Macinski of Dogleg (@doglegband), an indie band from Detroit! Check it out!

ANDREW: First of all, what's on your mind at the moment?

CHASE: Well, I gotta do some chores and cook dinner. After that I'm hoping to get enough time to hop online and practice Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. I've been really into that game recently. It's also my mom's birthday today, but she's working today and I saw her yesterday and gave her gifts.

ANDREW: Your band's debut Melee was one of the first records released during quarantine. How do you feel having released a record in a time where much of the world was shut down watching the strangest shows they could find on Netflix?

CHASE: It feels like a blessing and a curse. A curse because so many opportunities we had lined up fell apart and all of the attention we were getting from the album didn't really amount to anything. A blessing because more people were sharing music and a lot of people coined our album their "quarantine album" which I think helped get us a lot more new listeners.

ANDREW: Since the album's release, the praise from both critics and fans has been wild! From selling out tons of merch to scoring features in the pages of publications like the Fader, how has the world's reaction made you and the band feel?

CHASE: It was shocking! Personally, I thought the album was going to get mild attention and slowly become a cult classic like a decade later. It was crazy seeing it just explode from the get go. We were all surprised by the music industry's attention on us, but we're definitely not upset about it haha.

ANDREW: I really dig the cover art for Melee, its rawness really matches that of the music. I am interested in knowing who drew it and maybe it's history or what you like about it.

CHASE: Alex's (the lead singer and guitarist) Aunt drew the album artwork! She is a professional artist, and actually made the album artwork for our self-titled EP too. When we were planning out the album we decided we should use her artwork again, so we went to her instagram and started scrolling. That's when I came across the artwork and I knew immediately it had to be our album art. No edits or anything, it was just something she made in the past and we thought it fit perfectly with the album.

ANDREW: Your band is currently signed to the legendary Triple Crown Records, what are some other groups from that label you love listening to either past or present?

CHASE: Oh man, A ton. I'll keep it brief instead of rambling haha. I'm a big fan of Shortly and Oso Oso, both are good friends of ours and it's so amazing to be able to tour with them almost whenever we want and feel like a family.

ANDREW: Dogleg is notoriously a must-see live group, so when shows return, what are some cities you would love to see for the first time or play once again?

CHASE: Pittsburgh! Probably my favorite city in the US. Outside of that I would love to head over and play some cities in Europe and Japan.

ANDREW: What have you been enjoying during quarantine, whether it be music, video games, or maybe even a damn good slice of pizza?

CHASE: I've been listening to a lot of shoegaze, post rock, and post hardcore. So like Pinkshinyultrablast, Protomartyr, and Daitro. I've also been playing a lot of Super Smash Bros Melee as well as Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. Both phenomenal competitive games. And I've also been eating a ton of Penn Station, an east coast sub place. Their bread is the best in the game haha.

ANDREW: If you could boil down Dogleg into one color, or a color palette perhaps, what would it be?

CHASE: Red

ANDREW: Finally, is there anything you would like to say to anyone in the world listening?

CHASE: Fuck Trump!

youtube

(”Fox” by Dogleg)

dogleg links:

https://dogleg.band

https://twitter.com/leg_dog

#music #bands #indie #dogleg #doglegband #worstsumo #genfomo #fomo #generationfomo #gen z #interview #band interview #zine #zines

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sinceileftyoublog · 5 years

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Live Picks: 9/18

Oso Oso

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Rock beyond the confines.

Oso Oso, Beat Kitchen

Like the best songwriters that toe the line between emo and indie rock, Jade Lilitri writes anthems for the downtrodden that embrace genuineness while avoiding cloying earnestness. His new album as Oso Oso, Basking in the Glow, has everything from lo-fi bedroom pop to stadium-size singalongs, all bound together by Lilitri’s ambition. “Always coming up short ‘cause you’re dreaming so small,” he pointedly sings on “Intro” over a jaunty acoustic guitar line. Dreaming--and performing--big is what he does for most of the rest of the record. Rocker “The View” is one of many instant classics, this one about being in love with someone apathetic while managing to avoid apathy about yourself. “Well I’ll grow, we’ll see / If there’s something good in me,” he plans, eyes toward the future.

At times, Lilitri’s nihilism makes you want to knock some sense into him, but then you remember exactly when you felt like he did, and the hard-charging, hazy nostalgia of the instrumentation helps you empathize. Lead single “Dig” is wiry indie rock turned massive, exploding into a chant of “I’m still reeling from the mess I made” coupled with fuzzy jamming. The complex time signatures of “A Morning Song” mirror the see-saw of Lilitri’s emotions (“I was leaning on something / I was leaning on nothing”). And the country riffed “Impossible Game” is a true standout that sees him deliver this gem: “Well sometimes you do what you feel / Well most times I feel like shit.”

Really, it’s Lilitri’s sense of perspective and honesty that make him stand out. “I hope I’m basking in the glow of something bigger I don’t know,” he sings, wonderfully, on the title track, perhaps unintentionally sage “don’t know what you got till it’s gone” advice, hoping not because it’s audacious or dangerous but because it feels good. As much as he’s taking care of himself, though, he’s subject to succumbing to the dark depths of his mind. On lo-fi standout “One Sick Plan”, he sings, “I don’t even know anymore / I open up just to shut it down” But he never gives up: “I see my demise / I feel it coming / I got one sick plan to save me from it.” He redefines the very idea of determination to do something as gaining the ability to love yourself.

Album score: 8.5/10

basking in the glow by oso oso

Ohio indie rockers The Sidekicks, Boston emo band Future Teens, and Ann Arbor punk band Dogleg open.

‘68, Cobra Lounge

We previewed ‘68′s show at Cobra Lounge last May:

“A two-piece punk band that formed from the dissolution of The Chariot put out one of the most underrated records of last year. ‘68′s Two Parts Viper is raw and catchy loud-quiet-loud rock. It squelches along from the first scream in opener 'Eventually We All Win', and the blues-metal 'No Apologies' is a major highlight. The Cobra Lounge seems like the perfect venue for such noise.”

Riot Fest presents the show. Gascony soul-funk duo The Inspector Cluzo, indie rock band The Messenger Birds, and punks Guardrail open.

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