Interview: Band of the Week - The Dollyrots

Punk-pop band The Dollyrots may go down in history as the only good thing to come from the 2000 US Presidential elections, and by extension George W. Bush's presidency. So the story goes, Kelly Ogden (lead vocals, bass) and childhood friend and fellow student Luis Cabezas (guitar, piano) are attending New College Florida, preparing for medical school. On the night of November 7th they were watching the election results, when at four a.m. they found out that Bush had won and thought, “The world's probably gonna end anyway, and I don't want to go to med school.” So they decided to take their part-time college band full-time because, “We had no future anyways...” They may as well just be in a punk band.

So formed they began touring and creating their fun, poppy-without-compromising-punk sound. An accessible mix of fun bouncy melodies and harmonies but with all the ass kicking power and attitude of punk music. Their sound is a unique blend, precisely what pop-punk should be, honest, in your face, and accessible. If The Dead Kennedys and Gwen Stefani had a love child, they would have named it The Dollyrots. Punk music with pop sensibilities.

Much like Kelly Ogden herself. At first glance she could be mistaken for a pretty little thing with lots of curly blond hair, big doe eyes, and a baby-doll pout, and yet according to The Dollyrots website, Kelly just “might sucker punch you if you're dumb enough to try her patience”. In fact after interviewing Kelly I believe I am in the midsts of a full-on girl crush, she is an intelligent, witty, dirty-minded woman with a tough-girl attitude. Now before you get the horn imagining some Suicide Girl-on-girl action, I'm not talking about re-thinking my sexuality. No, just a good old fashioned, I-want-to-be-like-her crush. When we chatted, she was in the middle of the frozen Midwest at a truck stop on the way into Chicago on the Dollyrots latest tour. She was without sleep, wayworn, and coming down with a nasty cold, but still we laughed and talked like old friends, such was her friendly, open manner.

So tell us about your second album, Because I'm Awesome. Where did you get that name?

Article Author: A.L. Harper

I'm a writer and music journalist originally from Salt Lake City, but now living in Scotland. I was a Punk/Goth in the '80s and these artistic influences have stayed with me; although a love of Chopin, chamber music, and Spanish guitar would seem to belie this. …

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