Chicago psych-Americana band Dogs at Large recently released the second single, off of their upcoming album, Jeopardy, and COLLiDE is bringing you an inside look into the record. The single, “New Disguise,” is an upbeat yet intricate bop with prominent instrumentals and breezy, carefree vocals.
Dogs at Large spent much of 2019 to write a record to capture their live energy, only to find themselves in a 2020 without live shows and touring. Given the band’s original intent with the upcoming record, Jeopardy attacks with thornier guitars and the band even flexes their psychedelic muscles on extended instrumental codas.
Still, the band has released four albums of soft-rock melodic treats, and there’s still quite a bit of this same touch on this upcoming fifth album. Songwriter Sam Pirruccello contrasts his falsetto harmonies against alt-rock guitar drops, who sings about climate change, the decline and collapse of America, or about our political leaders. But Pirruccello delivers the lyrics and insights with the comforting touch of an old friend.
Pirruccello has always had an ear for the psychedelic Americana palette. But while his compositions sit nicely beside those of his influences — like Gram Parsons, Judee Sill, The Band, and Jackson Browne — Pirruccello isn’t a revivalist.
“Jeopardy was recorded in the dead of winter at Russian Recording in Bloomington Indiana, a few months before the pandemic hit. It was a very insular and isolated experience since we were basically holed up in the studio (actually sleeping there) for a little less than a week. We were recording live and on tape so we needed to really be on our toes and be as precise as we could. The hyper-focus of the experience allowed us to capture some really good performances and we even had time on the last day to record a song (“Just a Feeling”) that the band heard for the first time minutes before we did the version that ended up on the record.” -Sam Pirruccello
With Jeopardy, Dogs At Large captures the sound of a band that has figured out to be a force to be reckoned with live. Just close your eyes and picture yourself there.
P.S. The band recorded the album at the studio that is home to the internet-famous cat, Lil BUB. If you weren’t already intrigued, now you are.
Behind the scenes polaroids from the studio:
