Q&A: Dogpark Wraps up 2024 with Headline Tour and New Single “Storefront Cabana”
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY SHELLSEA LOMELI ☆
EMERGING FROM DIY COLLEGE PARTY SHOWS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND — East-coast indie rock band Dogpark has had quite the journey. This year alone, they have dropped a debut EP Breaking In Brooklyn, signed to Severance Records, embarked on their first headline US tour, and much more beyond what they could have imagined for themselves when they first began in 2023.
From Burlington to San Diego, the band has been bringing their charging instrumentation and synergy to the stage with tracks like their most recent release, “Storefront Cabana.” The single is one of the few early songs Dogpark wrote together as a 5-piece in a basement when the band first began developing. Its dynamic shift between dreamy verses and overdriven choruses brings listeners into a nostalgic soundscape, soundtracking an edgy coming or age storyline or cinematic drive down the coast. “Storefront Cabana” is produced by Carlos de la Graza who has collaborated with staple early 2000s bands like Paramore and The Linda Linas.
Dogpark is made up of Eamon Moore as lead vocalist, Christian Conte on the drums, guitarists Declan Harris and Billy Apostolou, and Will Harford on bass and vocals.
Inspired by the 90s and early 2000s bands they grew up listening to such as the Smashing Pumpkins, the group continues to cut into a more evolved sound that feels most authentic to themselves. It’s music that invites you sonic immersion and romanticizing life, at least a little bit.
Read below as the members of Dogpark reflect on tour so far, debate what hypothetical TV show or film they might soundtrack, and look towards what's to come for the band in the new year.
LUNA: How's the tour going? Do you have a favorite city that you’ve played so far?
WILL: It’s been good. It’s our longest and it’s also our first big tour as a headliner so we’re tired but it’s been really fun.
EAMON: There were definitely a few shows that stood out. Dallas and Chicago were very fun. There were some surprises too — Anarbor was amazing and we didn’t know anything about that city going in.
DECLAN: LA was good. We played the Peppermint Club — it was awesome.
LUNA: How would you describe a Dogpark show in one word for people who have yet to see you live?
BILLY: Electric.
DECLAN: Musically diverse. That’s two words (laughs).
EAMON: Raw, maybe?
WILL: Spontaneous.
CHRIS: I’m going to give three words but I’d say “Graph going up” in terms of energy. We really backload the set and it’s really fun.
LUNA: “Storefront Cabana” is your most recent release. What does this song mean to you guys as a band?
EAMON: It’s special in the sense that it’s one of the first songs we wrote together since our first EP was co-written. These last two songs have been just us. To see what we wrote in a basement come to fruition as a release is really cool.
DECLAN: Similar to “Caviar”, I think it’s another step towards a more cohesive form of what a Dogpark song can be — cutting off the fat and getting to the root of what we really want to write. It’s a continuous journey.
LUNA: What’s the ideal setting for someone to listen to this track for the first time?
EAMON: It’s definitely a “driving down the road when it’s raining” kind of song. Looking out the window and pretending you’re in a movie.
DECLAN: Maybe really early morning drive before the sun is fully up.
WILL: I’d say on a crowded street with headphones in while you’re people watching.
LUNA: There’s a lot of 90’s alt-rock influence in your music, especially with your most recent tracks. Who are some bands that have inspired your sound?
DECLAN: I’m a big Smashing Pumpkins fan and I think that comes through on “Storefront Cabana”. I was listening to their song “Here Is No Why” a lot while coming up with this one. I’m also a big Jane’s Addiction fan.
EAMON: Vocally, I was inspired by The Sundays — a vocal that goes up and down a lot. Jeff Buckley too even though that’s kind of a meme now (laughs).
WILL: My favorite band is The Format but they’re a little late to be 90s.
LUNA: What was the turning point for this band when it shifted from a fun college hobby to something you wanted to take more seriously?
EAMON: It was a bit of a natural progression. We were playing a bunch of shows at school and when we started getting more traction on TikTok, it drew attention from people in the industry. We got opportunities to work in LA a lot. Things were going well so we just kept going. We were able to generate enough revenue from live shows to stay afloat and once we had a fanbase on social media who were listening to the music, the band felt worth investing in.
LUNA: Did you guys all want to be musicians growing up?
EAMON: I guess we probably all wanted to do music in theory the same way people want to be pro athletes but it wasn’t a likely possibility. But once people started listening online, it felt worth pursuing. Also, if you don’t have alternative prospects looking great like me, it feels like this is what you’re meant to do.
DECLAN: I had played guitar for a long time but never really considered it would go anywhere. I was a music major but it was purely academic. In a way, the band sort of fell in my lap. We’re doing better than I ever thought we would.
BILLY: I was a bio chem major and always expected music to just be a hobby.
CHRIS: I started as a business major but a teacher of ours convinced me to switch to music. By the time my senior year rolled around, I figured I’d work in the industry. Then the band happened and I thought, “This is way better than being an A&R” (laughs).
EAMON: When you’re a music major, being in a band is the best job if you can make it happen.
LUNA: If your discography could soundtrack one movie or tv show, what do you think it would be?
WILL: Fight Club for two reasons. First, it has a lot of energy like our music. Second, it’s about a dude who’s lying to himself and has a facade and a lot of our music revolves around that theme.
EAMON: It’s got to be something along those lines. A young cocky guy is involved who’s in the city. Like Limitless.
DECLAN: It’s got to be the show Suits. Mike Ross walking into the office with “Caviar” bumping and Harvey’s like “what are you listening to?”
LUNA: What’s one thing you’re hoping for in the new year?
DECLAN: The beauty of being in a band is you never really know what could happen. There’s this thrill of living in the unknown — it could tank or it could skyrocket. I hope for everything and to do the best job we can. If we get to play more shows like we did on this tour in bigger rooms, that’s already enough.
EAMON: I’m manifesting an Anthony Fantano Dogpark review on our album.
DECLAN: I want a bad review. To see him not like it would be funny.
WILL: Our calendar has some stuff filled already for 2025 so I’m just already excited.
CHRIS: I want us to make a great album. That’s something we’re all thinking about.
BILLY: I’m thinking 2025, Shaboozy wins best artist at the Grammys and 2026, Dogpark wins.
