Office Dog have released their new EP, Doggerland, as they set their sights on their first-ever North American tour.
The seven-strong project marks a sonic shift for the band, finding them leaning into “softer textures and more experimental songwriting.”
Of the EP title, Kane Strang explains, “Doggerland is the name of a place in the northern hemisphere that was once inhabited by people and then completely submerged by the sea.
“Since themes of water, surfacing, and things like that were naturally appearing in my lyrics as we worked on these songs in late 2023, we named the EP after it.”
As Strang adds, choosing this word for the title “not only hints at the lyrical themes this time around but also at how these tracks are different sonically from [2023 album] Spiel and other songs we’ve done – they’re definitely softer, more fluid, and spontaneous.”
Doggerland features the indie rock band’s first EP single, “Intact,” which Strang wrote just after Office Dog’s acclaimed 2023 album, Spiel, came out.
“It was a time where it felt like a lot of different things were finally falling into place and this is definitely why it has a more uplifting feel to it than the songs on our first album,” he explains.
“Like the rest of Doggerland, when it came to recording the song, we tried to experiment with making things more textural, but still not stray too far from the live sounds of the band.”
There’s also “Dump No Waste, Flows to the Sea,” which is accompanied by a music video. Directed by and starring Strang, the clip is out now alongside the full EP (watch below).
Office Dog will be hoping for a similar critical reaction to Doggerland that Spiel received last year.
Spiel made it to #23 on Rolling Stone AU/NZ‘s Best New Zealand Albums of 2023 list.
“Kane Strang was a firm favourite among an entire generation of Kiwi indie kids due to his thoughtful garage-pop gems, and his new musical output as leader of Office Dog is just as excellent,” we praised.
“The tracks on Spiel are introspective indie backed by rugged rhythms and precise layers that demand frequent listens, Strang and his collaborators showing themselves to be a formidable proposition as a trio. New solo Strang material would be welcomed by anyone, but Office Dog is a fitting vessel for his songwriting talent if that never comes.”
Read our recent interview with Strang about his solo music and life in Office Dog here.
Office Dog head to North America next month to support Nada Surf at shows in Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Montreal, Toronto, and more major cities.
Office Dog’s Doggerland EP is out now via Flying Nun (NZ) / New West Records (ROW).
