Interview: Split Dogs
What we ideally do with the music, we like to connect different types of people. It's not all just about, like, a punk crowd. It's everyone who likes to have fun and have a good time.
Here To Destroy is the aptly named and utterly brilliant new album from Split Dogs, and it sees the Bristol punk rock n rollers dazzle with a high octane collection of life affirming songs. Ahead of the albums release, Gavin Brown caught up with Split Dogs vocalist Harry to talk about Here To Destroy and how the band captured the raucous energy of their live show onto the record as well as excitedly discussing the band’s upcoming tour and festival appearances.
E&D: The new Split Dogs album Here To Destroy is out very soon. Did you want to capture the high energy of your live show with this record?
Harry: Totally, yes, that’s one thing we all really wanted to do going into recording, because having released the first album, we were obviously really happy with it, but we don’t feel like it captured the true sound of us, that we get a live show and the energy. So that’s something that we all discussed, and we all wanted that. Pete Miles, who recorded the album for us, he put forward to do it all to tape, like, just go for it, and the end result really did capture our live show really well.
E&D: Did you feel any pressure following up your self titled debut album with Here To Destroy?
Harry: Actually, no, because we, I’m speaking for myself, but I know everyone will say the same. We felt that we wanted to do more with this album. I think, as a band, we play loads of shows, and you just grow every time, you try something, you really like it, and you get more confidence in yourself. So we have this air of confidence in ourselves going into the second album and being like, I know this is the gonna be the one where we smash it.
E&D: Is that tied in with the title of the album, being a statement of intent for the band?
Harry: I guess so. It’s also a lyric in the opening track ‘Stay Tuned’ as well.It was like she you watch a film and then they say the title of the film in the film, you get really excited. It’s kind of a bit like that. So when people hear ‘Stay Tuned’ they’ll hear it.
E&D: Going back to the recording of the album, it was done on a 16 track reel-to-reel tape machine. Was that to capture that, that live essence as well?
Harry: Yeah, totally. A lot of that the older bands that we love, the classic rock bands, that’s the way they would have recorded. We didn’t want to have any auto tune or any effects. We just wanted to hit it really hard and just deliver. We’re really happy with how it sounds, and it sounds real retro, too.
E&D: Who have been the biggest influences on the sound of the this album?
Harry: Oh, there’s so many. I’m sure individually, we’d say different things, but I would definitely say, Status Quo, AC/DC. I love Tina Turner. I also love the Cramps.
E&D: Did you want to have a fun and highly energetic feel as well to it?
Harry: Oh, definitely, yeah. We’re a very high energy band, especially live. We love recording the album and stuff. It’s great, but we’re such a live band, we love playing live, and I think that’s when we’re at our best, when we’re in front of an audience. So, yeah, it’s very energetic in places.
E&D: Have you played many of these new songs live?
Harry: We played quite a lot of them earlier on, before we’d recorded them and we were like, let’s throw this in the set. And they’ve become firm favourites. So we were really excited going into the recording process that this is going to be good.
E&D: How is the new lineup of the band working out?
Harry: It is a new lineup, but it feels very familiar at the same time. Chris, our drummer, has been with us a year now, and Chris and Mil, the guitarist, they’ve known each other since they were young, back in South London. So there’s that, and Suez is from South London too. So there’s that South London connection. We’re very, tight knit now.
E&D: The music video you have done for the song ‘And What?’, does that sum up the high energy of the band and the fun aspect as well, and was that a fun video to make inWeston super Mare?
Harry: It was really fun. It was one of those ones where we just we had an idea of how we wanted it to look. I can’t remember whose idea it was being in front of the grand pier, but we all said, Oh, that would make a great shot. We had all these ideas for different shots that we wanted to get, and hopefully we’d all just come together, but we didn’t ask for any permission or do anything, because we often find when you ask, you just get told no, so we were able to set up, get a shot, do it, and go to the next place. In terms of the song, yeah, it’s one of our favourites, and it’s been a real firm favourite for people.
E&D: Is that guerrilla approach to making videos, how you approach your music and your live shows as well?
Harry: Totally. Don’t overthink it. Just do it and just have fun. Ultimately, we encourage each other as a band, there’s no silly ideas and if someone wants to do something and they’re passionate about it, we’ll go for it.
E&D: Are you excited to be heading out on your debut tour when the album drops?
Harry: Yeah, really excited. We’ve had some great responses from people since we’ve announced the dates, and we’ve got some really great support acts as well on all the dates in the UK that we’re really excited about. It’s going to be good. It’s very surreal to be doing a headline tour. It’s very exciting and surreal. You don’t want to think too much about it, but yeah, we’re all really hyped for it excellent.
E&D: Will you be doing a lot of material the new album?
Harry: Yeah, we’re rehearsing at the moment because we want to put together a real fire set. We’ve got all the new stuff, a couple of older tracks that we’ve kind of dropped, that people haven’t heard for a while, that we’re going to be put back in. We’re also working on new tracks as well, so we’ll have two brand new songs that will be included within the set, so people can get hyped for hearing something new that they can’t get on either album, and a cover too.
E&D: What cover will you be doing?
