The progress Dogs in a Pile has made in such a short time is quite uncommon. With a resume of two studio albums and troves of live audio/video releases, they’ve expanded from an Asbury Park must see band to a Northeast must see band to a North American must see band.
Firmly cemented in the jam band world, the only uncertainty is how wild and crazy their future ventures will be. Talent only scratches the surface on the list to musical success. The quintet’s focus on their off stage obligations has propelled their journey further down the road than musicians who have been at it for much longer.
While their focus is locked on the future ahead, DIAP members Jimmy Law, Brian Murray, Joey Babick, Jeremy Kaplan, and Sam Lucid are enjoying the ride. A schedule filled with festivals allows the band to hang with their peers in front of open armed fans. The vibrant jam band scene and its unlimited support is not lost on Law. “I give credit to the scene itself. We’re so lucky with that. Everyone is so accepting in the jam scene. If people feel it, they make sure their friends know they felt it. Jam fans aren’t going anywhere. They’re always going to shows. I almost feel sorry for other niches. Everyone has their thing, but the jam band people are so hungry.”
“The whole festival thing has exploded.” Law adds. “It’s hard for people in my generation to grasp it, but festivals are basically as old as me. The late 90’s. Being a musician on a festival gets you with the people you’ve been listening to your whole life. You’re on the same stage. You walk past them. You’re eating with them. Then you have Jam Cruise. Oh man. What a thing. You thought a festival was heaven, then you go on a boat and it’s wow.”
For Murray, the jam scene is the perfect place for his voracious musical appetite. “So much of the different music I know about is because of the different artists in the jam scene covering those songs and talking about them. There are a lot of common songs that get jammed on when someone sits in with a jam band. There’s always Little Feat or Talking Heads. If one person likes three or four jam bands, they’re going to know a wide range of artists already. When you pick a cover, chances are fans are going to be stoked about it. It’s inherent in the jam world we live in.”
Along with a calendar full of tour dates, DIAP’s third studio album is on the horizon. Three studio albums in six years is another uncommon feat. To do so while always on the road earns an extra level of respect. The early productivity is not lost on Murray. “It tough to put out albums when you’re playing 130 shows a year. It helps to do it intrinsically on our own. We can work at it on our own pace. Jeremy has a great ear for things.”
Law also notes how the background of the Berklee three has directly led to releasing so much original music. “Jeremy went to school for production not music. We were supposed to take the month of March off, but we have our album to finish. Jeremy and Brian Masella, our sound guy are both excellent at production. They’ve been in the studio editing things. We’ve been going in having our own days in the studio. They’ve been working 12-hour days on the album. This album is done completely by us. We had an engineer and went to a house in California to track the basics. Other than that, everything has been done in house. It feels really good.”
Murray also offers some details on the future album. “We began recording on the road when we were in Los Angeles for a month doing residency shows in April last year. We’re tying the third record up right now. I think it will be out this year.”
“It will have more of a live feel than the first two albums.” Murray adds. “The first album was authentically us at the time. Jeremy produced the album. The second one was different. It didn’t feel like any of the live stuff. No extended jams. This one will feel like the first record. This time we will have stuff we’ve been playing because it’s taken so long to get the album out.”
Law and Murray wrap things up looking at their quick six year run and what lies ahead. Law begins, “Change is constant. Especially playing improv music. It’s hard to know what you need to do at times. You’re constantly thinking it could have been better or something different. I want to build a better communication on a dime with the guys. How to pivot better when a section ends. How to bounce it into something else and not let it fizzle.”
Law reflects, “You hit every part of life when you go on the road. You can’t hide from anyone when you have problems. You either deal with it in your head or talk to everyone and bring it all on the table. It’s important to know comradery is there or can easily be there. You may have a problem not knowing the guy next to you is dealing with one too. He could be dealing with something worse. Helping him out will make you feel better. The space apart when you’re not on the road lets the comradery grow for when we get back together. I’ve been noticing that and it’s really important for me. Distance makes the heart grow fonder. You don’t have the ability to feel in your own space on the bus. When you’re home you get in your own space and regroup so you can go back out.”
Murray shares similar sentiments. “We’ve gotten a lot done in the relatively short time we’ve been together. The sky is the limit, and we have a long way to go. We talk about our musical progress all the time. It’s something we’re very much working on. It takes a lot to be able to improvise the way we do. It takes a lot of conversations, trial and error and trust. Leaving it up to spontaneity is hard to do sometimes. The goal is to not think as a group when we’re on stage. For everyone to tap into this “thing” at the same time. I’m excited to see where it goes. We’re not done searching.”
“Because there haven’t been any real breaks, it’s hard to stop, relax and look at the big picture. It feels like you must keep going and not stop to relish in the accomplishments. What we really want is a long way off. I love at times the pace can be tiring. I also love the pace of constantly going, working, eating, breathing, and sleeping Dogs in a Pile. You meet the fans who have been coming to shows all around the country. It’s cool to be immersed in it.”