Dad Bod Unplugged
Interview by Liam Gibbs and Photos by Alec Moody.
Can you tell us a bit about how your band formed and how you all came together?
The band started back in 2018 with Michael, Marcus and Matthew Marinos. Michael was doing a solo act and he had an upcoming show at Pleasant Grove High School playing the festival called Pig Stock and he asked Marcus and I if we wanted to play with him so we bought a drum kit for $200 and a bass for $5 and decided to give it a shot! Along the way, we kidnapped Russ Alphin who was playing in his band, Adult Prom and Michael Morgan, who served his Mormon mission with Michael Marinos. Michael was our band manager, who eventually became the beautiful pianist you see today.
What is the story behind your band name? Is there a special meaning or significance behind it?
The story behind the name is actually really funny. One day all of us woke up from the same dream. We were on top of a really high mountain and suddenly the mountain began to crumble, and we were covered in the rubble. As we emerged from the rubble of the mountain, the clouds parted and the words DAD BOD 🌈 appeared in the sky. We all woke up and new that was the name.
How would you describe your band's musical style and sound? Are there any specific influences or genres that have shaped your music?
I feel like our style and sound continues to evolve over the years. Currently, we’ve been drawing a lot of inspiration from bands, such as Big Thief, Nirvana, Oasis, Elliott Smith, Rolling Stones and Radiohead. This new album that we recorded was really inspired by the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. I feel like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones are a constant inspiration throughout our sound.
What is your songwriting process like? Do you all collaborate on the lyrics and music, or does each member contribute in a different way?
I would say our songwriting process is pretty collaborative. Typically Michael or Russ brings the bones of a song to the group and we just jam it out and each write our own parts. If someone has an idea for a drum part, bass part or lyrics, everyone is really open-minded to ideas and suggestions. Eventually the song just kind of takes its own shape because of everyone else’s influence. We like to bounce around ideas until it feels right.
Can you share any interesting or memorable experiences from your journey as a band so far? Any funny or unexpected moments?
I would say some of the most memorable experiences as a band have been on tour. We’ve been lucky enough to go on tour twice now, and the experience of traveling the West Coast in our van where all you need to focus on are playing shows for a month straight is some of the most memorable and inspiring experiences that we’ve had together. One time on tour we were driving to Joshua Tree and we are in the middle of the desert and it was probably 101° outside and this big shelf in our van suddenly broke and landed on Matthew in the back. so we had to pull over and try to reassemble this shelf in the hot sun with no tools. so we played football in the desert while reattaching a big chunk of wood to our van lol. Twas a great time.
Looking at your recent social media post you use a lot of crazy visuals and themes that seem to parallel your music. What’s the story behind that artistic style?
Honestly, I feel like our artistic style stems from our shared humor. We try to just do shit that we think is funny or weird because it makes us happy. if we can evoke some emotion from the people who see it, that’s great, but honestly, we just enjoy making content that we would enjoy seeing. It’s fun to all contribute to the art we make in some way to see what all of our influences create.
Are there any particular artists or bands that you look up to or draw inspiration from? How have they influenced your music?
I feel like so many artists inspire us. We all recently saw Big Thief at red rocks in Denver and that was such a spiritual, inspiring experience. Witnessing them play in such a beautiful venue was so incredible and inspiring. We of course love their sound but we don’t necessarily want to mimic it. We want to capture the same energy that we felt while watching them. Same with any other artist. We don’t want to be them but we hope to share the essence that they bring.
What are your goals and aspirations for the future? Where do you see your band in the next few years?
We’re not really sure. we’re just planning on continuing to do what we’ve been doing and if we catch momentum or something that would be amazing. Regardless we’re not really planning on doing anything different besides making music, making art, and nurturing the friendships and relationships that our project has brought to us.
Lastly, is there anything else you'd like to share with our audience? Any upcoming projects or exciting news that you'd like to mention?
We just released a new single called “alcohol” and plan on releasing another single called “fine print” on February 2 which is the day of our show at Kilby Court with Worlds Worst and Cannibal Queen! everyone come to that and we’ll give you a big kiss. Our full album titled “Loop de Loop Miracle Ministries Lords of Glory” will hopefully be released this summer. We also just want to thank everyone who supports us. Thank you for coming to shows, buying our merch, and listening to our music. Sometimes the fact that we have fans is surreal. Thank you for all that you’ve done for us. FUCK DAD BOD!
