I got into Dowsing when they played a basement show in Lowell, MA while headlining their spring tour with Brave Bird. I had listened to their All I Could Find Was You EP prior to that and was completely satisfied with the band’s performance, despite that the basement was super cramped and the PA sucked. It didn’t matter though, because Dowsing kept the party going with positive vibes all throughout their set- not to mention playing their songs tight, too. If you’re sad that summers coming to an end and need a lift in your mood, check out Dowsing. Dowsing’s Erik (vocals, guitar) and Gooey (bass, vocals) answered some questions for us, discussing their newly released full-length It’s Still Pretty Terrible, their record they are working on momentarily; I Don’t Even Care Anymore, their future European tour, and more!
1. When did Dowsing form and how did you guys get together to make the band what it is today?
Gooey: We started practicing in late 2010 and played our first show in January of 2011. Marcus and I met Erik when he lived in New Jersey when we were on tour in another band called The Please & Thank Yous. He moved to Chicago and we started a band for no real reason.
2. You guys released your first EP All I Could Find Was You in May of 2011. Where was this recorded? Also, can you explain the process of writing these first six songs?
Gooey: The songs were recorded in Rockford, IL. Our arch nemesis/scorned lover Chris French recorded it in Mark Gustafson’s basement. He was really nice to let us record in his home. Erik basically wrote the basic structure of the songs on his own and we all came up with our own parts together in practice.
3. Dowsing’s second release was the Dowsing/ Parker Split in April 2012. How did the idea spark to team up with Parker for this split and how did you choose these two songs for the split? Also, was the writing and recording process any different this time around?
Erik: I was eating at a Thai restaurant when I was rudely interrupted by a phone call from Warren “The Bone Wolf” Franklin. We agreed without ever having heard them.
Gooey: ”That Would Be A Lot Of Cool” was written along with all of the songs for the first 7 inch. We never ended up recording it with those other songs because it didn’t really work with them. The alternate version of “Somerset” just came about when we were writing our full-length and chose to do the song acoustic. We thought it would be fun to have two versions of the song. There was no real writing process for the split because the songs came from two different groups of songs.
4. In May you guys toured with Brave Bird. How was this experience? Also, how was playing in Canada?
Gooey: Brave Bird is one of the nicest bands you will ever meet. Every day on tour with them was a blast. We ate pizza every single day. Playing in Canada was a great experience. It was my first time outside of the states so I was extremely excited about that. It was also Dowsing’s first time playing outside of America… which ruled.
Erik: I’m still waiting on the 90 rack footage… Those boys know how to party. Canada was swell.
5. This past July you put out your full-length It’s Still Pretty Terrible. Where was this LP recorded this time around? Did you go about things differently when writing or recording?
Gooey: The songs were recorded in Rockford, IL. Our famous golf pro friend/maroon hoodie collector Chris French (ex Dowsing) recorded it in Mark Gustafson’s basement. He was really nice to let us record in his home. Erik basically wrote the basic structure of the songs on his own and we all came up with our own parts together in practice.
6. You guys seem to have a pretty tight relationship with Count Your Lucky Stars Records, having released all three of your releases with them. How did you first come in contact with CYLS? Anything particular you love about this label that makes you keep wanting to work with them?
Erik: I met Keith and Cathy in New Jersey when he played my house. We had a sleepover in my room and I gave him a melted bag of peanut M&M’s.
Gooey: Keith buys us candy and got me a T-Shirt once. So basically we owe him a lot of money.
Erik: We love you Keith and Cathy. <3
7. Your tour with Annabel and The Island of Misfit Toys recently ended. How did this opportunity come about? Favorite things about the tour?
Gooey: Annabel is one of the nicest bands you will ever meet. Every day on tour with them was a blast. We ate burritos every single day. Playing in Florida was a great experience. It was my first time in Florida so I was extremely excited about that. It was also Dowsing’s first time playing in Florida… which ruled.
Erik: The Island of Misfit Toys is one of the nicest bands you will ever meet. Every day on tour with them was a blast. I ate a can of beans every single day. Playing in Colorado was a great experience. It was my first time in Colorado so I was extremely excited about that. It was also Dowsing’s first time playing in Colorado… which ruled.
8. Any future tours you guys have set up that you can tell us about?
Gooey: We are going to Europe next summer. That is all we have planned right now because of school and work related activities.
9. Any bands that influence Dowsing? Who have you guys been listening to lately?
Erik: (Influences) Superchunk, The Weakerthans, Guided By Voices, 90’s indie-pop.
Gooey: In the van we have been listening to a lot of Joyce Manor, Third Eye Blind, Alanis Morissette, and Drake.
10. Who would you guys love to tour with in the future? Do you have any favorite places to play?
Gooey: Two Knights, The Reptilian, Empire! Empire!. I would love to go back out with Brave Bird and Annabel. Some of my favorite places to play/visit are in Texas, Louisville, Bloomington (IN) and Pittsburgh.
Erik: You Blew It!, Mountains for Clouds, Joie De Vivre, Prawn. I would like to go back to New Brunswick, Willimantic (CT), and Birmingham.
11. Your new release already has a name, I Don’t Even Care Anymore and will include eight or more songs. How many songs are written for this release? Also, when do you expect to put this out? Will this be put out by CYLS?
Gooey: Erik has written eight songs for it. We haven’t really practiced any of them together except for one. We hope to put it out by next summer. It will probably be on CYLS if Keith and Cathy still love us.
Erik: I’m still writing songs and who knows what we will do with them by the end.
12. Can you tell us about your European tour? Where will you guys be playing? Can you tell us with who and when this will be happening?
Erik: We don’t know anything about it yet other than that we are going at the end of May.
13. Any last words?
Gooey: Erik and I are sitting here watching the Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon from the 90’s trying to think of good last words. Thanks for the interview! We really had fun responding to your questions.
Erik: Thank you. #FreeGooey