Interview

Interview! The Dodges

San Diego’s The Dodges just released a new album “Roll With” and are heading out on a West Coast Tour. I emailed them some interview questions and they replied with a video answer. This is the transcription from that video. Maybe one day we will release the full video. But until that day…

Read on…

Who are The Dodges?
Mike – I play guitar and I sing.
Alex – I play guitar.
Donnie – I play bass.
Kyle – I play drums and the tambourine.

How did the band form?
Kyle – I saw Mike post something on Facebook saying he was looking for a drummer for some songs he had previously written and I just sent a little wavy face hand emoji and then he hit me up and we started playing together.
Mike – That did happen.
Alex – And then you showed me that video and I was like let me in. Then we got Donnie.
Kyle – We went through a couple of bassists and our original bassist left on good terms. So we kinda had a couple fill ins and then we brought Donnie on board.

The Dodges recently had a lineup change. How has that changed the band?
Mike – I think we’ve only gotten better. I definitely think he brings a lot of presence to the show and can get a crowd moving by just yelling Oceanside.
Donnie – (Laughs)
Alex – Yeah what’s up with the diamond thing (moves hands in a diamond formation).
Donnie – It’s an O. (moves hands in a more O shape) It’s an O, it’s not a diamond.
Alex – That looks like one thing to me and I was really confused why we were doing that in Oceanside.
Kyle – Why don’t you guys grow up.
All – (Laughing)

You guys are about to head out on your first tour. Any expectations?
Kyle – Really just too have fun and meet people. It’s our first tour so we’re not expecting anything to much. There might be a couple weird shows a couple fun shows. Basically we just want to have fun and see the country and meet some cool people.
Mike – Yeah I’m looking forward to it. I’ve never really been north of San Francisco. So I’m definitely looking forward to getting up there and just playing music.
Alex – Yeah Seattle is going to be fun. I’ve never been there.
Kyle – And watching a lot of bands we’ve never heard of.
Mike – Yes.

Your new album “Roll With” is coming out this month. How did it come about getting released on La Escalera Records?
Alex – About a year ago Kyle, Mike, and I went to the La Escalera Festival and were talking about what a cool thing they have going and how we’d like to be a part of it. Over the last year we’ve been in close spaces with the guys from La Escalera.
Mike – We just started meeting them at shows and it just evolved over time. They put us on a show and then another and another. Will agreed to help us book our tour. One thing lead to another and here we are.
Kyle – Ultimately it lead to putting out an album. We are really excited about it.

Who did the album artwork? Even though it’s similar to “Yelling at Adult Men” it has a different feel. The cat slap feels more aggressive.
Mike – It’s the same artwork, different colors. Basically this album is partially our first EP “Yelling At Adult Men” and a new EP that we’ve combined into one thing to put out with La Escalera. The art was done by a friend of mine in Austria named Kristof Tarisznyas. So he did the actual drawing. My wife had originally thought of the concept and I kind of drew up a really crappy drawing. Sent it to him and he just made it look awesome. He gave us that and we made the shirts out of it and everything. My wife Stefanie Schwartz did all our graphic design, tour poster, CD layout, most of our photography and everything. She’s been a big help as well.
Alex – Way to go Stephanie!
Mike – Thank you!

What was the recording process like for “Roll With”?
Kyle – It’s a lot of fun. Kind of stressful but fun for the most part. Drums take quite a long time.
Mike – We recorded with Jeff Forrest at Double Time in El Cajon. He’s the coolest dude in the world.
Alex – Very polite grunts when you mess up.
Mike – Very politely tells you that you suck.
Alex – Yeah.
Kyle – “Why don’t you try that again.”
Mike – But working with Jeff is always a pleasure. He’s an amazing dude and you know he’s worked with so many awesome San Diego bands. Great experience.

Who are some other local San Diego bands that you guys have been stoked to play with?
Mike – What bands you guys stoked on?
Kyle – The guys from All Weather.
Mike – Those guys are cool.
Kyle – I’d like to play some shows with Squarecrow.
Mike – Bossfight is pretty cool.
Alex – Donnie’s favorite is Nimrod.
Mike – Nimrod is Donnie’s favorite band in the world.
Donnie – In the world.
Alex – Yeah
Donnie – In the world.
Alex – Mike actually sang with them.
Mike – I did sing with them. I actually played their first show with them. I played guitar at Nimrods first show. That was fun.
Alex – Theirs footage online somewhere.
Mike – What other bands do you guys like.
Kyle – Of course the guys from Western Settings.
Donnie – Roman Watchdogs are coming out with their EP soon.
Mike – Sick. Slaughter Boys are really cool. I don’t think we’ve played with them though have we.
Donnie – We played for them.
Mike – Of yeah we may have taken their slot. Theirs many more bands. Sorry if we forgot you we still love you.

What do you guys enjoy doing when you’re not playing music?
Alex – Kyle what do you like to do?
Kyle – I just like to play with my puppy dog, honestly.
Alex – Very cute.
Kyle – I’m almost 30 now so I like to clean my apartment.
Alex – Do you have social media for Lola yet?
Kyle – No I don’t.
Alex – We should probably get a page for her.
Mike – #petsofthedodges by the way. Donnie what do you do in your free time?
Donnie – Go to shows.
Alex – I like to play with wood. That’s what I like to do.
Mike – That’s cool.
Alex – As in carpentry type stuff.
Mike – I pretty much go to the Zoo a lot and take photos. Stuff like that.
Donnie – You have a cat.
Mike – I have a cat. She’s the inspiration for our..
Donnie – Everything.
Mike – Design. My everything (laughs) she is my everything. She’s hiding in the bath tub right now.
Kyle – The Dodges love animals and on that note make sure to spay/neuter your pets everyone

You guys are starting 2018 fast and strong with an album and tour. What’s next for The Dodges this year?
Alex – Music video.
Kyle – New batch of songs.
Mike – Yeah that’s big.
Donnie – Another album and tour.
Mike – Another album. More shows. Yeah music video and I think we should focus on a full length or just more EPs. Just keep moving man and don’t take a break, maybe take a couple weeks after tour. We’ve got Awesome Fest coming up.
Kyle – Do more shit like that.
Mike – Keep doing it. That’s the goal. That’s it. Thank you. We love everybody. Thank you San Diego Punk for being such awesome things.