Keanu Reeves & Bret Domrose of Dogstar | Is Breakfast Included? 286

Hey everyone, how are you welcome to this week's episode of our podcast it's called is breakfast included Thanks for stopping by now a few weeks ago. I got a text from a buddy of mine. He said hey The band is going to be in town. You should come down that afternoon so we could do uh, Another segment of you guys's podcast and I said why not? So I got to sit down with brett domrose and keanu reeves of the band dog star They have a new album out called all in now. They just got from back from europe. They've started a us tour We talked about that. We talked about the current tour. Hey, we went into some nerdy gear talk And of course we talked about breakfast, but i'm not gonna bore you with all the deets I'm gonna let you listen. Let's check it out All right How's it going? How's it going sitting here? Good to see you, man Good to see you. This is brett domrose the guys from dog star. Thank you. I was gonna ask you to introduce yourself Hi, i'm keanu reed i play bass I play guitar and sing in dog star Thank you guys out of the way, thank you guys for doing this is breakfast included is it is it I think so. Awesome. Was it today? No It wasn't. Well, we're actually at the um at uh, where are we? We're at the foxwoods resort and casino or just that sounds right Yeah, and there's a resort I think it's a resort resort and casino. We got a show today. It's august something august 15th It's august 15th. Yeah 2026 Yeah You guys just did a show you guys just got back from europe. How was europe by the way? Hot and beautiful. Well, that's right. It was amazing. Yeah around everything was great. I mean it was The whole tour was kind of without a hitch right more or less Except the bus ac broke one time but other than that you That's always a thing in europe, man. Our bus ac broke down when we were over there, too I wonder what that is. I know I think they do that kind of You know, I think they only do it to american bands, too Like bands that really need it. Yeah. Yeah spoiled american and you're about five shows into this u.s tour five six shows Yeah, how's that going eight? I don't know. That's about right. No, but the crowds were amazing in europe You know, we started in uh, dublin okay, and it was just really good vibe and then so we did a mix of um, headlining and uh Festivals and we like the festivals get to see other people. Yeah get to hang out We were doing we play in the daylight. Yeah, we're a daylight band We don't we don't go on at night. Um but we had some you know, we had some cool things where people were like Checking us out we played the um Downloaded download. Yeah. Yeah. How was that? It's amazing. There were like 40 000 people Yeah, just mingling around like one in the afternoon Yeah, yeah, they didn't they didn't leave we didn't start playing and they didn't leave so that was great And then we played some tents Second stages netherlands was amazing Some italian stuff we went to scandinavia for the first time Yeah, norway sweden Denmark, right? That was really fun Really nice people there. Yeah, really nice kind of almost like private bespoke festivals Yeah, you know what? I mean? They know how to do festivals over there man. That's their thing This was like the bathrooms everything was like, yeah, we had one place was kind of civilized sit down white tablecloth Yeah, oh gourmet food. Yeah Beautiful beers like But then you nice people they want to have fun. They want to dance. They want to hear music. They want to hear music I love european fun. I love playing the european crowd Yeah They want to like clap. They want to dance. Yeah want to be yeah, have a good time There's a reason they're showing up there in that weather. Yeah, you know and it's you know They're not sitting around with their hands their arms crossed. No The infamous us, you know, what do you got? Yeah Uh Your new album all in now you got a new album. Was it out before you went to europe? Yeah, so a couple weeks, right? Yeah. Yeah a week or something. I don't know exactly when A couple weeks, but it seemed like people were had had a chance to absorb it a little bit yeah, uh, you know some people were Reacting to certain songs more than others and you know You get the feeling like they were listening to or they saw the videos of this, you know, the songs we put out So it's fun and this album man. This album sounds uh like between the palm trees and power lines your last album Great album, but I believe you described it as like we're uh Rocking folk band. Yeah, we're rock folk That's what you described it at when we talked last but this album man sounded like a well-seasoned band that had been on tour It's done, you know done the work and then you came into the studio With like a vigor. Yeah some energy. Yeah. Yeah. Is that what it was like? I mean did you guys come in like Did you want to prove something right? We never we never really yeah, you really didn't we started writing the next album with that Tidal wave of energy you were talking about from the last tour. Yeah, and um, we're just Wanting to get bigger and louder Yeah, and it sounded like you guys were a lot tighter more of a live feel on this album And that's a lot to do with that how the producer wanted to do it, too. Okay, you know, he actually made it He said that before we went in and said we're gonna do it this way. No click tracks. No nothing We're gonna capture you guys the way you sound live. Yeah, who produced it nick lanae. Okay, who's uh, I hate to use the word veteran because it makes it sounds like old. Yeah, but it's like he's done everything from Nick cave in the bad seeds to midnight oil to in excess to yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah Animal on the sniffers. He just did their record right before ours. Okay killing joke. Yeah, I mean So he's been around these two thousands two thousand tens two thousand twenty He's been around and he's and his resume is like snakes through all different genres and all different fields And that's what's not just one one type of it's not