Siga aquí para leer este artículo en Español.
Student indie-surf-rock band, Couch Dog, released their first EP, “Bad and Better than Ever,” on Nov. 5.
Mechanical engineering senior Tasha Lee, business administration senior Pablo Acosta, computer engineering sophomore Josh Cheruvelil and manufacturing engineering senior Max Ferrer ’s original music is now available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.
When it comes to defining their sound, Lee describes it as a blending of genres.
“We usually kind of float around the words surf rock, indie, garage,” Lee, Couch Dog’s bassist, said. “It’s pretty thrashy, upbeat, emotional.”
Sometimes it is even described as indie-pop — “but indie pop that can get pretty heavy sometimes,” lead electric guitarist Acosta said.
Rhythm guitarist and singer, Ferrer, spent the last two years writing lyrics and music for the band to brainstorm over together. Couch Dog originated as a cover band but has since evolved, and now 70% of their music consists of originals, according to Ferrer.
The release of “Bad and Better than Ever” is “a long time coming,” Ferrer said. From live shows, fans of the band easily recognize and “get pretty hyped” about the featured tracks, Ferrer said.
At Couch Dog’s most recent show, Lee said she noticed a new and growing following.
“Even people I didn’t know were singing along,” Lee said. “I was like, ‘you are not close friends, so how do you know this?’”
Acosta said during a recent performance of an original song, he too noticed a growth of new fans.
“There was this girl right next to me,” Acosta said. “She’s like, staring at us the entire time with a huge smile on her face, singing almost every word to ‘Spit’. People are super receptive.”
Any chance to encourage audiences to “group sing” the music along with the band is always fun, Ferrer said.
According to Lee, whose blue hair graces the EP’s cover, she has started to become recognized by fans in public and at her job.
“It’s fun to know that there’s random Cal Poly students who genuinely like what we’re putting out there and want to come back,” Lee said.
Since Couch Dog’s EP dropped in early November, 2,708 listeners have streamed their three songs: “Spit,” “Rosejam” and “Scary Girl.”
Of Couch Dog’s original songs, these three tracks are “the tightest, the cleanest in practice,” and the most highly anticipated by friends, according to Ferrer.
Individual recordings of each instrument and vocal layered on top of one another create each track. According to Ferrer, this is a long, rewarding process that allows for the most creative control over production.
The drums on “Spit” alone took days to record, drummer Cheruvelil said.
The time and commitment to excellence shines through in the music, and that’s what the band is most proud of, they said.
“It’s very rewarding. It was also kind of hell, though,” Ferrer said.
As a project made in a bedroom and in an RV, Acosta said it is gratifying to hear that the music sounds official and that it “adds to the sound” overall.
With a growing following becoming familiar with their sound, Couch Dog members said they look forward to continuing playing for them.
“My favorite thing about music is playing music,” Ferrer said. “And the only thing better than playing music is playing music for people. Because then, other people get to enjoy it.”
