Interview with Lost Dogs of Ultimo

Author

Jarod Smith
February 03, 2025

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

I loved listening to music as a kid. I Was always tuning in to Pirate radio and any Indi radio  in the UK which had all the tracks you would not hear on Top Of The Pops like New York Dolls, Alan Vega  and  Can. I always had a thing for the Funeral industry so I might have been an embalmer or something like that   

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

I love to read and photograph street art and street culture. That's a big inspiration for me.and really good way to think about my music like a sound track to what Im absorbing through arts and culture

How long has your band been around?

Lost Dogs Of Ultimo started in 2020 at the time of lockdowns and all that crazy stuff as a way to express our fears and thoughts collectively which was not all doom and gloom for us because we have kept the Project going continually since then

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

Im In Melbourne but  we have members both here and in Sydney Spain and the UK. My influences are the inner city streets of Melbourne I like the musty smells and noises of the city it has its own rhythm that I listen too with Trains Cars and  Lights very industrial noises

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

Ultimo is an inner city suburb of Sydney that a few of us lived in when we were younger playing and recording  together crossing in and out of  bands. So naming after that was just acknowledging our musical roots

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

Well the most memorable show would be the record launch of my first bands  album  Bits Of Kids was the band and Taste This was the album we had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Iconic band The New Christs as Rob Younger produced the album.We were Kids in awe of our heroes

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

I had the pleasure to have played The Tote in Melbourne  an Iconic venue that has hosted most bands as they evolved into juggernauts of the big Stages. Its carpets are sticky and the toilets are to die for but we love it. I would love to play / busk in London just to get feel of being lost amongst the people.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

Oh I would love the share a Gig with The Subways and maybe a younger version of The Buzzcocks that for me would be an incredible blend of bands with  powerful dynamic high voltage energy

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Well if I had to give any advice it is to go out as often as you can and watch and listen to all different types of music and absorb then practice your instrument as often as you can you need to live being a musician. To my younger self I would say relax it's a long journey don't rush it

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Our last release of 2024 was The Grinding that was about Respect Resisting bad attitudes and demanding change. We as a band got annoyed at all the lies and deceit that comes from our leaders both International and Local so we had to respond with this track with a short powerful message

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

I love playing our version of the great MC5 song Looking At You we released in January 2023. Its such a dynamic power chord guitar classic its also the song that gets requested at Gigs

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

The biggest creative process for us is researching topics that come up in conversation in the studio. It is a really organic part of our process as we individually absorb whats happening in our community. We can usually pick up the vibe or passion there and that can dictate things like tempo or a  riff that is getting jammed on. This then leads to a solid structure in the song composition

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

We are always looking for topics that resonate in the community whether it Politics or Mental Health or Death we try to engage and bring these topics to the studio to workshop as ideas this is a constant build of our repertoire  

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

We don't have disagreements but do like to have our creative opinions heard for the benefit of the project so we all respect each other in having a voice. Unfortunately That sounds very  mature for Rock and Roll  

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

Yes we are excited about 2025 the future looks good for us as political observers this will bring us great challenges. But in the short term our latest track  Spanish Fly is released on 28th January this is a collaboration with Jazz Minero an incredible musician and artist from Spain he is singing in Spanish which sounds incredible with the distorted bass and solid drum track pumping away in the background

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