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| Interview by Burt Wolf with Todd Smith singer for DOG FASHION DISCO. Interview done November 17th, 2005. |
| I'M FAIRLY NEW TO DOG FASHION DISCO, SO COULD YOU PLEASE GIVE A HISTORY OF THE BAND & HOW YOU GOT TOGETHER? ANY PREVIOUS BANDS YOU GUYS WERE IN OR SIDE PROJECTS CURRENTLY IN? Out of high school I started a band called HUG THE RETARD which would later become DOG FASHION DISCO. I am also in THE ALTER BOYS with the old singer from MUSHROOMHEAD. DOG FASHION DISCO got signed to SPITFIRE RECORDS in 2000 & have jumped from label to label without gettin the push we feel we deserved. I'm sure most bands say that, but that is how I feel. We've toured endlessly building throughout the years a solid, but relatively small underground following. WHY WAS THE NAME DOG FASHION DISCO CHOSEN AS THE BANDS NAME? The name has been the biggest thorn in our sides. To tell you the truth I don't know how we came upon the name, but having "disco" in our name we are sometimes percieved as a disco band. WHO OR WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR LIFE & YOUR MUSIC? I've been influenced from everything from ELTON JOHN to BECK to SLAYER to FAITH NO MORE. DOG FASHION DISCO BLENDS TOGETHER LOTS OF MUSICAL STYLES & INFLUENCES TO CREATE THEIR SOUND. HOW WOULD YOU BEST DESCRIBE THE SOUNDS OF DOG FASHION DISCO? We do R&B to Ska to Heavy Metal or Rock to Polka to Country to anything you can think of. I ONLY HAVE YOUR SECOND ALBUM "COMMITED TO A BRIGHT FUTURE" WHICH HAS BEEN OUT FOR AWHILE NOW. HOW WELL DID THIS ALBUM DO? WHAT WAS THE RESPONSE LIKE TO IT? Critics for the most part were positive & it sold about 20,000 copies world wide. |
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| THIS ALBUM CAME OUT ON SPITFIRE RECORDS. HOW DID YOU GET HOOKED UP WITH THEM. WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH THEM? We were frustrated with them to be honest because we don't think they ever understood what we were trying to do. Things were going good with them & then the president at the label left & we got lost in the shuffle & basically written off. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE MEANING BEHIND THE COVER ART A BIT & WHO DID IT? |
| The cover art was supposed to be a drug overdose bathroom scene with vomit & pills & when the distributor saw the original cover art they made us take all the vomit & drug references away & we were left with a bathroom. We didn't have time to come up with a plan B, so we had to go with this generic version of our original idea. YOUR STYLE DOESN'T FIT ANY ONE STYLE OF MUSIC AT ALL, DOES YOUR LYRICAL CONTENT FOLLOW THE SAME PATH? WHAT IS SOME OF THE SUBJECT MATTER IN YOUR SONGS? Our songs lyrical subject range from death to drug hallucinations to songs about serial killers to anything warped & twisted that lies in the undercurrent of society. YOUR WEBSITE MENTIONS THAT YOUR RECORDING MATERIAL FOR YOUR NEW ALBUM. HOW IS THIS PROCESS COMING ALONG? We are in the final stages of our new record "ADULTERY". This album is of epic proportions for us. None of us were trying to make a single or something that is easily digestible. This album is as dark & erie as it gets. It's to story of a guy who is a family man that spins out of control into a world of prostitutes, drugs, sadism, murder & mayhem. The album has a theme running through it & explains this mans fall into the worst acts a human being is capable of. THE NEW DISC WILL BE PUT OUT BY ROTTEN RECORDS EARLY NEXT YEAR. HOW DID YOU GET HOOKED UP WITH THEM? We were always approached by the label saying they had interest in us. When the time was right we found each other & they gave us total freedom to do what ever we wanted. We are the main focus for them & they share our vision of making a massive screenplay storyline set to music. HOW DO YOU FEEL THIS ALBUM WILL DIFFER FROM PAST RELEASES? The other records we've done will pale in comparison. From the very first note of this record you can tell you are in for a very unsettling & disturbing ride. It takes you through one mans hell he creates for himself & all who suffer because of him. |
