Music Interview: A Talk With Dr. Dog

Dr. Dog get a lot of classic rock name checks in your album reviews: Brian Wilson, The Beatles, and The Band come up a lot. Would you care to speak up about some newer bands that influence your sound or your writing?

Oh yes, so many. One major influence in the past couple of years that I think wouldn't be apparent at all is Joanna Newsom. I loved the first album as a listener, but that second album! How can I put it? The craft in that songwriting just impressed me - how she's going about being a songwriter and who she is. She's so clearly defining her own borders and shedding the influence of almost anything. It's so ambitious, and it's without parameters for song structure. It's very individualistic, and I feel that about all my favorite songwriters. I love the artist with a very clear and distinct voice. So I feel that way about lots of songwriters, but most of them are 30 or 40 years older than I am! So she's an inspiration who's my age that inspires you to commit to the craft of songwriting. There are others, too: Cold War Kids are a band I admire and really thought about a lot while we made this last album. Again, it's not a direct influence, but I'm impressed with their economy. It's so pared down, and everything is really confined in their songs. I always think of them as the 'fine artists' of indie rock. They're like a well composed black and white photograph with a warm image. I also love M. Ward - his music is really stylized, but it's so natural and live as well. Finally, I really respect My Morning Jacket, because they're fearless. They aren't worried about anything except for their current whims, and they just seize on that and do everything with so much heart.

Speaking of My Morning Jacket, you've toured with some big names. Was there ever a tour supporting someone where the audience always 'got' you? We imagine that some tours go much better than others.

Actually, easily My Morning Jacket. We've toured with lots of great bands, and it's not a landslide, but it was really conducive to what we do. They have an open-minded, welcoming, let's see some real music type of audience that are really receptive. Those two tours with them were some of our first national tours, and we learned a lot doing those shows. We weren't studying or anything, but you have to learn what the lifestyle is like, and the good things, and the consistent problems. But those guys have such a good attitude about being in a band, which helped us. That's not to put anybody else down - we made good friends with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Cold War Kids when we toured with them, too. But the My Morning Jacket audiences really fit us. Touring with Wilco was cool, too, but it was so much bigger than what we were used to.

Who had the idea to pair you with Delta Spirit (who we love) for this tour?

Our booking agent did it. She decided we'd make a good touring team last year, so this is the second time we've all been out together. We all get along, and our agent Jackie has a gift for that. It's been great.

Our amiable conversation ended here, as Dr. Dog's van hit a cell dead zone. But look below for a clip of Dr. Dog, and if you have a ticket, talk to them yourselves this weekend if Ike doesn't deter your attendance.