Dogs In The Fight are a street punk band from Boise. Formed in April 2015, members include Wayne Williams: Vocals, Coby Hughes: Guitar, Vocals Clark Wheeler: Guitar, Vocals Jimmy Turner: Bass, Vocals, and Josh Hakenholtz: Drums. They are a new underground band out of Idaho playing street punk music. A few bands that Dogs In The Fight sound similar to are The Bruisers, Blood for Blood, Dropkick Murphy’s and Main Street Saints. Dogs In The Fight have released two records via Comandante Records and Crowd Control Media. I discovered the band by accident on Facebook as other musicians began to spread the word about this band. Nobody really thinks that there would be street punks in Idaho but there are. You wouldn’t think there was a music scene in Boise but there is. Get ready to find out all about Dogs In The Fight and how these street punks from Boise are putting Idaho on the map.
How did the band form?
Dogs in the Fight is a continuation of a previous project that we were working on and we needed a new singer. Coby called Wayne and the rest is history. We also wanted to go a different direction musically.
What is the message of the music?
The message is one that is positive. We write the music that we can relate with. The songs are about life and how we have lived it. Wayne has a good grasp of how we all feel and he expresses it very well. But he does it in a way that sends a positive message. We want people to know that if we can make it through life, so can anyone else and we can do it together. We are all equal, one people and that we need less walls, categories, and politics.
Describe your genre and sound.
We are a mixture of genre’s and styles that I have a hard time trying to describe our genre. We are working class, antiracism, alternative sub culture that plays fast paced rock n roll. We are a band made up of people who come from different eras of music and so we try to blend it all together and thus makes up the sound for Dogs in the Fight. The sound is Street Rock n Roll with a positive message and an old school hardcore energy.
What does the band’s name mean/stand for?
It is part of Mark Twain’s saying “It is not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the heart of the dog” It may not be spot on but you get the point. We all have our daily struggles, we all face challenges in our lives and but still determined to keep moving forward. We always have an interest in the outcome and that we may get knocked down but we are never out.
What makes the band original or stand out amongst thousands of other bands?
We bring an old school feeling and vibe but with a new approach and sound to our music. The blend of the various influences from Jimmy’s Celtic ties, Wayne’s ability to tie in some killer hooks and his Lemmy sounding voice, brings something to the table. We are a true crossover of styles, you can catch a little something in all of the songs. We feel that this offers a little something to everyone out there and in a positive way.
The working-class is important to your band and music. Why?
It relates to us because we are working class. We are out there like everyone else trying to make ends meet and get ahead in life. They can hear songs like Living Life, Head Held High or Working Class Salute and related to the works that are there. They can relate to us, our journey, as well we know there’s. Everyone in the band has had quite a journey.
Who are the true blue crew?
They are die hard D.i.t.F. fans. The idea of it was inspired by Matt Bateson also known as “The Mayor” and our tour manager. His about the tattoo Matt has which is a Dogs In The Fight logo. Jimmy kept saying to Matt that he was “True Blue.”
What is the band fighting against?
Everything that is out to push the world in a backward direction. We want the world to progress in a positive direction. We all hope to subtract the negative from life in general.
What is the band fighting for?
Freedom! Since there are so many rules in life, and so many walls being built for the wrong reasons. We fight for Unity! We want anyone to be who they want to be and to live their lives without living in fear. We support causes that bring people together in a positive way or unite them and break down the walls of indifference.
Describe the town of Boise.
Small sized big city, known as the city of trees. College town that has a good mix of people and is very laid back. There is a great artist community. It is a beautiful area, fun nightlife and overall a very good community.
Describe the music scene in Boise.
Home of Septic Death (look it up if you don’t know). There is a good mix of music styles in Boise but I wouldn’t say there is anything original about it. It is a good mix of styles in town that you would find in most cities throughout the United States. We do have a strong Punk/Hardcore/Alternative community that has grown over the last couple of years, along with a strong Rock/Metal scene. The only bad thing about our scene is that a lot of touring bands skip over Boise thinking there isn’t a scene here. Now it is a tough town sometimes, no different than the towns that we have toured through.
What changes should be made in the scene?
This is a good question. I don’t really have a good answer for it. It is tough to get a lot of local support outside of the bands that perform in the scene. This is especially the case for new bands getting out there to hit the road. It’s the same story here as it is all over the US.
Why people should come to Boise?
People should come through because it is beautiful country, a good city and you could end up having a great time. Yes, it is hard to get a large crowd out for indie music. In Boise, we have a great time with lots of energy. The community will make sure that you have a good time.
What’s wrong with the music industry?
Politics
What’s wrong with the overall music scene?
The tough part is getting people who are music fans to get out and come to shows. These days kids have so much they can do at home, how do we get them out to the shows. It’s even tough for me, so I always try to figure out what gets me out of the house to go down to a show? Some of us are family men so it’s going to be hard to pry me away when 15 years ago, nothing could keep me from going to a show.
Describe the crowd you draw in with your music.
We bring in people from all walks of life and scenes. We are about Unity and our goal is to crossover to all kinds of different crowds to bring them all together. We have been welcomed by Punks, Skins, MetalHeads and Rock n Rollers, just the way we like it.
We try to bring out everyone we can. We bring out people who want to have a good time, let loose and sing along. We try to have a party and not just a show. We want everyone to feel they were apart of it and not just attending a show. We are all one, the same people and this is how we look at our shows. So when we come out to your town, we hope it is more like a bunch of old friends catching up together.
Why are fans important?
You need the heart to pump the blood throughout the body. Fans are the heart of all bands out there. Fans keep you driven, focused and keep you feeling that what you are doing and writing is worth the efforts. They keep you positive and honest. Heck, one of our biggest fans is now our tour manager who also runs our merchandising and is out on the road with us. It is fun to see people react to what we do, especially the positive impact we have on our fans.
What bands do you support?
We support a lot of bands out there, hard to name all of them. Some of the bands outside of Boise we support are Step 13, Press Gang Union (SLC), HiFi Murder, Young Idea, Noi!se, Tried and True, The Abductors, Cry Havoc!, Hooliganz, Bucky Lastards, and The Breaks to name a few.
Where in Boise would fans go to see you guys and other Boise bands?
We have a few clubs in town like The Shredder, Vista Bar, The Olympic, Grainey’s basement and the big place to play are the Knitting Factory or Revolution.
What other Boise bands do you think people need to check out?
We support the Boise music scene. Some good local bands to check out like Nude Oil, Piss Poor, Munchkin Suicide, Uptown Chiefs, Jimmy Vegas and the Phobes and No!. Of course there are so many more.
The bands first record was titled ‘We want peace…but are ready for War’ in which one of the songs titled “Working Class Salute” Shows you that the band beleives that blue collar working class individuals are important, deserve appreciation and respect.
The bands second record was recenlty released this year titled ‘Forever Forward’ in which one of the songs titled “Until We Win” is the die-hard track on this album. It reminds us that we should never stop until we have won.
A message for 2019 from the band:
We will be going back in the studio in November hopefully to record some of our new material. We are still talking about how we are going to release it. We have about 10 plus songs that we are working on currently, so we may do another full-length release and we hope to do more splits with other bands if we can get them lined up. We also hope to get out on the road again and hit a few areas that we have not seen in a few years. We hope to tour Europe in the future.
DOGS IN THE FIGHT want you to connect with them on FACEBOOK. Don’t be afraid, they won’t bite!
