Goan Dogs

Ahead of their debut full-length, Bristolian five-piece Goan Dogs have been making noise across the UK this year with their unconventional indie-pop sound. Having released their third hypnotic single and music video ‘Zombies’, DMC World caught up with Goan Dogs to discuss new music and post-pandemic dystopians…

Hey guys, thanks for talking to us here at DMC World! How are you all? 

Luke: Good! Happy to be starting to get back to normal. Lockdown was a challenge but we made the most of it…

For any readers who may not be familiar with your work, can you tell us a little bit about Goan Dogs?

L: Well, we’re a 5 piece band from Bristol. We play some slightly wonky but very full on guitary, synthy music. We’ve been doing it for about 10 years but we’ve never made an album. So now’s the time! We’re just putting the finishing touches to it now and it is sounding big. Super excited to get it into some peoples ears. 

Where did the name Goan Dogs come from? 

L: Goa! I went there as a much younger man and made some serious life long canine friends. The name just kinda stuck.

Briefly talk us through your general working process in the studio. How do you guys conceptualize your ideas into music? Do you have a specific method?

L: We get into a rehearsal space and just create until it vibes. Riffs, melodies, rhythms, that kind of thing. We do that until a structure makes it’s self known. We record it all and I take it to my studio and I put my producer hat on and I finesse what we’ve made. It’s a fun and creative way to work that makes the most of the live ‘band in a room’ thing and the more studio based production elements. I think it’s important to have these two things in your mind throughout the whole process.

Your new animated music video for ‘Zombies’ showcases a post-pandemic dystopian. What inspired this idea?

Theo: Well outside of the band, I am an illustrator and animator. Around the start of the year Luke shot me a version of Zombies with lyrics added, I was instantly inspired to start creating visuals to go alongside it. I Can’t quite explain it, but within a couple of hours I was sending stuff back to Luke! I’m visually attracted to slightly nihilistic/sad themes and this song was a great foundation to explore some of the more crappy sides of life. The visuals just came naturally as a response to the song. 

GOAN DOGS | ZOMBIES | OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

The video shows a repetitive cycle of tiring commutes and the 9-5 grind. Taking the pandemic into consideration, do you feel that the track has a slightly different representation now?

T: Yes totally! I started making this pre COVID, and the initial plan was to make really engaging clips of the mundane, holding a mirror up to everyday routines and outlining how some people are auto piloting their way through an unfulfilled life. But this has come out in a world where the majority of people are no longer commuting, maybe not even working. So maybe this video better poses the question of whether that life is something we should be aspiring to return to? I dunno, Maybe that’s for you guys to decide!  

It’s clear that a lot of detail and work has gone into the visuals. Can you tell us what the planning and production process was like?

T: I gotta be honest, there was very little planning that went into this. I had 3 weeks off work, and I just let visuals come out of me like a stream of consciousness. There were no scribbles or storyboards, I didn’t even run much past the boys – I just threw myself in and was pleasantly surprised to see where it went! It’s the beginning of a bit of a new visual identity for me, so as well as the tune being a banger, I was just super engaged in the whole process.

Name 3 tracks that are you digging at the moment?

T: During lockdown I was operating only on the most chill vibes going. Didn’t need any extra stress! So I’ll give you 3 songs that should relax you into any day.

Kiefer No Melody by Sam Gendel and Sam Wilkes

I thought I could Get Away with it by Joseph Shabason

Cut Me by Moses Sumney

What can we expect from Goan Dogs in the future?

T: You should expect our debut album! We’ve been really busy over the last few months putting the finishing touches on everything and we are sooooo close to being able to share it all with you. It feels like gigging is going to be a total no go in the short term, so the very least we can do is share as much music as we have with everyone!

www.facebook.com/GOANDOGS