Interview with Kelly Ogden of The Dollyrots

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Kelly Ogden from The Dollyrots speaks out

Interview Conducted February 20, 2018

The Dollyrots is an American pop punk band composed of Kelly Ogden (bass, vocals) and Luis Cabezas (guitar, vocals). They have released six studio albums and are currently under their own label, Arrested Youth Records. They have played over 1,000 live shows throughout their career, and have released albums under Panic Button/Lookout! Records, Joan Jett’s Blackheart Records, Little Steven’s Wicked Cool Records and their own label, Arrested Youth. Their most recent album Whiplash Splash achieved a #13 chart debut on Billboard Magazine’s Heatseekers Chart, which follows a #7 chart position for their 2014 LP Barefoot and Pregnant.- Wikipedia

Unratedmagazine: Hi Kelly –
Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for Unrated Magazine.

How do you describe your music?

Kelly Ogden: Imagine The Ramones, Pixies and Ronnie Spector created a band baby in a laboratory… that would be pretty close to what we are. Our recordings are a bit more

polished and poppy than our raw and more punk live show.

Since you are a vegetarian how do you stay healthy on tour?

Not eating meat is just kind of second nature after 20+ years but it can be trickier on tour. We eat a lot of Taco Bell (you can substitute beans for meat on anything!) and Subway when on the interstate and try to have healthy snacks like hummus, hard boiled eggs, ,nuts, pb&j and protein bars in the rv. There’s always a lot of fruit too! And Oreos… We can’t be perfect. 😉

What’s city is the best for veggie options?

We used to always look forward to Minneapolis where we usually played the Triple Rock because that meant a delicious veg meal AND an awesome rock show but sadly they’re no longer there. Philly has great vegan Chinese food and college towns are always good for a vegan food stop. And these days most restaurants have a meat-free option, unlike the old days when I would just get fries, mashed potatoes and a baked potato for dinner. HAHHAHA! Really, I used to do that.

You have two kids. How is it raising children and being in a rock band?

From what we can tell having two little kids (1.5 and 4.5 yrs. old) is CRAZY no matter what you do for a living! We’re so fortunate to do what we do though because it gives us a lot of time to spend as a family at home and on the road.
I tell people this all the time but traveling with little kids seems daunting but once you get packed (that’s the hard part) and out there it’s easier than being home in a lot of ways. The kids get bored so easily at home but out on the road they have the whole crew to interact with, new things to see all the time and fresh experiences. We absolutely love it and look forward to it every time.

Do you have a favorite band you have toured with?

Anyone who knows our band knows we are band married to Bowling For Soup. They started taking us out on tour in 2009 and we haven’t stopped playing together yet.

Kelly Ogden

We would just hop in their bus for weeks on end and cross the US and the UK. It was such fun. Even as the only girl on a bus with 13 dudes. 😉 We’re touring TX with them in April and I’m writing a duets album with Jaret Reddick, the front man that will come out later this year.

Since 2018 is the last year for The Van Warped Tour and you have played on it a few times? Do you have a farewell message for them?

Stay hydrated. HA! We have some pretty hilarious memories from those days. Lots of great shows and sweating and making new friends.

If someone had never heard your music, what 3 videos or songs would you tell them to listen to first?

1. Because I’m Awesome (they have probably heard it!)
2. Rollercoaster
3. Dance Like a Maniac

Any guilty pleasures in your music choices your fans would be surprise you listen to?

I don’t really believe in feeling guilty for liking something… if you like it who cares right? That said fans might be surprised that we have dance parties to Bruno Mars, Louis Jordan and the Moana Soundtrack.

What is on your bucket list for 2018?

This year I want to visit a country I’ve never been to, release 2 albums, and say “YES” to more than I think I can handle.

So, you have a new 7-inch single coming out, can you tell us a bit about it?

Sure! We get a lot of play on Little Steven’s Underground Garage on satellite radio and we got to talking to them about B-sides we had after the last album, Whiplash Splash. They asked to hear them and loved Get Radical so we changed it up a little bit and recorded a version of Rancid’s “Ruby Soho” for side B.

The ‘Rah Rah Radical’ tour is this March… can you share some tour highlights, what should concert goers expect? What are you most excited about?

People can always expect an inviting environment with fun people and a fast paced set with some talking breaks that are never canned. We’re also a really accessible band so we will almost always hang out at the merchandising table after the show and sign stuff and take goofy photos. We like meeting new people and hanging out. That’s my favorite part!

Thank you for interviewing with Unrated Magazine.