Interview with Kelly Ogden
Conducted/Written by Laurel Salvo
Enjoy!!!
With their Sophomore album “Because I’m Awesome” having been out for a little over two years, I had the pleasure of sitting down and speaking with vocalist Kelly Ogden about “The Dollyrots” journey in the music business.
Long time friends since middle-school, guitarist Luis Cabeza and Ogden hadn’t originally planned to take the band to where it is now. In the minds of their 8th-grade selves, Ogden didn’t know how to play guitar, they had no drummer, and it was more to “just have fun”. It seems that ultimate and genuine goal has been reached and the Dollyrots are now heavily established in the scene; having recently signed in 2007 to Blackheart Records with their third record dropping later this month.
With hundreds of shows under their belt, songs on the soundtrack of Ugly Betty, Greek, CSI, and even feature films like “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2”, the word is out. Their most recent album “Because I’m Awesome” features pop-punk goodness tailored for anyone who likes to toe-tap in their Converse shoes on black pavement while chewing bubblegum. A mixture of light lyrics and deep cutting rock riffs, it’s a terrific soundtrack to any summer day; a muse of rock and roll and bouncing soles jumping up in a pit to hit a rainbow colored beach ball towards a stage. The songs are reminiscent of a time in one’s youth where you think of nothing but poolside hangouts with friends. Not to be taken too lightly, however, the energy the Dollyrots have on stage is nothing short of combustive. Admittedly Ogden has even gone so far as opening some pretty bloody wounds from how raucous her live-guitar playing can get.
Stage violence aside, the most important part of the bands makeup seems to be tightly knit connections, not just intimately with their fans but namely the roots of friendship where the creation of the band began. Guitarist Cabeza and vocalist Ogden met in late junior high, together picking up Chris Black along the way. Having relocated from Florida to LA after the 2000 election of George Bush and fearing the world could end anytime; the trio set their collegiate goals on the backburner to fully submerge themselves in the business. With their first record dropping in 2004 on the early fizzled out “Lookout Records”, their sound was met with an appreciative nod later on at Warped Tour in 2006, when Ogden mustered up the courage to introduce herself and their current album “Eat My Heart Out” to the summer festivals headliner, Joan Jett.
Aside from their own records, The Dollyrots are also featured on the new warped tour soundtrack, “Endless Bummer”, also produced by Blackheart Records showcasing artists like “The Circle Jerks”, “Pennywise”, and yes, “Joan Jett & the Blackhearts” as well. The Dollyrots cover of “Bad Reputation” delivers the gold-token Summer-festival mosh vibes any scenester can kick their legs to and Ogden’s light-hearted and wavering punk vocals establish their musical persona as a band that’s in the business to enjoy life more than anything.
Kelly called me from LA and the conversation we had included talk of their new record, Halloween plans the band has, and everything in between about fan dynamics and lyrical inspiration.
*Cell ringing* Hey, it’s Kelly
Laurel: Hey, Kelly. How are you?
Kelly: Good, how are you?
Laurel: Great, thanks so much for doing this interview.
Kelly: No problem!
Laurel: So the last show you did was last month in Long Beach at Alex’s bar. Did you play any new tracks, off the new record at all?
Kelly: We did. We played about half of our new songs. And we also played “Nobody Wants U” off our last record and we had never, ever played that live before but we had to learn it. It was weird because we had never played it together, like, we had just played it in the studio.
Luis, live in Pittsburgh
Laurel: And how did the fans do with receiving the new stuff? Did they seem to like it a lot?
Kelly: People really, really liked it. It was kind of a relief because you know, we’ve been like, stuck in a bubble working and working and not really knowing if anyone would like it… So it was really good. I think we really needed it at that point.
Laurel: Awesome. And you’ve been off tour for about a month now. How’s that been
going? What have you and the band been up to?
Kelly: Um...lots of kind of random LA stuff which has been nice. We’re still trying to finish up the record and there have been meetings and trying to finish up artwork and that kind of stuff. I mean, personal stuff, I tried out for this Nancy part in this Sex Pistols tribute band. *laughs* It was really, really fun. I liked doing that. It’s called “Anarchy in LA” and it’s pretty hilarious.
My friends just released a movie so we’re helping her out and we went to the premiere and stuff. That was pretty fun. It’s a fun little film, “Let Them Know”. Yeah, other than that, I take Quito hiking up in the hills. *laughs*
Laurel: And the new record is set to have 12 tracks with more than enough B-sides left over, according to your blog on Blackheart’s website. Can you tell me anything about it like what sort of lyrical and musical shifts it’s been from “Because I’m Awesome?”
Kelly: Um…I think maybe it’s just a little bit, I don’t know how to even say it. I guess there’s a little bit less of a concern for what Genre we’re supposed to fit into or, you know, whether if no one’s going to care about saying one thing or another. I think we just felt more free to create what we wanted it to be without over-thinking it. We’re better this time. The bass lines are harder. I’m not sure how I’m going to handle it live. *laughs* It’s cool. We made it pretty hard for us and sounding more like from when we grew up.
