{"product_id":"split-dogs-here-to-destroy","title":"Split Dogs - Here To Destroy","description":"\u003cp\u003eRock’n’roll revivalists \u003cstrong\u003eSplit Dogs\u003c\/strong\u003e are not here to make 15 second viral videos, they’re not here to sell you a lifestyle, they’re here to destroy. Born from the frustration of seeing music become commodified and soulless, vocalist \u003cstrong\u003eHarry Atkins\u003c\/strong\u003e and guitarist \u003cstrong\u003eMil Martinez\u003c\/strong\u003e had the idea to form a band as far back as 2015, with the name ‘Split Dogs’ pulled from the classic zombie film \u003cem\u003e‘Return of the Living Dead’\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn South London, a young Martinez would hear \u003cstrong\u003eStatus Quo\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eBachman Turner Overdrive\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eDire Straits\u003c\/strong\u003e on the car radio while his father drove him to school. At home he would invade his older brothers’ record collection which leaned towards the harder sounds of punk and heavy metal. Meanwhile in the Black Country, Harry’s mother instilled a love of \u003cstrong\u003eNorthern Soul\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eSlade\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003erock’n’roll\u003c\/strong\u003e, with stories of nights out at Club Lafayette and family singalongs at home. According to Martinez, “Our sound is a culmination of all those early influences and, to be honest, it really shows.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt wasn’t until 2022 that Split Dogs officially arrived on the scene with bass player \u003cstrong\u003eSuez Boyle\u003c\/strong\u003e joining the band in 2023. Already a prominent figure in the queer punk scene, Suez played the first ever Rebellion Festival at the tender age of 16 with her band \u003cstrong\u003eThe Walking Abortions\u003c\/strong\u003e. Up until that point, drummer \u003cstrong\u003eChris Hugall\u003c\/strong\u003e, an old friend of Martinez and former member of ska punks \u003cstrong\u003eMouthwash\u003c\/strong\u003e (signed to Rancid’s label Hellcat back in the day), was only on hand to help design artwork. It wasn’t until 2024 Hugall joined the band full time, cementing the current line-up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe raucous live shows and infectious lyrics saw the four-piece make a name for themselves among the punks of Bristol, a scene that has always welcomed LGBTQ+ and marginalised people. As word spread, so did the gigging, and soon enough Split Dogs were playing to sold out rooms in mainland Europe, eventually grabbing the attention of UK label Venn Records (Gallows, Bob Vylan, High Vis).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘Here to Destroy’\u003c\/em\u003e was recorded over three days at Middle Farm Studios by producer \u003cstrong\u003ePeter Miles\u003c\/strong\u003e. All tracks were laid straight to a 16 track reel-to-reel tape machine, no autotune, no effects pedals, no computers. To add to the music’s authenticity, the album was recorded live, with Harry singing along in a vocal booth. No cutting and pasting, just nailing takes. According to Martinez, “It was a blast! We fully immersed ourselves, sleeping in a small apartment below the studio, cooking meals and listening to Pete’s extensive record collection”.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile the final result is a step away from Split Dogs early punk sound, the attitude is still there in droves. “We wanted the album to have a raw bones feel,” Martinez tells us, “real 1970s rock’n’roll!”. Harry channels the spirit of \u003cstrong\u003eMotörhead\u003c\/strong\u003e’s \u003cstrong\u003eLemmy Kilmister\u003c\/strong\u003e as they tear through hook after hook, singing about the Northern Soul clubs their mother once frequented (\u003cem\u003e‘Lafayette’\u003c\/em\u003e), the Orwellian nightmare we’re heading for (\u003cem\u003e“Stay Tuned”\u003c\/em\u003e) and a touching homage to British working class culture (\u003cem\u003e“And What?”\u003c\/em\u003e).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs the album title makes clear, Split Dogs are here to destroy, but they’re also here to rebuild and remind us of music’s essence. “We’re not beholden to the digital age, we don’t want to get famous on social media, we just want to show the world that rock’n’roll is alive and well”.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VENN RECORDS","offers":[{"title":"Limited Edition Blue Marble Vinyl LP","offer_id":59157139882329,"sku":"SDZ-51091","price":26.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0588\/3455\/0945\/files\/PID-26103-96-001.png?v=1787668253","url":"https:\/\/spindizzyrecords.com\/products\/split-dogs-here-to-destroy","provider":"Spindizzy Dublin","version":"1.0","type":"link"}