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Otago Daily Times
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Music off the leash
There's no time to hit pause, Purple Dog's frontwoman tells Seren Stevens. Formed in 2023, Ōtepoti band Purple Dog quickly became a fan-favourite among students. They bring an ethereal grace to the stage, yet their music is grounded, energetic and has crowds hollering, their indie-rock sound carrying hints of each member's musical influences. "Music is coolest when the musicians themselves love the sound they're making, and it's not homogenised by what is popular in that moment," lead singer and guitarist Imogen Foley says. "When we play together, it's a mesh of all our favourite things. I think that makes our sound quite exciting." The members of Purple Dog — Charlotte Rodgers-Foran on bass, Corey Adams on guitar, Foley on guitar and vocals, Marc Franz Calzada on guitar, and Jamie Hall on drums — met while studying a music performance paper at university. Now they are taking their love for music across the country, on their first nationwide tour. After shows in Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown, the tour will finish with a gig in Ōtepoti Dunedin. The tour doubles as a promotion for Purple Dog's new EP, released last month, fittingly named Dog Years. Several songs on the EP were recorded at Sublime Studios in Waitaki Valley — an opportunity that arose after the band won Bring the Noise 2024. The sought-after prize for first place included a full day of recording at the studio, which was invaluable to the band. Foley explains that the EP focuses on life in your early 20s, when the days are long but the years are short. "So much can happen in a year," she says of the time. "I remember looking back on the time period that spanned when I wrote these songs, and so much happened in such a short amount of time. There was so much growth, but it went by so fast." This feeling of distorted time is captured in the EP's name. "In my mind, it's related to how one year of a human's life is seven years of a dog's life. Because time is moving weirdly at this age." On second thought, she says, laughing, and asks if anyone else feels the same. Dog Years also addresses the weight of decisions that come with being a young adult, and the struggle of untangling realities from fantasies. "Sometimes I think I'm quite dreamy, and I love imagining possibilities. But sometimes you've got to open your eyes and see what's going on. And the EP kind of deals with that too. "It carries themes of little realisations and lessons. The start of the EP is a lot more dreamy, and then it snaps into reality. It's a cycle of a fantasy, or dreamscape, and then it grows into more of a realistic, punchy ending." Foley says that the writing process has been cathartic, and a beautiful way to process feelings. Having started out writing songs by herself during the 2020 Covid lockdowns, Foley has appreciated the vulnerable experience of being able to write songs with her band now. "I think that music's taught me a lot about how to balance following your heart and following your head. It's very collaborative, and it's so important to be able to work as a team. You put your ego aside and do what's best for the team." She also speaks of the importance of creating music that represents the band, and is true to who they want to be as artists. "If you only make music to please other people, it's not sustainable. You're not making it to fuel that fire inside." Despite the trials and tribulations of being a self-managed student band, Purple Dog is beyond excited to share the long-awaited EP across the country. The experience of performing and touring is something that none of the members take for granted. Foley explains that she thinks it is incredibly important to be pushing themselves to grab life by the horns, and "get out and do as much as we can". Especially during the dog years, when time is a whirlwind of growth. "I'm most grateful for the adventure of it all. Music brings out so many cool opportunities. I feel so lucky to do all these cool things — touring, playing O-Week and making music that has a genuine, positive impact for people," Foley says. The gig Purple Dog will play Pearl Diver, Dunedin, on August 8, tickets at Under the Radar.
Otago Daily Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Band launches new album
Ōtepoti band MōtA will release their debut album, One, with a gig this Saturday, May 17. The album was recorded at Sublime Studios in Kurow, under the wing of Tom Havard and co-producer Steve Harrop. The three-piece, comprising Jimmy Higgs (guitars/vocals), Craig Hall (bass/vocals/te reo vocals) and Jason Chisholm (drums), has been together for a little over a year. "We've had a lot of fun over the past 12 months gigging and getting these songs sorted for release,'' Higgs said in a statement. 'The three of us have been mates for a long time, so the creative process is a super-relaxed and easy-going one." Saturday's concert will be held at the Southcoast Boardriders Association rooms, at the St Clair Esplanade, from 8pm, with support from Flying Man. Tickets via undertheradar and at the door.
