Dr. Dog today shared their new single “Love Struck,” a tender, shuffling ballad that features backing vocals by M. Ward. The song has an unhurried feel indicative of the band’s reworked creative process. “’Love struck’ was written very quickly because I’m in love,” explains guitarist/singer Scott McMicken. “One thing I wanted us to explore with this record was the idea of leaving more space in the music. As a rock band we’ve tended to focus on constantly ramping up the tension, but it felt good to bring a more fluid feel to a song like ‘Love Struck.’” The track is off the band’s forthcoming self-titled new album–their first in six years–and follows additional album singles “Tell Your Friends,” “Talk Is Cheap,” and “Still Can’t Believe,” which caught the attention of Brooklyn Vegan, Paste, Exclaim!, Relix, and many more. Dr. Dog will be released on July 19, 2024.
For more than two decades, Dr. Dog have maintained a shared devotion to the unruly alchemy of making music. When it came time to create their 11th studio album, the Philadelphia-bred band adopted an entirely new way of working together, embracing a multilayered process designed to foster an even deeper synergy among its five members (bassist/singer Toby Leaman, McMicken, rhythm guitarist Frank McElroy, keyboardist Zach Miller, and drummer Eric Slick). Dr. Dog began their journey with a close-knit session at Leaman’s uncle’s cabin and steadily made their way toward the joyfully unfettered psych-rock of their new LP. Dr. Dog reveals a band growing together and evolving, fully committed to the singular work of dreaming up songs that brighten the mind and expand the soul.
Mixed by multi-Grammy-winner Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Drive-By Truckers), Dr. Dog finds McMicken taking the helm as producer for the first time in the history of the decidedly egalitarian band. The album was made in three distinct phases, first taking shape during a five-day stint at the Pennsylvania cabin, where the band recorded live to McMicken’s 8-track tape machine with no rehearsal and no overdubs. “For this record there was an emphasis on creating something very soulful and live-feeling, which meant starting with all of us looking each other in the eye and connecting to the music,” says McMicken. “The idea was, ‘Let’s be loose, let’s not overthink.’ The more you can let go of that fear of being imperfect, the more you open yourself up to deeper expression.” The band tracked nearly two dozen songs at the cabin, and then each member returned home and immersed himself in adding new texture and detail to those free-flowing recordings. Dr. Dog met up again for the third and final phase at their Philadelphia studio, where they reviewed the revised material and finalized each track before rounding out the album with their signature five-part harmonies.
