INTERVIEW: Dog In The Snow

Dog In The Snow is the moniker of Brighton-based Helen Ganya Brown, accompanied by friend, musician and visual artist Eva Bowan. The band experiments with existential-driven lyrics and layers of off-kilter sounds to create a peripatetic musical landscape. Their debut EP Uncanny Valley is out on 9 October via Love Thy Neighbour.

Hello Helen & Eva, how are you and what have you been up to lately?
Helen: Well thanks, we’ve been busy rehearsing for our upcoming shows and I’ve been busy writing some new material too.

What first inspired  you to start creating music?
Helen: I had a really academically-intense upbringing in Singapore, so for me, writing songs was my creative and cathartic outlet, I didn’t go out much. My discovery of Garageband was probably what set off the whole music-making process. But despite recording software and the infinite ways a song could sound, it is the soul of the song which interests me. Eva is the one who is able to help me bring them to life with production.

Eva: I’ve been doing visual art my whole life and then slowly became interested in other forms of self-expression. I’ve always felt the most passionate about music but I wasn’t sure if I could actually do it. Eventually I decided to study vocals first and then by being surrounded by other musicians I realised that I was finding writing and producing music quite easy and intuitive.

Your debut EP Uncanny Valley is released on October 9th via Love Thy Neighbour, and you’re performing at The Hope & Ruin to celebrate on October 14th. What are you most excited about?
Helen: Just being able to perform live again will be the biggest excitement. Seeing how the EP songs translate live will also be interesting.

Eva: And also the people we’ve chosen to play with us for that gig. It’s always lovely to be surrounded by musicians who you respect and find inspiring.

I noticed a quote from Franz Kafka’s The Trial on your Facebook page. Does literature have a strong influence on your music? 
Helen: Most definitely. I think literature is probably the biggest influence when I write songs. I bulk-buy mini post-its so all my books are marked full of lines / words which stick out (literally) and potentially spur on some kind of idea for a song. I actually don’t listen to music as much as what is probably expected of me. Podcasts are also a big influence; songs that come out of bigger thematic ideas normally come from the weird stories/inventions I hear on podcasts.

Eva: For me it’s definitely also literature and TED talks sometimes. Plus I tend to dig out a lot of underground and forgotten music and experimental movies, which are a great source of inspiration.

Dog In The Snow is an unusual name to perform under. Is it a subtle allusion to the Kafka quote?
Helen: Yes it is! And then I realise how the quote makes reference to the end of a novel and the outcome of the main character, which probably isn’t great if you want to read the book.

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Eleanor Hardwick has directed your videos for ‘Proxy’ and ‘Factory’. What is it about her style that interests you?
Helen: Elle is a good friend of ours, and it is always fascinating working on music videos with her. I like how she interprets these songs to fit a visual narrative of some kind, whilst still staying true to the song. She also likes to pick locations which threaten to give me hypothermia; keeps me on my toes!

What do you think constitutes a ‘good’ song?
Helen: I actually had this discussion with someone recently, and we got a bit too opinionated and vocal. At the end of the day, I have no clue, because I feel surely what is artistically meaningful and relevant should translate into commercial success, and yet in my opinion (with exceptions of course), this is not really happening. Surely good songs are the ones which encourage deeper thought (I don’t mean just in a surface-layer literal way) through exploration via experimentation? Grasping at those grey-area, subtle human feelings rather than sticking to the grand, sweeping mass nouns of ‘love’ and ‘sadness’? Maybe I just don’t know what fun is.

Eva: For me personally the sound plays the key role, the song can have a great melody and structure but if it doesn’t have the right sound (even if it’s just acoustic and minimalist) it won’t translate very well. I also think I prefer songs that are more thought-provoking and challenging at least in one aspect – be it sonically, lyrically or structurally.

Are there any Brighton-based bands who have caught your eye recently?
Helen: There’s this mysterious artist based in Brighton called Inad, who put up a lovely four-track EP earlier in the year and then disappeared again. I really hope she returns. https://soundcloud.com/inadmusic

Eva: I’m really into Inwards at the moment, he is making a variety of brilliant tracks using mainly his modular synth. https://soundcloud.com/inwardsuk

If you could collaborate with any artist, old or new, who would it be?
Helen: Sufjan Stevens. He is my ultimate favourite musician and his Illinois album was the one which basically changed my life and has accompanied me on my musical journey ever since. Collaborating with him would be beyond a dream come true. (Please read this, Sufjan).

Eva: Thom Yorke! He’s been a constant inspiration throughout so many years. Although I don’t know if I’d be able to handle the pressure…

Uncanny Valley is out on 9 October via Love Thy Neighbour and may be pre-ordered via Bandcamp

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate Crudgington

Kate Crudgington

Assistant Editor for Gigslutz (2015-2017) Now Co-Founder, Co-Host & Features Editor for @getinherears