Interview with the Band Lost Dogs of Ultimo (Australia)

April 21, 2023

Interview with the Band Lost Dogs of Ultimo (Australia)

By Mick Michaels

The Cosmick View: Hello, and welcome to The Cosmick View/MBM Ten Pounder! Thanks for taking some time to chat with us!
Lost Dogs Of Ultimo: Hi Mick! Thanks for the opportunity today.

CV: Describe your definition of your sound and style and how does that definition uniquely describe the music?
Lost Dogs Of Ultimo: The Lost Dogs Of Ultimo was conceived as a Music Street Art Project where the sound and style is constantly evolving with both who I collaborate with and the street art that I find and photograph…so the music can and has been anything from instrumental Surf tracks to Beats Loops and Reggae infused Punk and Metal.

CV: Today, everyone talks about artist and audience connection. Is such a level of connection actually achievable for an artist and if so, how have you made the connection to your fans?
Lost Dogs Of Ultimo: Me personally as an artist and musician would rather connect with people and feed from our combined energy than try to monetize my art and feel let down if and when that did not happen.

CV: Is fan interaction an important part of your inner culture?
Lost Dogs Of Ultimo: Yeah it’s a very important…interaction. I love it when someone is giving feedback to a track or responsive to my art or music.

CV: Can a band truly interact with its fans and still maintain a level of personal privacy without crossing the line and giving up their “personal space” in your opinion?
Lost Dogs Of Ultimo: I think if it’s done genuinely it’s possible.

Here in Melbourne Australia we tend to be more laid back and respectful with people’s privacy and space, not wanting to cross the line, but mature enough to acknowledge when a artist has been successful.

CV: Is music, and its value, viewed differently around the world in your opinion? If so, what do you see as the biggest difference in such multiple views among various cultures?
Lost Dogs Of Ultimo: Yeah every country and continent has its own cultural idiosyncrasies and how they value art and music. It’s story telling in a pure form and we need to respect and keep stories alive and value them and respect that we all tell stories differently and dance to different beats.

CV: Do you feel that a band that has an international appeal, will tend to connect more so to American audiences? Would they be more enticed or intrigued to see the band over indigenous acts because of the foreign flavor?
Lost Dogs Of Ultimo: I’m not sure if I could guess how American audiences would react…all music has the ability to connect.

CV: Has modern-day digital technology made everyone an artist on some level in your opinion? Have the actual lines of what really is an artist been blurred?
Lost Dogs Of Ultimo: Everybody has an expressive creative side. Modern technology has just made it more accessible to a greater part of the population. Being able to drop some tracks on a Logic or Abelton program is one thing but to follow that process right through to the end with mixing, production, cover artwork, registering it with artist services and distribution…that’s huge and a motivated artist is more likely to complete that and do it over and over again because that’s what artist drive is.

Good luck to anybody who wants to have a go.

CV: How would you describe the difference between an artist who follows trends and one who sets them?
Lost Dogs Of Ultimo: I’m not sure about trends. I think they occur when the music industry decides what is the flavor of the month.

An artist who taps into the inspirations that they have been exposed to on their journey musically and acknowledge those who came before them. We are just sponges soaking up influence and recreating our version…that’s cool.

CV: Has music overall been splintered into too many sub-genres in an effort to appease fan tastes in your opinion? And has such fan appeasements, in actuality, weakened music’s impact as a whole by dividing audiences?
Lost Dogs Of Ultimo: No there has historically been lots of sub genres of music in Classical, Jazz Indigenous and First peoples, Tibetan throat singing Japanese drumming styles.

Two people can hear the same music and get two totally different meanings from it.

CV: What can fans expect to see coming next from you?
Lost Dogs Of Ultimo: Next month we are releasing our version of the X Ray Specs song “Identity” as a reggae based punk track with some as a way of acknowledging Polystyrene who was an incredible female singer and artist who had an amazing stage presence and powerful voice. I have collaborated on that track with Melbourne performance artist, Madam Nightingale…another amazing vocalist and artist here in Melbourne.

CV: Thanks again for taking some time and talking. It is greatly appreciated.
Lost Dogs Of Ultimo: Thanks mate; we really appreciate you taking the time to chat today

Check out Lost Dogs of Ultimo at:
BandCamp: https://lostdogsofultimo.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lost_dogs_of_ultimo_/
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077331099830 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0XwoN8qkF3CNq5aQoYf3EC?si=lkEaJOLjT4iqwNMjVqhsGg

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, 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.