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| YOU HAVE A NEW DVD RELEASE OUT NOW. CAN YOU TELL US WHAT IT'S CALLED & WHAT SOME OF THE CONTENT IS ON THE DVD? The DVD we have is called DFDVD & it's basically us out on the road being stupid & keeping ourselves drunk & entertained between gigs. SINCE DOG FASHION DISCO'S MUSIC DOESN'T FIT ONE STYLE OF MUSIC DO YOU FIND IT HARD TO GET BOOKED TO PLAY WITH CERTAIN BANDS? WHO ARE SOME OF THE BANDS YOU'VE PLAYED WITH. WHICH STYLE OF MUSIC FANS SEEM TO BEST RESPOND TO YOU GUYS LIVE? |
| We work best playing with bands who are a little weird & left of center. Their crowds usually are more open minded. I READ YOU PLAYED WITH INSANE CLOWN POSSE & SOMEONE IN THE BAND PULLED THEIR PANTS DOWN & THREW SHIT AT THE AUDIENCE, WHICH ESCALATED TO A RIOT & THE POLICE WERE BROUGHT IN. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE EVENTS OF THIS NIGHTS HAPPENINGS? That story is true. It was with the band called TWIZTID, which is basically INSANE CLOWN POSSE with a different name. They were being beyond disrespectful, spitting & throwing bottles & anything they could get their hands on. I had finally had enough & I pulled my pants down, took a shit on a piece of cardboard & threw it in the crowd. They rioted & tried to kill us because I guess they didn't like being covered with my shit. WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS THE BEST & WORST PART ABOUT BEING IN A BAND? Traveling sometimes sucks, but groupies & getting drunk every night helps pass the time. WHO DO YOU FEEL ARE SOME OF THE BETTER BANDS, LABELS & ZINES FROM YOUR STATE OF MARYLAND? Uh working with Steve Wright at WRIGHTWAY STUDIOS is the best part about being a band in Maryland & our fans here are cool too. ARE YOU INTO ANY OTHER STYLES OF MUSIC BESIDES WHAT YOU PLAY? WHO ARE SOME OF THE BANDS YOU HAVE CURRENTLY BEEN LISTENING TO? I like the new SYSTEM OF A DOWN & that's about it for heavy stuff. As I get older I like Pop more & more. I like RADIOHEAD & more mellow stuff that makes you feel something & it moves you in some way. I think for the most part Metal is awful & we are not a part of any of that. WHAT DO THE MEMBERS OF THE BAND DO WHEN NOT DOING ANY WORK FOR THE BAND? JOBS, HOBBIES, ETC? I deliver pizza because the band makes so much money. |
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| WHAT IS ONE THING PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO FIND OUT ABOUT YOU? I like cats & girls with meat on their bones. WHAT WAS THE FIRST ALBUM YOU EVER BOUGHT? WHAT WAS THE FIRST CONCERT YOU EVER WENT TO? IRON MAIDEN'S "KILLERS". MOTLEY CRUE'S "THEATRE OF PAIN" tour. WHAT ARE YOU VIEWS ON THE FOLLOWING SUBJECTS: SEX, DRUGS, RACISM, RELIGION, POLITICS, VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS & THE MUSIC INDUSTRY? I think everything you mentioned is dangerous & destructive. Our new record reflects how influences & life choices can lead to a very bad place. |
| WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE DOING IF YOU WEREN'T IN DOG FASHION DISCO? Some 9 to 5 thing I would hate. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE NEXT FROM DOG FASHION DISCO? Lots of touring in support of the new record. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE ANSWERING THIS INTERVIEW? WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW THAT IT'S DONE? I was doing vocals to the title track of the new record. I'm going to bed. THANX A LOT FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS. FEEL FREE TO ADD ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO CLOSE OUT! Thanks for the interview & I want to let people know to buy & not download our new record "ADULTERY" March 21st 2006. Thanks again. |
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| jason@DOGFASHIONDISCO.com todd@DOGFASHIONDISCO.com jeff@DOGFASHIONDISCO.com www.DOGFASHIONDISCO.com PHOTOS & GRAPHICS COURTESY OF DOG FASHION DISCO INTERVIEWS MAIN PAGE |