just like a one-dimensional guy. Yeah Did you guys ask him to do it or was it somebody? No, we were lucky his name was on the list of options for us and And he uh, he heard the music and liked it. So we were extremely flattered to Be able to meet him let alone work with him. That's cool. That's cool um, did you do any gear experimentation on this one man, did you like come off like Oh, yeah, I know his gear. No, I came I came off the tour and just stayed with that Yeah, it was a galleon pruger 1200s a fusion 1200s. Yeah 1200s fusion. Um, and I just and then they just miked uh their rvh cabinets 410s and then so I ran that but then that amp has got like a Two preamp. Yeah, it's a little warm. It's nice. Yeah So I could really just customize the settings to each song. Yeah, and then uh nick through some sans amp Over some of it and then some french Do you do that live I don't just straight. I just go straight We don't we don't have to do it. I don't have to do anything in this. He's got everything going on He's got the sweeping and the thinning and the effecting. What are you doing? What am I doing? Oh live we're in the studio live. Let's talk about yeah live. Um I uh, I run a true stereo rig. I put a 412 50 watt marshall half stack on my side And then over on keanu's side. I have a matchless dc 32 12 combo. Yeah, and um said an older matchless Yeah, it's a 95 Yeah It's like an old car. You gotta just be very careful. Yeah, and then uh, it's so it's a nice like You know like he said it's a nice sweep of the chorus and the Delays that ping pong back and forth on the stage and it gives it a real three-dimensional feel. Yeah, and I use a lot of 80s vintage effects rap gear Uh, no pedals and no modelers. No, no, no all straight amp sounds and uh My marshall has a channel switcher. So it's kind of like sort of dirty or really dirty and then The matchless it's an 800 you said it's an 850 watt. Yeah, 2205. Yes 2205 man knows his stuff. I have one at home. I'm the channel switcher. I love it I always pick the unpopular stuff, but then people always go. Oh, it sounds so good And I'm like what's because it's unpopular stuff. No one's ever heard It's the one that everyone sought after now. Everybody wants a 2205. Is that right? Yeah two channel because mine's a 50 watt too It's uh 86 so It's everybody wants them now They're pretty and they all sound a little different which is weird even if you jam the same tubes in them and you do everything the same it's like Yeah, because I have a backup one and when we have to go to that one I'm just like, uh, well mine's for sale I don't think i'm allowed to have any more We got gear But wait now, but if you're gonna talk about sound you gotta talk about the instruments you're playing Yeah, because that has their each character too. Yeah the uh I think one of the things we unconsciously strive for in this band is to never have the song sound too much alike so um, and then with a three-piece that Kind of leaves it up to the guitars. I think really his drums and bass aren't really changing tones that much So, um, I got a vintage. Yeah, gibson es335 that i've incorporated into it. It's a 76 and uh And that's just got all kinds of sound variations in it Just really I bought it without ever playing it through my rig But I just thought you know what? I'll bet this will sound good and it sounded way better than I ever hoped that i've got an 83 strat that i've modified a little bit with uh Seymour duncan quarter-pound stack in the bridge and I I don't know if you're are your listeners like gearheads or am I I don't care I'm enjoying it. No numbers. No, I do I do get a lot of gearheads Because I get a lot of guitar techs on this show and they tell you know, but yeah keep going and then I got 83 strat and i've got a A weirdo less paul that they only made 318 copies of this less paul for guitar center And it's a custom classic so it's it's a beautiful heavy piece of wood really heavy and uh It's like a wine red stain, but it has the binding of a custom. Yeah, but the neck of a classic So it has the crown inlays with the rosewood neck with the custom body Wow, and it's really fun the heavy body heavy body and then yeah, it's just a it's just a little mashup that they made for Guitar center. Yeah, and the girl who's what's her name ana that plays with alice cooper The girl just joined his band. Yeah, she's either subs. I think she was subbing for the other girl and now she's in the band I think so But we were lucky enough to meet them the other night in europe They came to our show and she was asking me about that guitar and I was trying to explain to her She goes no. No, I have one and then I just saw a picture of her with the exact same guitar And I was like, oh my god, you have one of the 318. Yeah Have you added anything to to the arsenal or it's just Uh, I tried in austin the other day yeah, I only had about 18 minutes to be in the store and I was running around trying to find something something to buy but uh It just wasn't quite anything that I could you know in that short of amount of time that I could commit to That's a problem right when you're in a store. You're like I have to buy something I really wanted a backup strat and then and the strats I were looking at Were basically gonna make my main strat the backup strat so I was like, I don't know if I should do this Upset everything that much Oh wait for this tour uh, I worked with um uh forested galleon kruger and uh, um Robert galleon had been working on for like five six years developing a new head They wanted to recapture they called it the legacy series. Yeah. Yeah, they wanted to recapture that 800 rb sound And so that's like so they made it 2001 so i'm playing that head Through four 410 cabinets now. Yeah, I saw your rig when I walked in. