Couch Dog
Same Dogs, new Tricks
FTY Exclusive Interview by Emma Speicher
Photo by Lukas Austin
Couch Dog: From Left to Right - Pablo Acosta, Max Ferrer, Tasha Lee, and Josh Cheruvelil
Genre: Indie Rock that is for Dancin’, Cryin’, and Kissin’
If there is something to say about Couch Dog it’s that they know how commit to the bit. Whether it’s crafting an entire phone booth for the release of Dialtone, staging a boxing match in the middle of the FTY x Shabang Battle of the Bands mosh pit, making sandwiches in the middle of a song, or dressing up as Breaking Bad characters and handing out faux candy drugs, Couch Dog knows how to put on a killer and unforgettable show.
“Everyone in the band is so creative, especially with the brainstorming sessions that we have. It’s never hard for us to find a new idea because everyone always has like 15 - granted, 10 of them are dog shit - but we have at least 5 good ones! We keep getting lucky.”
Each member of Couch Dog is a seasoned instrument vet, from dog days in orchestra (Tasha), marching band (Josh), music production (Max) and slight Gorrilaz obsessions (Pablo), it eventually manifested into their first show at a craft fair playing a cover of Doja Cat’s “Say So.”
The name “Couch Dog” came from much fruition:
“There was a little booklet of names… Jetpack Dracula… Fishb Bucket… Temperature Tolerant… Little Spoon… Milk Shark… honestly, we had booked our first show and we didn't have a name yet and we just needed something. Someone said Couch Frog once and then suddenly we ended up getting to Couch Dog!”
Photo by Andy Sherar
They run with the big dogs, opening for indie legends like The Frights, Dayglow, and Sad Park, and have graced the Shabang music festival’s stage every year since ‘22, playing alongside huge names like Men I Trust, Thundercat, TV Girl, and Peach Pit.
Couch Dog: ”We got to open for The Frights and Sad Park at the Fremont Theater in SLO and were backstage in the green room with some hemp drinks. The label on the can said that the drinks were ‘100% THC free,’ but Pablo picked it up and looked at the can and had his thumb over the “free” part and thought it was ‘100%THC.’ ”
Pablo: “I started freaking out because I had drank an entire can and thought I was going to be insanely high and nonfunctional during our set. We had to go on in 15 minutes and I’m thinking ‘I’m fucked,’ so I start pulling trig in the bathroom trying to get it out of my system.”
Couch Dog: “That soda had 0% THC in it and poor Mikey from The Frights came to talk to us because he was concerned that Pablo was up to something sussy.”
Pablo: “I ended up playing a great show because I was so high on adrenaline!”
If you’re in Couch Dog’s doghouse, you best be prepared for them to throw you a bone…
“One thing that’s important to us with our live performances is that we stress quality over quantity and we try to make it so that every show we do something that’ll make it memorable.”
Couch Dog holds a firm fondness for their alma mater house shows in San Luis Obispo, stressing the importance of the DIY scene in creating an accessible and inclusive environment for all ages, despite the overzealous SLO Police Department barking up the wrong tree. House shows are their bread and butter - the energy is unlike anything - creating a unique form of adrenaline when the entire crowd sings along:
“I would rather play a house show that sounds like shit. If it means that everyone is just sweating on top of me and screaming, having a good time. There is a kind of adrenaline that comes from just everyone being in the moment. It’s incredibly humbling.”
Photo by Annabelle Fagans
As for their songwriting process, it’s evolving quickly. Their first album was heavily written by Max, with the band writing their own parts, that created a breathing time capsule of their college years. Now, it’s more of a collaborative effort in-studio that’s taking a more experimental approach, incorporating synthesizers and varying their sound. Not to fret, they are the same ‘ol dogs, but learning new tricks.
Max: “I would kind of come to practice with the bones. I'd be like, ‘I got these chords and these lyrics,’ then they would all write their parts and we would jam on it for a couple months and eventually it would kind of get solidified into something that we liked. But with our new stuff, we're experimenting a lot more: Tasha and Pablo are taking the reins a lot more, doing a little bit of writing of their own. Writing some really incredible shit. Josh - Josh is our chef, we'll show him our reference and he does that times five, just so much better than what we showed him.”
Something that stuck out to me about Couch Dog - besides their profound fascination with everything Twin Peaks - is the level of comradery and love that they have for each other:
“We spent a lot of time together. We were really tight as friends and we’re really lucky to have that friendship. I think that’s a big important part. Without the friendship you can’t do it. Communication is key.”
Photo by Jade Hoey
Couch Dog is here to stay, continuing to be a howling success, with over 15k and counting monthly listeners on Spotify and a new album on the way, so keep your ears peeled…
In this doggy dog world, Couch Dog has two things to say…
1:
“There needs to be a push to make people more aware that you can teach yourself how to play an instrument, the internet is such a powerful thing. Get people involved in the scene, create a safe space and a strong community that’s able to like uplift people without scaring people away.
Be a homie bro. Be a homie. We were so lucky to have so many kind people give us a chance, without them, we’d be nothing.”
2:
“Breakfast or Spider-man?”
Check out the Doghouse Here:
Photos provided by Couch Dog - Photo Credits to Lukas Austin, Andy Sherar, Annabelle Fagans, Aidan Dillon, Nathan Ross, SludgePlunger, Drop D Shawty, and Jade Hoey.