It’s still going to be a Dollyrots record. I don’t think it’s going to be some major departure. We put some more synth sounds in it though so that’s a bit of a departure but they’re pretty quiet in the mix so people might not always notice.
Laurel: And with the new album you’ll be releasing it on vinyl as well. Is that something you did for the last couple albums? I’m not sure if “Because I’m Awesome” was on vinyl or not…
Kelly: Well for the first record we had it on vinyl but with “Because I’m Awesome”, ya know, things got busy and that never happened. But we’re still going to try and release “Because I’m Awesome” on vinyl too. Yeah I feel like, we really like bands and I love to get the vinyl because it’s this huge piece of art and it looks so cool and sounds so much nicer. I think it’s a cool thing to do. I feel like we should just forget about CD’s because they’re pieces of crap. *laughs* I’ll take vinyl over digital any day and I’ll be a happy camper.
Laurel: You keep a blog updated on Blackheart’s website pretty regularly. All the band have a Twitter accounts. You do a sort-of rock and roll advice column for Buzznet called “Rock & Roll Therapy”, you Blog on Myspace with updates as well and you interact with your fans directly as often as you can.
Other bands might say they don’t have the time for that sort of thing but how important is this type of intimacy with your fans where you’re constantly engaging in an open dialogue?
Kelly: I feel like it’s as important as the music is to us. I would still be making music if no one was listening but the fact that it does matter to people and they do feel passionate about it…The fact that I can communicate with them directly is kind of an amazing thing. It’s something you can experience with the last decade. It’s really cool.
We try our best but it’s kind of overwhelming. In the time that we’ve had in LA lately, I’ve kind of just been going through emails and working really hard keeping up on stuff. We’ve been trying to empty the Myspace page when it’s full. It’s something that we all do every day. We all spend totals of hours on all that stuff. And you know, as we get busy doing the record there’s even more messages and it’s like, “Oh Crap!” *laughs*
But you know, it’s really cool and I think it’s special and we get to meet people on the road. When we kinda already know them it’s pretty cool.
Chris Black drumming in Pittsburgh
Laurel: Are there any recent experiences you’d like to share with fan interactions online or directly or even with letters that have really stuck out to you? Even at the last show at Long Beach…
Kelly: At the last show it’s really, really funny cuz’ you know there were a couple fans that were over at the merch table. And I was just walking around before the show when everybody got in and I almost felt bad…*laughs*A guy walked over and sort of goes, “Hey, I’m really sorry but can you take a picture?”
And I go, “Oh yeah! No problem!” And then I take his camera, because I thought he wanted me to take a picture of him and his girlfriend. *laughs* And then it got really, really awkward and it was just him being “Um I’m sorry but can I take a picture with you…?”
And I go, “Alright, okay…No problem” And I’m thinking, “Yeah, I forgot that you might want a picture with me…” *laughs* That was really, really funny and I felt like a complete…idiot. But, it happens.
And then there was someone at that show who hadn’t seen us…in probably four years. I met the kid once at an LA show and he was just like, “Oh look at how many come to shows!” And he hadn’t even seen us since “Because I’m Awesome” came out so that was fun. Now we’re a different band. *laughs*
Laurel: With being on Warped tour, playing shows in LA at different venues, and being in the sort of…apex of the music scene where you live, what bands are you into at the moment/and are there any album releases you’re looking forward to?
Kelly: Um…It’s really, really weird because when we started making the record…I kind of stop listening to all music except what we’re working on. I’ve kind of been really out of the loop lately. When we’re around and Girl in a Coma is around we’ll go see them. For the most part, we’re in this weird little bubble. I haven’t even been to a show lately and that sucks. *laughs*
But as soon as the record is finished and you know we picked our tour up and the album’s done I can stop making mix tapes for us and I’ll probably have a better idea of who’s playing in LA.
Laurel: I read that when you began the band you started out playing Ramones covers. Are there any covers you’d love to attempt live for the next tour with the new album?
Kelly: Mmm...I haven’t really thought about that! We’ll play a lot of “Bad Reputation” of course off the (Endless Bummer) soundtrack. Yeah, I don’t know. Maybe we’ll do “Head On”. The “Jesus and Mary Chain” did that pretty good! I love that song.
Laurel: It would be a step away from the Dollyrots…
Kelly: Yeah! Maybe we’ll do that…
Laurel: You were in an episode of CSI playing a band called “Rough Sects”. Do you have any ambitions towards the world of acting anytime soon?
Kelly: It’s not something that I’d pursue or even something that I desired. But when things come up like that I have a lot of fun doing it. It’s not something that I wouldn’t want to do. I mean, I guess if I had time I might try and do it to make some extra money. It’s not something though where I want to be…in that world….
