By Benjamin Millerman
These days, it’s hard to find an authentic band with a unique sound. Orange Dog Club, hailing from the city of Buffalo, New York, satiates that exact need, and might just be your new favourite artist. Their lofi-indie tunes, powered by strong, technical guitar work, powerful drums, satisfyingly raspy vocals, and meaningful lyricism make them a must-listen-to group. Led by Tim Turner, this new indie group is ready to take the music world by storm.
However, the path to where they are now was a winding one. The group formed for a talent show put on by the University of Buffalo’s Filipino Club. Tim grabbed his friends Mikey and Brendan, and after showing them a demo of the band’s now-hit song, “Gimme My Money”, they agreed to perform. Shortly after, they added their friend Harry to man the drums. A long search for a drumset ensued and once the drumset was bought (in rather wet conditions), the magic began.
But playing and practicing on a university campus is no easy feat. The group had to haul their drum set amongst other instruments across campus into an empty classroom, aggravating their studious classmates. This was not the best setup, but as eager students with nowhere else to go, it was all they had. According to Tim Turner, “It was awkward. But good for character building”.
The band ended up getting third in the talent show, the start of a promising future. Since then the band has moved around with Bernie Bazzett now on guitar and Joe Butler on bass—both people that Tim Turner has known for a while, with experience from failed high school bands. Matt Reesor became the band’s full-time drummer after meeting Tim through jazz circles around Buffalo. Finally, Salvatore Constantin is the last guitarist of the group, who is also a member of the band Prairie Pavement and a solo project called Vanity Club. Tim and the rest of the group played a gig and were fans of Prairie Pavement, so Sal joining was a big moment for the group.
Beyond their talent show success, it has not been a walk in the park for this capable band. The group had a performance on a university show that was formatted similarly to a late-night show—they thought it was going to be their big break, but regrettably, this was not the case. The audio setup was wrong, leading to an unbalanced noisy mess, as well as a lack of a working guitar cable. Later on, Tim Turner’s friend, who was in the audience, told him “Yeah that was the first time I’ve been watching a band and actively thought ‘Wow this actually sounds like shit’”.
Of course, a balanced career also contains countless highs. Orange Dog Club is no exception to that notion :the songs “Gimme My Money” and “That’s What I Get” have blown up for the band. This growth has led to not only internet popularity but has also translated to more in-person opportunities, which is what the band is mainly striving for. Being appreciated in the real world makes the whole experience seem, well… more real.
For lead singer Tim Turner, making music is not just about making something people like. It’s about creating the most outstanding art that he can, and continuing to grow and learn along with it. It’s safe to say that, so far, his goals are being accomplished, with each song sounding more polished than the last. People certainly enjoy and are connected with the music. Many have messaged the band expressing their love for the music, and the band’s comments are filled with heartwarming messages sharing how the music touched them, bringing them to tears for an art comparable to poetry.
Tim Turner’s musical inspirations can be heard through nuanced stylistic choices throughout the band’s songs. Many have compared the group to The Strokes, a comparison that has grown tired for the band. Not to say the comparison isn’t flattering to Tim Turner, but rather that he can’t seem to wrap his head around it. Instead, Tim Turner draws inspiration from artists like Carseat Headrest and Chet Baker, whose music resonates with him on a deeper level, particularly because of their straightforward and heartfelt expression of ideas through song. As Tim Turner puts it,”’The lyric-writing of that era is so matter-of-fact and dated, and I just love the way they expressed their ideas back then.”
Orange Dog Club is just at its beginning, still finding its place in an ever-growing music world. The band’s interesting name, which Tim Turner swears to never reveal the meaning of—in the interest of national security–the stellar album covers of the mascot dog, and of course the impressive music to add to it, guarantees that the group will only continue to grow, garnering a larger fanbase with every song.
And the fans won’t have to wait long. Tim Turner is working on an album, but he will take his time with it, ensuring that he says exactly what he wants. “I want it to say exactly what I want to say. I want it to be about the world ending. I want it to be about love. I want it to be about the lack of love. I want it to be about the zeitgeist. I want it to be of its time. I want it to be about sex.”
“I hope at the end of all this I have a reason to smile.” With the way Orange Dog Club is developing, Tim Turner’s hope is not a dream but a tangible reality—one not so far out of reach, as the band is climbing there one heartfelt message and powerful song at a time.