Interview with Garage Rock Band The Dodies (Israel)

June 19, 2020

Interview with Garage Rock Band The Dodies (Israel)

By Mick Michaels:

COSMICK VIEW: Hello, Ran and Yoni! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it's greatly appreciated.

CV: So many things can define an artist; their sound, their style, their look...even their attitude. What do you think makes an artist unique, even iconic? Is it something more than just the music?
The Dodies: Gimmicks, style, and a good story have the power of first impressions that can lead people to actually listen to a band. But at the end of the day, if Black Sabbath’s music wasn’t so good then the act of biting off a bat’s head wouldn’t sustain their career. The music is the real genius. If you have a ‘badass’ attitude but you aren’t sensitive enough to convey it through the music, then it doesn’t matter much.

CV: Is being a "rock star" still a relevant term in today's music industry? Is it something worth aspiring to become especially for a young, up and coming artist?The Dodies: There are probably better ways for us to try and get money and attention than the path we choose. It’s not that we don’t want to be “stars,” it’s just the “rock” part of it that makes it hard. Yoni has been asked to go on American Idol type of shows in Israel many times. We probably would’ve gained more attention that way but not by doing anything we’re comfortable with.

Yoni Avittan: There’s this talent show in Israel where the winner goes to represent the country in the Eurovision. I wondered if I did the right thing when declining their offer to compete, but then I saw my sister watching an episode where the contenders were holding hands and smiling like phonies while singing a cheesy Israeli folk song…I thought “thank God I said no”. I honestly would be miserable if I had to play anything other than Rock music. It’s not that we play our type of music because we think it’s “badass”. As far as I’m concerned, Rock is the most honest form of modern music, and doing anything else feels like I’d be lying to myself.

CV: From your experience, does songwriting tend to define the band or does the band inevitably define the songwriting in your opinion? Meaning, can specific songwriting styles or formulas pigeon hole a band over time, creating limitations or does that particular style create a level of freedom and uniqueness?
The Dodies: We personally try diversifying our songs as much as we can to not get stuck with a niche. If you listen to an album like “The White Album” you’ll hear Paul McCartney singing “Blackbird,” and later on “Helter Skelter”. Two very different songs from the same guy, but somehow he makes it work.

CV: Given that there has been so many major developments and changes over the last several decades, would you consider the music industry to be a viable and stable enough environment for new artists and bands to even attempt to make a successful career, or at any rate, a living, in your opinion?
The Dodies: Making a living off our music still happens with bands. We do believe in our music, and we also believe that if you get to a point where you have a big enough fan base, your snow ball will start rolling. Some changes the music industry has gone through have certainly been positive, and opened doors for different artists. Coming from Israel, it would have been impossible for us to promote our music globally 20-30 years ago, as we do today.

CV: How would you describe the difference between an artist who follows trends and one who sets them?
The Dodies: Even the “realest” artists have always been influenced by people before them. But some people don’t try too hard to be as unique as their predecessor, they just are. Some create because it’s in their bones and there’s something timeless about that. Some just want to get laid and get big, and even if they do have a big fan base, they’ll eventually be replaced with the next douche waiting in line.

CV: Has digital technology made everyone an artist on some level in your opinion? Has such access, from a consumer standpoint, changed the game for more seasoned artists to find and maintain their audience?
The Dodies: Digital technology has probably exposed both way more artists and way more wannabes. It’s helped us get to more people in a way, but there’s also an influx of information that makes people’s attention spans lower.

CV: Can a band truly interact with its fans and still maintain a level of individual privacy without crossing the line and giving up their “personal space” in your opinion?
The Dodies: Setting boundaries is probably good for that. In the end, exposing too much of your personal life could really affect your music negatively. We’ve all witnessed cases where the musician-celebrity becomes the main attraction and the songs are overshadowed.

CV: Do you feel music still holds a place in our current culture of social media distancing and instant gratification? Does music still have the same meaning as it once did in our world?
The Dodies: It does for us, and we’re sure that for many more people too. We hope people don’t become to numb with TikTok and memes to pay attention to great new music. We all need to wiggle our way through those distractions, or even utilize them to bring meaningful content.

CV: What's one thing being in a Rock band taught you that you feel you would not have learned elsewhere?
The Dodies: Just the degree of how so many people listen to things just because other people listen to things.

CV: What's next for you? What can fans expect to see coming post COVID-19?
The Dodies: We’ve been working on a video for our next single ”Alien.” It's animated and we're drawing everything ourselves. It takes months to draw and weeks of editing, but we’re getting there! We’re also going to try our best to leave the Middle East and go on either an American or European tour as soon as the situation settles.

CV: Thank you again Ran and Yoni for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. It was a pleasure. I wish you all the best and continued success.
The Dodies: Thanks a lot!

Check out The Dodies at:

Official: https://thedodiesband.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDodiesBand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedodiesband

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.