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By: Adam Grant Click to Listen to: The Golden Dogs-ConstructionWorker.MP3 The Golden Dogs-Runouttaluck.mp3
The quasi-bulls-eye taking up the cover of The Golden Dogs' 2006 album Big Eye Little Eye is quite indicative of the target that's been placed upon them as one of Toronto's most promising up and coming bands. "We don't really know how much of a buzz is actually going on - I mean, people say it, but we don't know if we really feel it sometimes," says the group's co-founder/keyboardist/vocalist Jessica Grassia. However, the lead up to this "buzz" sure has taken a number of years - about 8 to be exact. You see, in 1998, vocalist and guitarist Dave Azzolini moved down to the big smoke after realizing that Thunder Bay wasn't the place to launch a music career. Shortly after his re-locating, he was joined by then girlfriend and current wife Grassia, and The Golden Dogs were essentially born. But since then, the two have had to go through many, many musician line-up changes since this project's inception, making it almost a miracle that the band still exists at all. 
As it sits today, Azzolini and Grassia are accompanied by Taylor Knox (drums), Neil Quin (guitar) and Stew Heyduk (bass), as they continue to tour in promotion of their awe-inspiring sophomore record - obviously the togetherness of this quintet is helping the confidence of this process. "We hadn't really felt secure in a really long time. Last year alone we went through 5 or 6 bass players and a couple guitar players - it was basically just struggling to keep the band together for the live shows, let alone tours, albums and a solid foundation. Now it feels like we have a bona fide band," laughs Grassia. "We're giving everything we can, and we feel like we have the right people, right now," she adds. "Everyone's on stage and there's nowhere else they'd rather be than on stage with us at that moment. So it's definitely a treat to now feel ready to take on whatever is coming our way."  Within Big Eye Little Eye are 12 tracks that almost defy explanation, and can likely best be defined after you give it a few solid listens. That said, the combination of energy, thoughtfulness, romanticism, and optimism is not the only recipe that makes this album work, as the abundantly fun musical parts that back up these types of lyrical explorations are quite ass-shaking to say the least.
This too has to have something to do with the unity in which Grassia earlier described. But while strong bonds between band mates is a well known key to success for acts who hope to stick around awhile, Grassia and Azzolini have to work much harder at this considering that they aren't only married to each other, but the music as well. 
"It's really hard to keep things separate," confirms Grassia when asked if it's difficult to balance work and personal issues between her and Azzolini. "We don't really consciously keep them separate. Sometimes we won't talk about the band for a few hours - we'll kind of forget that we're even in a band, and we'll just be doing whatever we're doing.
"But most of the time at this point in our lives, relationship and career, are the only things we can really think about," she continues. "We don't really want to think about anything else at this point, because we feel like (the band) is at a critical point where we need to give it all the attention we can." For more information on The Golden Dogs, please visit www.thegoldendogs.com or www.myspace.com/thegoldendogs |