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah I mean, how can you miss it? I know Do you have a name for your ring like tone hinge or something? Now he does I mean i'm not trying to blow anybody off. I just like I mean, you know, it's kind of really I mean, it's still again, you know with It's pretty versatile. Yeah And then uh, todd goldstein our tour manager in front of house. He runs a straight channel um Uh pre-eq and then I can play post-eq and he blends the two. Yeah tone hedge Yeah, I wish man, but i've been looking at some of these older like patent pending I've been looking at some of these older cats. They would do like 5 000 watts Like they would like I mean right now i've seen people take the ampeg cabinets put them on their side and sack of You know flea used to have like was about six. Yeah and rbhs or whatever. Yeah you know he he had we just The cat i'm working for now. We did newport jazz and flea made an appearance there with his thing He he went he moved on from galleon crew. No, he had four cats. Oh, he went back for ten galleon cougar Oh, he did had cats there They look like them I couldn't get near the stage. I was trying to get a glimpse of it. Yeah, he also had a Trumpet. Oh, yeah, he's got an album. Yeah. Yeah, he was That's the universal sign for trumpet Well cool man, yeah forrest called me when this amp was coming out. Oh, yeah, he said hey we're doing this I'm gonna send one. Yeah. Yeah It's been uh, they're good people. I can't yeah Right. Yeah, really? Yeah, are you playing a custom shop fender? Um, I I am but then I also went, you know, billy seagull. Yeah at fender He was I was like I wanted to get something for this tour So that I was in guitar center and I was they had an american ultra too and uh I was playing and I was like, wow, it's got a really skinny neck. It's pretty skinny. Yeah narrow And that's one of those like anything you want so it's you can you can make it passive active It's got all stab control. You can do whatever you want with it and um, billy was really cool they did a Custom blue and they don't usually make it with a rosewood neck, but they they did the rosewood neck. Yeah, which was nice. Yeah Do you like that? So normally do it They don't normally do that but they did it for me Yeah, I don't know. Yeah. Yeah, which was really sweet, you know, yeah, they're good. I mean billy's great I just talked to him a couple weeks ago about something else but We use the galleon kruger amp that you use not the new one, right the fusion. Yeah, we use that live It's a great amps. Yeah. Yeah, I like your cab is better than what we use. No. Oh, you got the neos Yeah, we use the neo 410. Yeah. Yeah, but I dig what you use this. Yeah um back to the album Did uh did any song on that album like become bigger live than you expected it would like did you Was there a song you're like, I don't know how it's gonna go over live, but really caught on um Maybe shards of rain like that. Oh, yeah that song in the studio. I felt was kind of like yeah, you know, it's it's there yeah, um, but then people grabbed onto it and Like it keeps, you know, people aren't gonna play that song. You're gonna play that song. I didn't see that coming. Yeah, and uh I guess it has a nice it takes on a nice journey Not that I don't like the album version it's just kind of different than the life So when you're recording it you were just like, I don't know it's gonna go over live and then it picked up I guess you know, I wasn't I didn't consciously think about it until people started mentioning it. Yeah and say I really like this I really like this. Are you gonna play this one? So i've heard that more than most of the other songs that enjoy I think yeah, but I think the joy album version is amazing Yeah, I think the live version's pretty close so That's probably not one that took on its own life it's kind of the same what else um It was cool. We had we carried a song that we wrote that we didn't that we did the last tour called shallow easy and uh We recorded it Um, I mean because when we made the record we uh the lp um We recorded What shallow easy? shards of rain Was in the last tour. Mm-hmm that wasn't written for the album breach No, not breach breach facility anyway You're talking about pre-existing songs that yeah for this writing sessions took but yeah songs that we wrote on the last tour That ended up on this record. I guess as well. Yeah, I remember what else would have been but it was cool to see shallow easy Be known more and because they respond. Yeah. Yeah the album and then See people's reactions to it. Yeah And and it's interesting too like europe versus the u.s. People react differently to the songs It's it's very that's one thing. That's really surprised me. I have always The scene europe is of a deep cut country. I like the deep cuts, you know They also do those those like soccer they do the soccer chants. They have that whole world that america doesn't have right? Unless you're in philadelphia Seven nation army. Yeah Kind of you know loving and so we have a couple songs like that and then they grabbed onto that beat And all of a sudden that you know, we just start joy, which is to me. It's like kind of a haunting moody song But they're from the downbeat. They're already hitting their hands and i'm like didn't see that coming That doesn't happen in america. How does that make you feel as a songwriter? Yeah, like we should play more festivals No, it's amazing because like I said, we I didn't see that coming on that song You know, you know the bigger songs you expect people to get energized with the more slowly moving ones They really grab onto the beat. Yeah more in in europe. Yeah And then here I mean you guys have only done venues here like theaters and and since you got back, right? You really haven't done in the u.s. Festival. Certainly like just on the rock and that was it. Yeah bottle rock ohana Yeah, we did that That was nice. Yeah That's kind of I don't know. Yeah It's a different it's a different vibe an american festival As opposed to their sounds like i'm just bashing american crowds, but i'm not it's a different vibe Yeah, when you play europe festivals, that's that's their thing over there, man. I see more americans Listening to the lyrics singing the lyrics. Yeah, and the europeans Grabbing the rhythms the vibe but they still they both still do a little. