Homecoming Artist Spotlight: Dogs In A Pile
Dogs In A Pile
Image courtesy of the artists
Berklee's first-ever Homecoming Block Party brings alumni back to Boston on Saturday, September 19, for a daylong celebration of the music that started here. Our Homecoming Artist Spotlight series introduces the alumni taking the stage, including their favorite Berklee memories, the lessons they carried out into their careers, and what "coming home" means to them now.
Bassist Sam Lucid, keyboardist Jeremy Kaplan, and guitarist Brian Murray met as Berklee students, jamming in dorms, practice rooms, and apartments. As Murray remembers it, the first time the three of them played together was electric. That spark became Dogs In A Pile, the band they formed in 2019 with guitarist Jimmy Law and drummer Joey Babick. The quintet plays a restless mix of funk, jazz, rock, and psychedelia. Built for the stage and rarely the same show twice, their live sets have earned them a following devoted enough to travel and loyal enough to name itself: the Dog Pound. Two albums in, they're among the busiest young bands on the jam circuit.
Berklee's first-ever Homecoming Block Party takes place Saturday, September 19, from 1 to 6 p.m. Learn more and get your tickets here.
Berklee is celebrating its first-ever Homecoming this year. What was your reaction when you were invited to be part of it?
Sam Lucid (bass): I was really excited when I heard we were invited to be a part of Berklee's first-ever Homecoming event. I had some of the best times of my life during my time at Berklee, which holds a really special place in my heart, as it was the place where I would meet two of my future bandmates and begin working toward the goal of writing original music and touring.
Jeremy Kaplan (keys): Extremely excited! After leaving Berklee, the city of Boston became an extremely nostalgic visit every time our tour would roll through. Shout out to my Rat City Rockers.
Brian Murray (guitar): I’m thrilled to be invited! I’ve missed Berklee very much since hitting the road a few years back. I can’t wait to see campus and relive the beautiful memories I had the privilege of making during my time there.
Looking back, what's one Berklee memory that still makes you smile or has stayed with you throughout your career?
Lucid: One of my favorite memories from my time at Berklee was winning an award for most-improved bassist during my third year at Berklee. Prior to attending school, I had only been playing bass for about a year and had been primarily a guitarist/vocalist prior to deciding to study bass at Berklee. I worked incredibly hard to learn as much about my new instrument as I could, while also diving headfirst into the core Berklee curriculum. Many thanks to all of my bass instructors throughout the years, particularly Lincoln Goines, Joe Santerre, and Danny Morris, among many others.
Kaplan: Dorm/practice room and apartment jams with excellent players that pushed me and expanded my musical ambition. I learned as much in those settings as I did in class. That and the typical “bad kid” stuff college students get up to.
Murray: Some of my favorite memories are of walking around Mass Ave. and Boylston with my headphones on, and being able to live, breathe, and sleep music around the clock. Music was all day, every day. It still is, but at Berklee there is boundless inspiration all around. When I met Sam and Jeremy from my band, jamming with them for the first time, it was electric. The days of learning new things about music every day in school, and then applying them with my friends to fuel the fiery passion we had for music, were some of my greatest memories ever.
How did your time at Berklee shape the artists, or people, you are today?
Lucid: My time at Berklee shaped both my life as a musician and a person immensely. Besides the fact that I was exposed to all different kinds of styles of music and theory, I was exposed to many different kinds of people from many different cultures around the world. I probably had at least one friend from every continent except Antarctica! Berklee taught me to be open to and appreciate all different kinds of things in both my musical and personal lives.
Kaplan: I think the time I spent at Berklee was absolutely critical to my adjustment to the wider world as a musician, and more importantly, as a human. The opportunity to develop into an adult within the Berklee bubble is a unique opportunity, that if approached properly, will set your course for an excellent life in music.
Murray: Berklee has had a profound impact on my life. It was there that I made some of my greatest friends. I absorbed so much inspiration, and had the honor of being taught by the best of the best. The lessons I’ve learned both in life and in music at Berklee stick with me, and I use them daily.
Homecoming is all about reconnecting. What does "coming home" to Berklee mean to you at this stage of your career?
Lucid: Coming home to me means celebrating my time at Berklee and how it helped shape me into a hardworking musician who is able to write and play music full time as a career. I’m excited to reconnect with faculty as well as students I knew during my time there, who have now become my colleagues in the music industry.
Kaplan: I’m excited to reflect on the place that was so important to me in my formative years with the knowledge and experience I’ve picked up since leaving.
Murray: Full circle! It really is coming home. Berklee’s place in the heart of Boston is an incredible place to go to school. I’ve stayed in touch with a few teachers, and can’t wait to visit them. I’m also really looking forward to hitting my favorite food and coffee spots.
What advice would you share with current Berklee students who are just beginning their own journey?
Lucid: My advice for new Berklee students is to be open to all different opportunities and experiences at Berklee, both musically and personally. Boston is a great city and there is so much great stuff to do while you’re studying at Berklee. I also always like to reiterate to younger people who are considering attending that it is important to follow your own path at Berklee. Alumni and students have excelled in all different styles of music and facets of the music industry. I always felt encouraged to follow my personal music path at Berklee and I would encourage new students to do the same.
Kaplan: Keep your eyes open wide and your ears open wider. There is greatness everywhere and you can learn much from everyone on campus.
Murray: Take your dream and run with it. You are now in an environment where you can actually watch it bloom to fruition in real time. Musical resources are now at your fingertips ad infinitum. You’re going to learn a lot; not only from books, but from your peers. It is crucial to learn as much about the business side of music as it is the playing. Meet as many people as you can and be ready to gain all sorts of different perspectives in the world of music and education. Also, solfège is an invaluable tool. Cherish it!