Harry: The last run of shows we were doing, we recorded a secret track, It’s not going to be on the album, but if you get a cassette, it’s on the cassette. We did ‘Tears Of A Clown’ by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. For this run of shows, for our tour, we’re going to do ‘Nutbush City Limits’ by Tina Turner.
E&D: Was that your choice?
Harry: Yeah, it was!
E&D: How did your recent shows supporting GBH at the 100 club and Subhumans go?
Harry: Loved them. I love GBH. I’m from the Midlands, so I’ve got a bit of a connection to GBH. It was real. We supported them last year on a show, and they were very, very nice. I told the guys, like, I love your track ‘Big Women’, but they never play it, because there’s a bit of controversy around it. But being someone who’s been big, and a woman, I love the track. I’ve always loved it. I think it’s great. It’s such a party track. They said, Oh, if you can sing it with us, we’ll play it. So that was a real great honour to be able to share the stage with them.
E&D: You’ve also played shows with Sham 69, Murphys Law and T.S.O.L to name a few. Is it testament to your hard work in the band you get you’ve played with these legendary bands quite early in your career and do you feel blessed to have done that?
Harry: Oh, totally blessed. Yeah, really lucky, and that’s the attitude that the band has. We get these opportunities, we’re lucky enough to get them, so we take them.
E&D: You also played the Rebellion festival last year for the first time. How was that experience and are you looking forward to playing it again this year?
Harry: Yeah, really looking forward to going back. Last year was a lot of fun, although it was a bit stressful, because Chris was in Amsterdam on holiday, and the plan was he was going to fly back the day before we played, do a quick rehearsal. So we were ready for it, and then just go and do it, and then he had his flight cancelled the day before, so he rebooked onto another one, we were like, oh, forget about the rehearsal. It’ll be fine, he’ll arrive on the day. We’ll have the day at the festival, and it’ll be great. Then his other flight then got cancelled too, and then he had to rebook onto another! It was such a hassle, but he got there in the end, I was picking him up, from Preston train station half an hour before we were due to be on stage. I think we arrived five minutes before our set. So there was no time to get nervous. There was no time to like stress or anything. Me and Chris were in the car, listening to Motörhead getting really ramped up. I was like, I’ve got you. Let’s go. We parked the car, and we literally ran to the Introducing stage and got up on there and did it. It was really good actually. We got a good crowd, really great turnout for us. We’re really excited to be back this year.
E&D: If you could curate a festival like Rebellion, who would you have playing?
Harry: I’d want it to be party and soul so I would have AC/DC, Status Quo, Motörhead but I’d also have James Brown in there as well, and I’d have Tina, obviously. There’s a festival called Mosswood Meltdown that happens in California. and every year they have wicked bands play. Last year they had the B-52s. It’s very kind of punk, garage rock and roll kind of stuff. They also had Amyl & The Sniffers play there too, and Shannon and the Clams. It’s hosted by John Waters, the director, that’s my kind of festival, so I’d love to play something like that.
E&D: You’re also playing 2000 Trees this year as well. Are you looking forward to playing a festival with a different vibe, to Rebellion, for example, and give them the Split Dogs treatment?
Harry: Yes, again, I’m really excited for 2000 Trees. I’ve got friends that go to that festival who love it, and they’ve said, it’s one of the best festivals. Theyre proper festival goers, I’ve never been so I’m really excited. I’ve heard only amazing things from people that go and other bands that have played as well.
E&D: Have you got other live plans as well, for after the tour and during the summer?
Harry: We’re doing a festival in Budapest, which should be exciting, and we’ve got Boomtown as well, which should be exciting.
E&D: What have been some of your other favourite live shows that the band have played to date?
Harry: We played a wicked show recently at the Chelsea Inn in Bristol. No one in the band is from Bristol or lives in Bristol. However, the band is a Bristol band because that’s where we start gigging in the punk scene. The scene is just incredible. There’s nowhere like Bristol in terms of the crowds and the people that will go crazy for you. The Chelsea is just one of these pubs. It’s free entry. It’s a punk pub, and it’s always got a great atmosphere, great shows, great bands. It was one of our friends birthdays, Lizz from Hot Flab, they’re like a Riot grrrl band. They played along with the Bozos, who are a Bristol rock and roll band, and then us, it was absolutely wild. There was like so much crowd surfing, people piled on top of each other. There was a twerk pit at one point, which was amazing, yeah, it just was absolute chaos!
E&D: Are they the best kind of gigs for you?
Harry: Oh god, yeah! When I go out to a show, I like to let my hair down and I like to have a good time. I like to dance, and I think that’s what we evoke when we play music, too. So to see people just lose themselves and just have so much fun, that’s the best.
E&D: You had football legend Stuart Pearce, praise Split Dogs on the radio with fellow football legend Ally McCoist recently too. That must have been a big thrill for you and the band?
Harry: It was an even bigger thrill for my mum, because she loves football. She’s mad on it. I told her and she was really excited. It’s crazy, because you just don’t expect it either. What we ideally do with the music, we like to connect different types of people. It’s not all just about, like, a punk crowd. It’s everyone who likes to have fun and have a good time.