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah largely used I noticed you know um What changes is a band from festivals to theaters like do you do you tweak the set list do you Do we get to play a shorter set list? In the day Yeah, do you like the day the day sets the third stage or the 10th? What do we have three or three or four set lists going? Yeah, okay choose from because something you're gonna get 30 minutes today Okay, okay 75 minutes over here, you know and you go in that mentality mentality like 30 minutes. We got to go in Knock there You know and then get off. Yeah, even one craft the harder hitting songs. Yeah, you know, yeah Yeah, the 30s the 50s the 60s 75 yeah, I like our 57. Yeah, that was a fun one 56 Yeah, yeah That's just enough time man to get it going and leave them wanting. Yeah, you know I hate the 90 minute set I hate it And then there's the bruce springsteen set which is like the 290 minute set yeah Yeah, I don't know how he does very few people play that I've as a singer. I don't want anything to do with that. I think it's him Foo fighters do the big oh, yeah three hours. Oh my god. Yeah the cure foo fighters do three Yeah, I think when we saw him they did uh They he made a point they were doing the long set and it seemed like forever You know forever goodness. Yeah Yeah I saw springsteen once and he played about an hour and he's like we're gonna do the born in the usa album next And then he still played after that Crazy that's amazing. It's inhuman that guy superhuman uh What did you guys miss? From your hiatus to bottle rock and what did you not miss? About being you know being in the band I feel fortunate because I was there at bottle rock. Yeah, I got to see the first show when it's the rebirth. Yeah Not quite the phoenix. No, but the tadpole Something came out of a brackish water Keep his head out Now, what did you miss by not playing together for that long? playing live and writing Yeah Just the The fun. I mean we didn't have any idea Like I was like we're gonna come out and see a bunch of lawn Or are they going to be actual people there to see us because again like kevin says it's the daytime. Yeah, we're early um We hadn't been around for a while. Yeah, so We had no idea if anyone was going to show up or not. I had no idea and it's just really exciting to see people that you know the curiosity and they're like See what these guys got this time around I never heard of them before And we met niall rogers right before we went on. Yeah, so there was a little boost of energy there Niall rogers, you met me right before you were you? I I don't know we met I mean Todd. I remember meeting you on stage. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah We met on the side of the stage. Okay talking and then I said hey come over and watch from That's the beautiful thing about festivals. Just you keep running into all these cool people and uh old friends and stuff. Yeah But not the not knowing what's coming. That's one of my favorite things about this job Every day, it's just so Unknown. Yeah, and some people might be put off by that, but I I love it. I love that like Where are we today? What's it going to be like? Is anybody here? Is it going to be good? Are we going to be good? Yeah, uh as you're going to break down like I mean, there's so many variables that can happen as you know But that's what keeps it fresh, right? Like that's Yeah, I don't mind missing. I I I didn't miss bad sound Like bad stage. Yeah now it's in her ears, but like I didn't miss that. Yeah, because that ******* sucks Yeah, you know you go to play and it's like yeah what and hon hon hon you're trapped Yeah, you have no monitors. Yeah You have no fun. Yeah, you know you're going through the motions because you know the song Yeah, but it just sounds terrible sounds terrible. It may sound great out there. But yes, but you kind of got to feel it as well Yeah, yeah, otherwise, it's no fun So that goes to my next question man, what goes wrong on stage that the audience doesn't see? I guess that you know when there's a you know, the the sounds shitty and You don't know why and you can't fix it I think there's a you know to the to the general um the the concert goer who's not necessarily a musician I They don't understand that there's our sound on stage and then the sound they're hearing two completely different worlds They think that it's just all And i'm trying to explain to people like friends and stuff that oh my god Our monitors were terrible and you know, I was worried. I was singing off key because I couldn't hear Yeah, and they're like sounded amazing. I'm like, yeah where you were Yeah, but over here and then so there's that whole like going back to what Canada just said You know, we never traveled with a monitor guy because we were just a little club band. Yeah, we didn't have the budget for that so it was always like a little too many variables and Different systems every night and different now that we have the in-ear monitors. It's eliminated 95% of that. Yeah And so yeah, I agree with him. I don't miss that nonsense at all There were nights where I would kick the floor wedges away Because they sounded so bad and just go with you and just go with the reflections I'll come back from front of house because I was like, it'll be better than what i'm hearing down. Hey Hey Oh, yeah I got really good at throwing guitar picks across at the monitor guy who was like smoking a weed making out with his girlfriend Hey, we we had a monitor guy one time. Uh, I worked for a band called dfa1979 We were dead from above we we were in europe doing festivals and our monitor guy had just got Let go. I don't want to say fired. I don't know. He just didn't show up, but they sent us a guy And seb the drummer was like getting my attention and I ran over there and he goes go wake our monitor guy up and literally he was Asleep during this loud set. It was you know, people don't believe me, but he was asleep He was probably an old war war. No, if he was if he was old school, he would have been awake Yeah, he would have