Kelly live in New York City
Laurel: Artists right now are doing a lot of things outside of touring; Tyson from All American Rejects has his own clothing line, Davey from AFI makes vegan t-shirts with Peta-friendly slogans and he also has his own jewelry line. And then you’ve got Lady Gaga doing the whole spokesperson thing for MAC Cosmetics. I know you’re pretty big on the commercialization of your tracks through TV shows. Do the Dollyrots plan to branch out in any similar ways?
Kelly: I really like making stuff. I make a lot of t-shirts and things like that. I feel like if I had time I would love to make jewelry and clothes. I’d love to make things. I feel like I have a lot of ideas for clothes but I never have time to go shopping or make anything. I do go out and think, “Oh this would be such a cool outfit but…it’s too bad it doesn’t exist!” *laughs*
I do feel like the way the music industry is now bands kind of aren’t huge anymore. After the record label and the publishing company and the artwork and the videos, it may seem like bands are making a lot but that all gets split and divided, ya know and sucked out.
I feel like thinking about other ways and branching out and even using the band as a brand is kind of…inevitable if you kind of don’t want to go out for a real job sometime.
Laurel: Alright onto the random questions...What are 5 essential things you always bring with you on tour?
Kelly: There’s usually a pet, that’s for sure. Vitamins, cuz I eat like crap. Booze. I always have earplugs, but that’s not exciting….We’ll say a pet, vitamins, booze. I bring a lavender pillow because that helps me sleep so I wouldn’t want to not have the lavender pillow. Andddd…my computer.
Laurel: And what was the last movie you saw in theaters?
Kelly: I saw District 9.
Laurel: How was that?
Kelly: I feel like it wasn’t as amazing and brilliant as I thought it would be. I saw it after everyone else saw it. I feel like, it was really good and it was cool.
Laurel: I feel like the hype for that was bigger than it was just because it was Peter Jackson doing it.
Kelly: Yeah it was good. It was just, that was cool. That was that. *laughs*
Laurel: I saw 500 Days of Summer last time I was at the movies.
Kelly: Oooh I want to see that…
Laurel: Yeah I mainly went because Marc Webb directed it and he’s done like, all these really iconic music videos from all sorts of artists and it was just really cool to see him doing film. It had a lot of neat music stuff in it too.
Kelly: Awesome
Laurel: Current ringtone?
Kelly: *laughs* Oh man. I have this awful standard hip-hop beat because I have the 4-year-old Razr and I’m just waiting for my Verizon contract to die. *laughs*
Laurel: What are some dream bands you’d love to tour with if you could choose anyone?
Kelly: It would be really fun to tour with “The Sounds”. They’re like a pretty cool band and there’d be some good overlaps. They’re kinda different but not so different in a way that it wouldn’t work. And if we were more hardcore I’d have to choose “Against Me!” because I love them.
Luis at the Key Club in LA
Laurel: If there was going to be a movie made about the Dollyrots for the big screen, what famous stars would play each band member and why?
Kelly: *laughs* Oh man. That’s a hard one…We’d have to pick like, some kind of High School Musical actors because we’re so young. Who would it be? *laughs* Oh, that sucks. I have no idea. Can you even think of anyone? Zac Efron for Chris…
Laurel: That’s terrible. *laughs*
Kelly: *laughs* Um…I really can’t think. It’d be funny. Maybe…they have to be actors though. I keep thinking of other musicians and not actors. I don’t really know…
Laurel: That’s cool. *laughs*
Kelly: *laughs*
Laurel: Any big plans for Halloween?
Kelly: For Halloween? Um…I’ve been thinking… I cut bangs so I’ve been thinking about being some kind of 80’s pop-star. We all usually go to “Boys Town” on Santa Monica because they have this huge, crazy Halloween parade so that’s probably where we’ll be. It’s almost like… a scary LA Pride but even goofier and weirder, with people wearing scary costumes instead of… rainbow costumes.
Laurel: Yeah Philly has “Dracula’s Ball” at this nightclub called “Shampoo”. It’s weird though because they have it on Halloween but they have it 5 times a year too so Halloween can be like, during May sometime.
Kelly: Oh, awesome.
Laurel: Well that was all I had but thank you so much for the interview. I’m actually working for Blackheart now as an intern and Girl in a Coma is going on tour but hopefully I’ll get to see you guys soon once you start playing live for the new album.
Kelly: Well have fun working for Blackheart! They’re all really cool people!!
Laurel: I love it there. I just started there last week and it’s fantastic.
Kelly: Well cool. I can’t wait to meet you!
Laurel: Thanks! Thanks so much again for the interview and have a good night.
To learn more about the Dollyrots, find them on the following websites:
Dollyrots Homepage
Dollyrots Myspace
Blackheart Records
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