Syd Rifle: lead vox/guitar

Scott Sepe – guitar

Steve Kelly – bass

Ry Smyth – drums

What is DOG all about and why do people need to check out your music?

Don’t worry, we’re just a rock n roll band. We are based out of NYC. If you like real rock n roll, and everything that comes with that (or that used to come with that), you’ll like DOG.

Where did the name DOG come from?

We get asked that question a lot.

Who are your biggest inspirations musically?

The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Guns n Roses, Nirvana, Oasis, The Stooges, AC/DC, The Ramones, The Throbs, Tom Petty, Motorhead, STP, Alice In Chains, and Motley Crue. Theres so many more to list but these groups and their footprints stand out for us.

Tell us a little bit about the upcoming record. Describe the writing process and what sound we can expect from it?

We’re pumped. This album is a collection of songs that were written anywhere from two years ago to two months ago. It’s got the honesty of a Nirvana album, the energy of a Motley Crue album and the soul of an Aerosmith album. And sonically we want to sit right in that Bob Rock era of radio rock character. We are going to be releasing a single every few weeks from here on out this spring. We want to keep people excited about new music and we are continually writing and recording. We are working out of a great studio with a great engineer (Kostadin Kamcev at Mozart Studios in NJ), so we’re really excited to release this stuff to all of you and start hitting the road. We all write together. A guitar riff or a hook in someone’s mind is usually how they all start. With rock n roll music, you can’t think too much. People like a bit of familiarity in music so we don’t stray too far from what naturally feels and sounds good to play. Something that has made writing, recording and producing our music so easy and so enjoyable has been the fact that the four of us are all on the same page about everything. Nothing is forced. There are never any unwanted compromises between the four of us. Its really refreshing. We are a family and that really dictates the way that we do everything from the music side to the business and creative sides too.

If you could tour with any band at any venue, who and where would you play and why?

Guns n Roses at Madison Square Garden. That’s a show we’re waiting to play.

What is the most rewarding part about playing a live show?

The entire deal is rewarding. From the start of the day to the load out at night, it’s what the four of us love doing. It still never gets old. We have very good friends that tell us that their focus or even their fulfillment is simply in writing the album and in the recording process. Playing gigs and touring for them is kind of just this thing that you have to do to promote the album. We’re sort of on the opposite side of the scale. We are in a band so that we can play live and travel and bring the energy to as many people as possible. That’s where we feel fulfilled as musicians, on stage and plugged in.

Outside of playing music, what are some things the band enjoys doing?

Our attorney says that we totally don’t ever have to answer this question.

What are the band’s long-term goals musically?

Our long-term goal is to be just that, long-term. In this industry, it’s not an easy one to accomplish. But even more so, we want to bring real music back to the mainstream. Organic pop music got lost somewhere. Rock music is at the way bottom of that shipwreck right now. So, we’d love a part in the revival of organic music, pop music, rock music, whatever it is that’s missing, especially here in the NYC/NJ area. We don’t want to be one of those bands that changes with the seasons, and we don’t look down on that either as long as it’s called for what it is. Sure, our music will evolve. The artists and bands

that we all love made timeless music and were always furthering their sound. Though some of it was of an era and traveled through different eras, every generation including the kids now in 2018 are still rocking those bands t-shirts and still downloading their music. People still want it. These kids now have never gotten to see that type of flare at a concert or watch it on MTV. They get a never ending daily repeat soundtrack of people mumbling over trap hi hats. Who actually gets excited by this anymore? It’s just a product, and a lot of people deal with listening to it every single day in every restaurant and every store and every ad. We are cool with our music being a product too, but it’s going to have heart, soul and character. That’s our goal.