been awake at least being awake to screw it up Or you know taking pride in his work This guy was asleep, I don't know if he was you know, what is it? Yeah Uh, it wasn't the music. No, no No, but they're a great band. Yeah good dudes Uh, how many songs from all in now, um started his ideas from soundcheck or like jamming? Um on stage, you know from the last tour The sphere I mean you had this room. I remember you started to play the sphere at the At the roxy 23 Or was that a It was kind of like we were trying to do the Did this sphere come out of trying to write an opening tune? I think I think maybe it was part of that looking for like the riff of destiny. Yeah. Yeah You need that pick. Yeah, exactly Um I want to say maybe shallow easy, but the songs we wrote on the road, right? Yeah easy Sound check. I don't know how that one started. Who who? catalyzed that one said It's been catalyzed. It is now. I mean there's a bunch right tone henge the pick of death. No the riff of destiny catalyzed catalyzed Oh my gosh, so that that and uh I know we had a lot of riffs. I would I would come out and he and robert would be playing something really cool and I would start to record on my phone Yeah, and then I would add in whatever Guessing improving trying different things. I had a whole bunch of those on my phone, but they didn't really become songs. It's just we tried Yeah, yeah, we reviewed everything. I mean we were we were like record it all wherever we are and we'll sort it out later when we get in this writing zone and We had a bunch of stuff to choose from. Yeah, and so, um But from sound check specific Hard to remember if anything actually came out of a sound check but I know we had a lot of really cool ideas that are still They're sitting around but they just weren't as good as what we had. Yeah, just they couldn't beat out the other songs, you know, so Going back to bottle rock you guys played that song. You guys knew you had an album in the can already You had obviously a plan that you were going to go out on the road. Did you know that it was going to be? That good and you were going to come in and record a second album or should I say third album really that you were going to do another album and You know do another pretty big tour or was it just there was no expectations It's all part of your master plan but I think weren't we just kind of taking it like one week at a time one One week and it's kind of just like also we had just gotten brand new management at bottle rock And I think they were still sizing us up at bottle rock I found out recently Yeah, I thought that we were like cool We got these big managers and then like they kind of let it slip not that long ago that we were like Yeah Should we yeah, I was like, oh wow. We're like auditioning at that. So, uh I think they took us to levels that we never yeah thought we could go cute front. Yeah Yeah, so so then that's your question. No We didn't know what they did, okay, but I mean we wanted to I mean we made a record. We wanted to tour. Yeah, I know how we'd be received. We didn't know You know yeah, we had relationship with our The tour manager taught goldstein. So we had that kind of like potential. Yeah All right to get on the road or help book us Came back to us after the 20 some odd years when we went into the brackish water and disappeared are you guys like, uh, was it a What was that? I'll forget i'm not even gonna ask that. I was gonna say that the movie The jeepers creeper if he comes back every 26 years. Oh my god Is that is that what you remember jeepers? We're like the positive jeepers There was no expectation You just fit good things just kept happening. That's still happening, you know, and uh, yeah, just other bands are being so warm and friendly and coming to you know watching our sets and It's just a different all-around experience this time. Yeah, it's really uh, it's just Beautiful thing and and then that made us all go Let's do this again because that was can we let's do it again only bigger hence the more speaker cabinets and the uh, You know, I gotta get more more Yes That's next more marshall cabinets But I want to get us back. I mean i'm going to start writing. I want to do it You're ready for that, right? Yeah, man. Yeah um I know what's next. What's the next dog star? I'm gonna because we're trying to not do the same thing again, right? We want to keep this is a lot different from the first album and I But that was the perfect example is the song it was great songs great, you know, uh But this is a completely different album when I when I when I heard it. I thought man, you know It's also the testament to the producer, right? Yeah Not that that we don't dictate the sound of the songs but The actual way the record comes out is largely yeah producers ideas, you know, and don't do that A lot of the first album was a lot of jangly guitars a lot of nashville tunings a lot of different things That didn't make it on this record. The next record was like no go rip it up live like you do, you know Yeah, so two totally different things the next record We don't know what it's going to be but we kind of have an idea where we're we're kind of trying to nudge it Into like, you know big We're gonna have to reel him in We reel him in the band's over this guy is the catalyst for a lot of all the songs and yeah Yeah, he's the energy behind a lot of it. So, uh What song came the easiest and which one fought you the entire time? When you were writing like is there a song that you guys were like? Now this there we're spending too much time on this and then eventually it just clicked And which one came the easiest let's start with the easiest, um I think all in all in now, it's pretty much like It was like a five minute move. Yeah, really? We just had to find the chorus. Yeah I think we knew we were onto something there and it just kind of Joined us came in quickly and yeah, and we didn't have to do too many tweaks to that one It was just like wow, leave it alone. That's good, you know There were a couple like how many of the intro parts do we