On May 27, 2023, Dogstar performed together for the first time in more than 20 years at the BottleRock Napa Festival. Shortly after releasing their second album, Happy Ending, in 2000, the trio, consisting of singer and guitarist Bret Domrose, Keanu Reeves on bass, and Robert Mailhouse on drums, parted ways following one last show in 2002, and what turned into more of an extended hiatus.
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The band was formed by Reeves and Mailhouse in 1991, after their serendipitous meeting at a supermarket and bond over hockey. Domrose later joined in 1994, in time to work on their 1996 debut Our Little Visionary, followed by Happy Ending in 2000, featuring the band’s cover of the Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell-penned Carpenters hit “Superstar.”
After their last show on Oct. 15, 2002, in Tokyo, Japan, the three remained friends, often jamming together but never in the direction of new material. Reunited during the pandemic, and in quarantined jam sessions, the three eventually started writing again, assembling a collection of songs for a third album, Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees, out Oct. 6.
Produced by Dave Trumfio (Wilco, My Morning Jacket), Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees, is Dogstar’s “to be continued” two decades later.
Just one night after playing their first headlining show in more than 20 years at The Roxy in Los Angeles, the band released their lead single “Everything Turns Around.”
You’re a dream but I’m not dreaming This is real all too real Days I spend when I’m not dreaming Make me feel how I don’t wanna feel sings Domrose, exhibiting a lighter reintroduction to Dogstar, and the band’s finesse at picking up where they left off years earlier.
“It feels like a fun summer song to us,” said the band of the lead single in a statement. “It has an uplifting message and a positive vibe that hopefully makes your day a little bit lighter.”
Domrose, who has served as the chief songwriter, along with Reeves and Mailhouse, had a quick chat with American Songwriter about the band’s first single in two decades, the “what ifs” and other “cautionary tales” on the new album, and the future of Dogstar.
American Songwriter: When did “Everything Turns Around” begin piecing together for you? Was it a song you were holding on to for some time?
Bret Domrose: This song came together pretty quickly. I placed a capo on the third fret of my Les Paul to get a different tone and that opening guitar riff just fell out of me. The band was all together, and it shaped up very fast. We all jumped on it knowing it was the very fun and upbeat song we had set out to find that day.
AS: Do you typically hold on to songs for some time, until they’re “ready”?
BD: Not really. I like to work them out as soon as possible. I love that end result feeling when you have created something new. That being said, some song ideas take a while before you find the other parts to bring it all together. Lyrically, I do go through several passes sometimes before I feel I’ve hit on the right story for the music.
AS: How does “Everything Turns Around” tie in or thread into some of the other songs you’re writing for Dogstar at the moment?
BD: The band has been writing well together and all of the new songs are collaborative, which is really fun. We sometimes set out with a feeling or tempo that we are looking for, so I suppose nothing consciously ties into anything else. However, my lyrics always seem to have a common thread of hope so maybe they do tie together in that kind of a theme.
AS: Thinking back to Dogstar’s debut Our Little Visionary (1996) and Happy Ending (2000), are you still the same songwriter you were back then?
BD: I’m still the same guy writing from my life experiences, but on this record, I explored some hypothetical situations as opposed to the other records, which were more direct and autobiographical. There is a good amount of “what if” on this new record as well as some cautionary tales. I would say my approach is the same in the sense that I write the music first, and that sets the tone for the lyrics. In those great, lucky moments, the music and lyrics come together in one sitting.
AS: For the three of you to return to Dogstar after 20 years, there must be some magic. How did everything come together again after so long?
BD: It definitely has some magic to it right now. I have used the word “supernatural” to describe how this album came to be. We decided to get together and see what would happen – no real preconceived notions of anything. No pressure at all. Luckily, the songs came fast and we were all on the exact same page and we knew we had a great record here.
AS: What’s next for Dogstar?
BD: We have plans for a few more singles from this record before it is released in October. We have just been on a songwriting tear recently and already have six new songs. So yes, let’s get another album started! We can’t wait to get into the studio again.
Photo: Brian Bowen Smith / Full Coverage Media
