INTERVIEW: The Hogstad Brothers discuss origins and influences alongside debut album ‘Creatures In The Dirt’

Having already made some serious waves these last few months, Californian duo The Hogstad Brothers are now ready to cement their dynamic legacy to date with the release of their eagerly-awaited debut album ‘Creatures In The Dirt’.

Featuring the previously shared gems ‘Take Me Higher’, ‘Worth It’, and ‘Spinning Around’, this nine-track collection perfectly highlights their rich and riveting aesthetic they have been building lately. So we caught up with them to find out more about their background and what has inspired their sound over the years.

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What was the first rock song or artist that made an impact on you?

For Jonathan it was Rage against the Machine. Cuts like “Killing in the Name Of” were mind blowing. In high school, I remember riding in a packed car after school got out, with everyone screaming “F*ck you I won’t do what you tell me!” It would be another few years until I understood and connected with the politics of songs like that, but the emotional connection was deep and immediate. 

For Brandon, it was Beck’s Odelay album – that album launches itself with these ripping spaghetti western grunge guitar licks on Devil’s Haircut, then continues to drench the listener in an eccentric collage of sound textures, deadpan irony, and nonsense lyrics. This left a permanent impression that it’s okay to be both silly and serious in music.  

Who are some of your biggest musical influences within the rock genre?

Bowie and Prince are both big for us. We’ve DJ’d multiple parties focused on one or the other. When you get to that level of intimacy with their music to throw a party just focusing on one of them, your respect and love for just how freakish they were just grows and grows. Deerhoof too. Brandon can let the distortion rip and do their weird angular thing that we love. Jonathan definitely loves the drum sound of a Tame Impala and can look for that smack and crunchiness in our production. 

Are there any non-rock musicians or genres that have also influenced your music?

We have pretty eclectic tastes: Erykah Badu, the Isley Brothers, Little Dragon, Kaytranada are all big for us. We began making music together after Jonathan switched from guitar to bass and we started learning James Brown grooves in our living room. Then Brandon hustled a Roland 707 in a Craigslist trade to have a better rhythm track for us to play to, and Jonathan got really into drum programming and we went down a semi-electronic path.

What is your main inspiration when looking to write new music?

We just try to quiet our minds and tap into whatever’s present that day. Our songs almost always start with jamming and just letting the music guide the way. For this album, we didn’t set out with a pre-visioned goal. We were just exploring and making music at a particular time in our lives, and the energy that came out was a particular thing sonically and lyrically. Eventually the project organically arose and presented itself from the parts. The album starts from a call within a beautiful dream. But then you wake up to life’s struggles. Eventually the journey turns inwards to find peace. The album title is a lyric about coming to terms with the idea that all of us are just “creatures in the dirt” trying to make it through this wilderness. When people are frightening, or when we’re struggling through something with ourselves, we can be compassionate.

What do you enjoy most about performing live and do you have any memorable live performance experiences you’d like to share?

Letting go of self-consciousness and allowing ourselves to go to that higher plane and trusting that the crowd will come with us. Our old band Flyer Learning once did a short set at a massive May Day worker and immigrant rights rally in Union Square Park in New York City 2017 with thousands of people showing up to fight. It was so exciting to play for that crowd.  

What has been a particularly rewarding moment in your musical journey so far?

Releasing this album might be one of those moments. We’ve always collaborated with singers in the past, and this is our first time being the voice of music we write, which feels like a new identity to take on. There’s a lot of experimenting with our voices that you can hear on the record. We’re happy with how it all came out.

How would you define success as a musician?

Making music you connect with and having the courage and generosity to share it for others to connect with as well. Anything beyond that isn’t about the music.

What advice would you give to aspiring artists who are just starting out?

Breathe. There’s a winding path ahead to explore your artistry and find your voice. It’s supposed to be scary. If it’s not scary, you’re not making art.

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Listen to The Hogstad Brothers’ debut album ‘Creatures In The Dirt’ below.