do? How many of the outro parts do we do kind of moments, but we knew we had the parts pretty quickly uh boy Through the album, but wing Yeah, I think wing wing was wings. We had pieces we had pieces and and we couldn't figure out what How to put them together? Yeah, but we knew we had cool parts. Yeah, and it that took Weeks, maybe yeah, like it went away the riff stayed in the riff went away then it Then the thing and what was where to go and then? Where it went and then your Vocal line like it just the way it soared took like that didn't happen in a day wing wasn't built in a day Yeah Yeah, that's true And then I bought that Vintage gibson es335 which brought different tones. Yeah when I ran that through my vintage effects units If they just they got along so well, yeah, and it exploded a new sound for us Which gave us a couple songs that we probably wouldn't have had if we didn't have the I mean I feel Yeah that it was making me play a certain way because the way The pickups were reacting with the reverbs and this and that you know kind of Kind of like there was some smith's johnny marr stuff happening at times yeah, and i'm not the biggest fan of his as big as other people are but I Love and respect his guitar tones and what he does that fit the song And so that's kind of what I was trying to do is just sonically make Cool sounds that fit the actual mood of the song. Yeah, and sometimes the songs came out of the sounds Yeah, rather than let's make these sounds cool, you know a lot of a lot of fans Cats that don't play don't realize that a new instrument man will trigger that part of your brain like Like what could set a mood, you know? Yeah It really did Like you pick up a bass or a guitar, you know, and you're like, oh this sounds different Riff will come right out, you know, like where was that? You know and it's all in the the mojo I think the guitar You know Which one of you guys is especially bad? and Have an idea and you guys are like that's not working out. No, but check this out. Let's play it again Which one is which one of the three of you is? Like no, let's keep doing it Yeah, we we actually this album we We had a whiteboard It was like a very it was like corporate dog star meeting You brought in the whiteboard Very necessary amazing white. It really did help colored markers colored markers columns columns You made the we all we all love these These are pretty cool These we're not sure what's going on with these right? So we had three columns. I think yeah and uh And yeah, it was good because we could stand there and look at it And if we didn't have anything going on we'd be like, well, let's pull Let's pull this one from the middle column. See if we can get it over to this column you know and then sometimes it would become a great song and then we'd have to bump something from the we love it column back down to the it was pretty funny, you know, and uh, But but kiana was really good about that. Like let's not give up on this one yet, you know, yeah And I might have maybe been like, yeah, it's just not as good We would hammer on it for a while and it would become something great like yeah, like, you know And we still have some some good ideas from that writing session that we didn't complete but you know Songs that don't have titles yet. We call them like fun pop. Oh, yeah, like we have riffs that are really cool We just don't don't know if they're ever gonna fit an album. Yeah, maybe we'll put them in the set, you know, yeah so, uh and robert sits there in the song writing too and He lets us know Robert's got a great ear for For like the song structure If we go too far out on Let's have another change. Yeah Well, but we need a bridge and he's like, I don't know. Do we? Well, yeah a song should have a bridge. Nope. No and rob's saying no Don't do that. Just leave it as it is. It's perfect the way it is. Yeah on the way here I was listening to songs and and It's straight through great song and then it's over like there's no veering off Like yeah, it wasn't for lack of us trying to hear You know A song like joy is weird Because it doesn't have a chorus. Yeah, it's just got three verses vocals And the chorus is just kind of that guitar song which is maybe reminiscent of like an early cult kind of song. Yeah And I didn't understand that at first because i'm like gotta have a chorus but that song just wanted to be that song and it was A study and leave it alone for me. Yeah, and i'm glad I did and took a lot of Well, just breaking traditions of the past, you know, yeah, so but that's fun and I love that song. I still love that It's creepy and all that long gap of no singing Helps haunt it up a little bit and give it give it vibe Let's the listener Absorb what lyrics are there? Maybe a little more when you guys when you guys guys girls guys when when you guys heard the final product of your album, like How stoked were you like? Okay, we we gotta go out now Did you like how we can't wait like I want to go out now. I mean was it was it that feeling? Well, we had a unique situation with nickelodeon in the sense that we tracked retracted east west los angeles and then he was like Fellas, I hope it's okay But I have some other things to do And he also had some family And he was like i'll get to you It was october And we tracked in july may may And he was gonna mix. Yeah, and then he was and then and then i'll mix but i'll send you So there was this like stoked. We recorded an album. Yeah, but then it was months trying to like wait to hear it And I think I was ready to go out on tour the day we got out of the studio Yeah, I was like, let's go play these live. I love the way this came out Yeah, but there was this big whole hurry up and wait. Hold on Yeah, and it didn't the album didn't come out until what? march Almost a year from the last downbeat that we recorded. Oh my let's not do that again. I know that was torture And then they kept moving it back. It was like it's january. No, it's february. No, it's But it worked out I mean it's just It it did take a little bit boomed out of the sails of having to