Interview by Jamary Bobe
Photos by Michael Cottone
How long have you guys known each other/ been a band?
We have only really been a collective band for about 5 months or so. Around the middle of June we started really writing songs. We had just been jamming in May and then realized we really wanted to make something of D.R.L.N. .. So, here we are now.
How did you come up with your band name?
Our bassist, Alex, pulled the name out of the far-reaches of his brain. Probably a month or so after we wrote our first couple songs.
What's your favorite part about performing?
All of us being on stage together is a pretty interesting experience... as we all seem to dial in very, very well. We all have said we tend to zone out and not really realize what’s going on around us... we just kind of put in a shift and flow naturally though the set. This band has some very organic expression that comes along with the process of creating sounds and performing the way we do. It is all very appreciated.
What city are you guys looking forward to play in?
We love the Midwest, as there is so much coming out of this area of the states. There are a number of cities on our radar. Indianapolis is an awesome place to establish yourself and we are all pretty familiar with it. Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Louisville, Bloomington are all cities we would love to dig ourselves into. We are still young in regard to what our sound is and what we are trying to create. So, time is on our side. Connecting with people all around this Midwest allows to hit up new and different cities, so that’s a lot of what we are trying to do right now, as well.
How would you describe your particular genre of music?
Well, all of us have our own specialities in the kind of sounds we are drawn too. We are all lovers of music... of all different textures and such. So, we all bring a lot to the table. We kind of had an idea of orienting this band around a post-punk type of sound. But... also not really knowing what that would be at the same time. There are elements of noise, math rock, hardcore punk, progressive rock and post-punk. All mashed into one. We never really know exactly what we are going to make when we write a song. It’s all pretty organic and from the ground up.
What inspires you to write music?
Like mentioned above, I think we all bring a lot of different ideas to the table. So, we are inspired by a bunch of different sounds and it kind of shows within the music we have made thus far and the demo tape we have out currently. We just go into the process with lyrics typically and create the music from that. But, there have been a number of times we have had nothing and it all comes about during a practice. Or someone contributes a riff they had been working on or something like that.
Any memorable shows so far?
All of them have had their moments and all of them have been special. Mainly because we formed this thing out of nowhere really. This wasn’t expected to happen... even earlier in the year. But.. that’s how good things come about. Unexpectedly.
Where do you see Dopple Radar and the Local News within the next year?
Definitely going to try and record an album. Tour around the Midwest and wherever we can, honestly. Really try to establish ourselves around the Midwest and get more stuff going with that. Keep writing music and testing our sound. Lots to come, for sure.
