Interview with Dr. Dog

Words By: Ashley Marie Sansotta 

Appeared: The Social – Orlando

February 26th, 2007

With such obvious influences such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and Neil Young, Dr. Dog has successfully molded together the music of decades past with the future of indie folk-rock.  Their catchy, whimsical melodies rang within the walls of the Social in Orlando Monday night.  The boys have been extremely busy with touring and promoting for the anticipated release of  their record “We All Belong.”  But, their laid-back demeanor and tranquil attitude is sure to keep anyone’s head on their shoulders...or up in the clouds.  I sat down with Philly’s finest before the show to discuss the new album and what life is like on the road.

REAX:  First, I want to talk about your new record that comes out tomorrow.  You took a very different approach with recording it on a 24 track, as opposed to the 8 track you guys are accustomed to.  What made you guys decide to do this?
Scott McMicken: It was sort-of a natural decision to make, just because we would have recorded on a 24 track years ago, but we couldn’t afford to.  So, this being the first album we ever made were a record label gave us money, the first thing we did was buy that.  In the past we always just recorded on what-ever we could get our hands on, that usually just happened to be an 8 track or a 4 track.  So, now given the opportunity to be able to, we’re totally psyched to do that.

REAX:  With your song writing, two of you guys write the lyrics.  Scott, you write more of the “dream-like” songs and Toby is way more direct with his lyrics.  What inspires you to write like that?
Scott:  Well, I’ve always really loved dreams.  I mean, I’ve had dreams in my life that were some of the most powerful experiences I’ve ever had.  So, pretty quickly I got obsessed with that.  And there’s such a nice sort-of lyrical quality to dreaming.  It actually blurs the line between dreaming while asleep and dreaming while awake.  I feel like there’s quite a lot you can do with it.  I’ve always really paid attention to my own dreams.  I’ll be going to sleep and hoping for an exciting dream.

REAX:  You have been able to play with tons of different bands.  Like My Morning Jacket, the Black Keys, and the Raconteurs, just to name a few.  How is it like getting to play these venues with so many different musicians?  Who do you think that you guys meshed the best with musically?
Toby Leaman:  That’s a good question.
Frank McElroy:  I liked it when we played with the Black Keys.  That was just a really great tour. 
Toby:  But, it’s so tough to say.  It’s like all the bands have such really great music, you know?  And we all became really close like really quickly.  Because these are people that you’re touring with everyday.  So, at the end of the day, you’re not really thinking about what the implications are, or whether a band really works with you or not.
Scott:  And another thing too, you could be playing with a band that you really admire and you can feed off of that and use that to affirm what is that you do.  Some of these bands are really cool and come from somewhere really unique.  You see that more when you play with them, and when you really get to hang out with them.  They use that to make you feel good about what you do and the fact of being in a band to begin with.  And really when you’re sharing the stage with a band that you have like zero respect for, and no interest in, what that’ll do is give contrast which helps you to stand better with what you are as a band, too.  In fact, I’ve felt more aware of what we are as a band when we plays shows like that.
Toby:  When we did the Cold War Kids and Elvis Perkins tour, that was awesome because we were all sort-of off the same level, and that was cool.  As opposed to just being the opener for some band.  There, everyone was treated the same.  That was just an awesome vibe.  That whole trip.  All three of our bands just had it.  We knew each other before, and we all  just got along really really well...playing in on each other’s sets and everything.  By the end of that tour, it was like - wow.

REAX:  Do you guys have any crazy stories that stick out in your head from touring?
Juston Stens:  Do we ever!  Hmmm...just one story?
Scott:  I ran into Neil Young once.  It was at SXSW.  That was a highlight for me.  It wasn’t so much meeting him...he was actually just walking down the street, and I just grabbed his hand.  And to me, that was really really cool.
Frank:  We did stay with a lot of crazy people though.
Toby:  Yeah, with this tour we got a lot more hotel rooms.  But with every other tour before, we were just staying with people that you never know until you get to their house.  You didn’t know whether they were on point or not.  Most of them were cool, but we came across some interesting people, that’s for sure.

REAX:  You have pretty much been on tour non-stop for a while now.
Scott:  That’s what’s so weird about touring.  I mean, when you look back on yesterday, you’ve got this whole warped frame of reference.  It’s a weird way to live.  You know you’re not going to be somewhere very long.  And sometimes you can attach yourself to the club very quickly.  It’s really weird.  It takes a lot to jog the memory of your thoughts.
Frank:  It’s like...where you were the next day.  I mean, where was yesterday?  It could have been any day.

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