get right out there and play So we went to the like we had it in our mouths and we were like, let's go And just wait, okay, then they were like go So you were ready oh man when we hit dublin Yeah, man What's the best non-musical part about being in this band? The non-musical I mean you guys have known each other forever Yeah, so I mean but I mean, it's one thing being in a band with your friends. But what's other than that? What's you know? No, it doesn't happen all the time. We get moments. We're like Like where we were was sweden When we went out to dinner. Yeah, we make it a point. Sometimes just have a little band stock home that offers Yeah, yeah, yeah where we'll like go okay tonight let's go We did that in dublin, too Yeah, where did we go to that restaurant? Wasn't that or was that london? But we'll have moments where we'll like because we'll do our thing, right? Robert likes to do that. Brett's doing his thing. I'm like Solo alone dude do another thing, but then we have moments where we kind of come together. Yeah. Yeah I really enjoy this. I know the amount of uh For me, there's just so much like laughter You know, I mean even last night we we get we travel at night mostly after the gigs. Yeah, and um, You know, we have the bus luckily bus life can be good yeah, and so I go into the back lounge and this guy's back there with with rob right and then a couple of the crew guys are back there and it's just like I'm gonna pop in here and see what see what this is like tonight, you know and I sit down and it's instant jokes and it's instant like you know, just there's so much fun and It's like a car. It's a traveling circus, right? And you got a bunch of guys who are in suspended animation who are just Doing things they would not normally ever be doing if they were home. I used to refer to that I used to say like, uh, we're just a bunch of carnage. Oh completely, you know And bus life crazy to do this job Great, you know, yeah, as long as you don't have any toxic weirdos on the bus, right? It's like but we've been very lucky Yeah, we've been very lucky. It's always that yeah get off the island Sometimes there has to be get off the island you ever oil spotted any of Anyone do you are you guys aware of the term oil spotting? No, it's when someone gets off the bus in the middle of the night without their phone or whatever and then the bus leaves And they've been oil spotted I've been oil spotted twice. Why? Well the first time I did tell Our keyboard tech. Hey, let them know i'm gonna be in the restroom and i'll be right out And he went on and got in his bunk and they left luckily. I had my phone And but wait, what about the we're a bus? Yeah, we're I know right? Yeah, but I guess in the middle of the night They can't wake everyone up and then one morning. I I was touring with a band called any rd and um I hadn't been with them for about six months and then I came back and they flew me into paris to replace the guy that replaced me and then we flew from paris to boston and When we got to logan the bus picked everyone up and left and I came out I called the tour manager. He goes. Oh We forgot you were with us Take a cab But I got left behind in japan one time. Yeah, and it was one of the more exciting experiences that i've ever had It was a little scary but not really because you kind of know eventually They're gonna find the singer and get him back But the journey that I took having been left in the gift shop of the hotel I was just milling around looking for some snacks or whatever And then looking around and then the no one in japan in the 90s spoke english hardly at all right, so the guy that worked at the gift shop was like, um Pointing, you know and trying to tell me that you're you're left behind and I was just like what's going on? There's some I get where you're going with the energy of there's a problem Yeah, and then I turned around and I realized all the Cars had left And this is before cell phones. Yeah and so they had Someone called someone who called someone the promoter and they sent these two uh, japanese security guys back to get me in a car and They didn't really speak english. They just came in and grabbed me And we started running because we're going to a train and you know trains don't wait for anybody Right and we're going to another another city in japan So it had to had to get there get on this train and these guys are driving up curbs there It was very james bond very like car chase Breaking every law i'm flying around in the back seat of this car. They're on there, you know I guess they did have cell phones in japan before we did. Yeah, so, uh they took me to the side entrance of Some building and it was just like a stainless steel door that just opened And they dragged me through i'm underground there's pipes that are like four feet I'm running ducking. Yeah, and i'm sweating and they're running these guys in black suits And we're I mean, this was like a 20 minute ordeal And we pop out On the train station platform and all these guys are on the train looking out the window. The doors are closing The guy just goes in and holds it and they shove me in these guys are all laughing As they should be i'm not sure what the hell this happened but it makes for a good story one day on the couch, right like But it was pretty intense and I just remember thinking well, this is not a normal life Yeah, and little did you know that's called oil spotting? Yes Learning every day. Yeah So guys, thank you So much for taking it. I know you're busy. You got sound check here in a minute, but thank you for doing this For me with me. Yeah, man, really good to see you. Thank you so much. Thank you, man But wait, what have you been doing? Yes, i've been working like, okay, you work with the duran duran. I'm still with duran duran Uh, i'm also working for a cat named gary clark jr. Okay that I started tour with here shortly and uh That's about it for the last year those two, you know, those two artists keeping you busy. Yeah somewhat. Yeah Now is the breakfast included is this? Is this because in europe