With a name out of a Grateful Dead tune, New Jersey group Dogs in a Pile is one of the freshest names on the scene these days. With things opening up again and shows and tours happening all over, I was lucky enough to get a few minutes of their time to discuss their origin story, how they came together, and where they’re headed. Dig in!
When asked if this was a chance happening or something they’ve been working toward for a long time, guitarist Brian Murray had this to say: “This has always been a dream of mine; since I was 12 years old I wanted to have a band one day. When I was at Berklee, I knew I probably wouldn’t be graduating because I was just hell bent on getting a touring group together.” Joe Babick (drums) added a bit more detail, saying, “We all met through music school, shows, jamming, etc.” A common thread amongst musicians in the jam band scene.
Babick went on to elaborate on some aspects of being a touring musician that you can only learn the road: “What really was eye-opening about touring was the difficulties in the little things that you never really think about in regular life: things like eating healthy, housing, showering, time management. It was just really a crash course in how these sorts of things work in a touring setting.”
It wasn’t all bad though, as Murray elaborated: “Though I would also say we learned the best bits from touring as well: how to effectively manage your time on the road, maintain a practice schedule, keep your diet healthy. Sure it was difficult at first but the lessons we took away from that really helped us grow as musicians, especially when it came to touring.”
Having just finished up their first headlining tour, the band is thrilled to be where they are right now. They just played Putnam Place with their good friends Yam Yam (“We love those guys” was the general sentiment among the Dogs crew). They were also eager to share some differences between their earlier work and their newest upcoming album. According to Murray, “As far as the differences between our last record and this new upcoming one, working with Chris Pappas on this new one was great, really helpful. It gave us a new approach to work with someone who was successful in his own right and helped give us a more contemporary perspective as to how these things get done. It helped us be more productive with our time, more efficient with the songwriting and arrangement, it just helped our overall maturity with the whole situation.”
On the subject of putting their music together and bringing it to the crowds, bassist Sam Lucid had this to say: “More often than not we try to let the music guide us, but it’s not like we don’t have influences that come through, of course we do. Sometimes before recording, we’ll suggest putting on a song we all like from back in the day. For example, Jimmy (Law, lead guitarist) wrote a song while he had been listening to Twiddle and sort of examining how they would do things, where they would take certain ideas and things like that. It’s sometimes useful to compare what you’re working on to something you admire and that gives you inspiration.”
So they’ve just finished their first headlining tour; where are Dogs in a Pile headed next? Babick was quick to emphasize a few choice dates on the upcoming calendar: “We are looking forward to playing a bunch of festivals this year, including Summer Camp, Peach Fest, Arise, and Sea Hear Now (with Stevie Nicks and My Morning Jacket), sort of our big hometown Jersey fest. It’s cool to be playing all those dates.” Lucid added, “We also have our hometown show Saturday, April 16th at the Stone Pony.” Their incipient tour will also include a stop at the fabled Capitol Theater on Saturday, June 11th, a must-play stop for any bands really looking to cut their teeth and get on the map.
With a headlining tour in the can, upcoming dates at major festivals across the country, and a new record on the horizon, Dogs in a Pile are well-positioned to springboard into the hearts of music fans from Jersey all the way to Denver. Keep an eye on these guys, you won’t want to miss where they go next.