breakfast is always included it's um and in america, you don't know Well, it's it's it's really uh, you know every time As crew guys, we're always asking is breakfast included breakfast included. I'm asking that. Yeah You know guys, hey, you know you go to the hotel as breakfast and it's just a term. Yeah. No, I get it When we're done here, i'll tell you where it really came from Uh, wait, what's your favorite breakfast? Yeah, my favorite breakfast Yeah, it's called our our podcast is called his works included. What do you like? I like a good omelet Um, I like that because again, I like to be able to choose the the toppings and the you know I like to mix it up. I don't want to just do bacon and eggs every day. Yeah, so, um It's a denver omelet. A lot of times it is Western with the peppers and the cheese. Yeah. Yeah I do like I do like a ham and cheese with some peppers and onions. Maybe the mushrooms on occasion Oh, I like that. Uh, what are you drinking that? Is that oj oj oj just water? No oj and I think we can switch seats here What about you yeah, wait, you didn't finish what are you drinking orange juice and and possibly chocolate milk if they'll give it to me Chocolate milk. Yeah For kidding me that won't die. Now. Did you have the powdered quick growing up? Oh my god. I used to inhale it Yeah, of course you pop it with the spoon. Yeah. Yeah, man Little little islands that won't sink and you just sink them and oh my god. Yeah milk's gotta be cold I was I was a chubby kid. I I was into all kinds of sugary treats when I was little unsupervised. Yeah Fantastic. Yes your breakfast. Uh today i'm gonna pick two eggs sunny side up potatoes Uh sourdough toast extra toasty butter strawberry jam um Uh iced latte that I can get it It's kind of a chocolate milk. Yes grown-up chocolate milk and a small orange juice. I never finished What about you? What do you think? Yeah. Oh, yeah once in a while with bacon You know, I used to like sign. Yeah, you gotta have crispy bake. Yeah, can't explain or blueberries or chocolate I like buttermilk pancakes. Just no. Yeah, no nonsense. No. Yeah, I don't want molesting the pancake leave it alone. It's the pure pancake No bananas sucks banana every now and then you'll do something like that with bananas, but it's got to be a place That's known for like their banana pancakes. Oh, but what about bacon do you go bacon crispy? Oh, absolutely as crispy as I can get it. Gotta have it. Yeah, let's snap that snap I'm hungry. We're on the road. So now it's almost 3 p.m. If i'm going bacon still do breakfast. It's gonna snap It's not gonna I went to a place and I said crispy bacon and they brought it out They go deep fried bacon. So they must have dropped it in and it was best Yeah, do you remember when they put the syrup on the bacon? Uh, like the infused Yeah, bacon thick cut bacon syrup. They do that a lot in portland. We go to portland. They they're baking through a thick. Yeah I've been talking about that for a few days We're on our fifth show in a row right now That's what nate was telling me by the way You guys have my buddy nate out here on the road nate. Oh my god, man Nate's part of the reason I laugh so much. Yeah, he's a great guy he's so weird because he Not weird, but like it doesn't say a lot And we'll be up at like I called him and the light guy greg I called them after hours That's my name for those two because they're always the two that are I come out i'm like, hey, can I join the after hours? Like yeah sit down And then nate won't say much. He'll just be sitting there and then he'll just In a quiet tone. He'll just quote like an 80s movie line he'll go You know, I can't even think of one but he'll just say it and then i'm trying to figure out what the hell he's saying Then it oh he's just doing a movie line. Yeah, but it applies to the conversation Yeah, so he like plugs in movie lines that are relevant to what we're talking. It's pretty it's it's kind of a cool. Uh, Yeah, he's a good dude. He really is He's funny and we're getting to the point now because I haven't been working with him very long Where we got jokes now we have like inside jokes Yeah last night we're getting ready to go on and he hands me the guitar And then he always hands me the pick last night. He handed me like a raffle ticket I was like what the hell is this? And then he handed me the pick I was like, okay, we're at that point. That sounds like nate. Yeah. Yeah, it's so great. I love that takes his spots. Yeah, totally He could have been a comedian I bet. Yeah Well guys, all right. Thank you so much. Thank you. It's good to see you again Brett pleasure meeting you this episode will be called oil spotting and bacon Oil spotting and bacon or we'll just I you know what? I'm just gonna call it tone hinge tone But I deserve that next time yeah Well, you know what? It would be tone hinge if you separated your your two Cab two stacks and then put an svt cab across the top. Oh the gap in the middle. Oh my god There was tone hinge. There we go. Yeah So welcome to the thunder what would that be that'd be what 24 10s Yeah, you'd have 24 unless you do it around the whole stage like the real times. Yeah Thanks guys Right on brett domrose Keanu reeves the band is called dog star. They have a new album out called all in now You can find it on all streaming platforms, but make sure you pick up a physical copy of it Also, you can find out more about the band their tour dates whatnot at dogstarofficial.com Or check them out on instagram at dogstar band if they come near you make sure you go check them out It's a great show while you're online. Check out is breakfast.com You can follow us on facebook and instagram rate and review our show at apple podcast and make sure you follow Subscribe and hit that notification button of our youtube page and while you're there pick up a trucker hat, you know, you want one You know, you want one of those trucker hats And don't forget to buy us a coffee Guys, I want to thank brett and keanu for taking the time to talk to me today It was a great time. I'm done. I'll talk to you next