Window Dogs

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland indie-rock band Window Dogs opens up about some personal issues on its newest song, “Headrest.”

The single, released today, explores singer-guitarist Sean Breeden’s toxic relationship with alcohol. The loud rock song’s lyrics describe Breeden’s awareness of drinking and the problems it has caused in his life.

According to keyboardist-singer Jonathan Khouri, that openness is an important part of Window Dogs’ existence.

“Sean is really a heart-on-his-sleeve dude,” Khouri said. “He’s authentic and what he writes about, his personal struggles – he’s willing to talk about them and grapple with them with us and with our fans. I think that authenticity is just something we pride ourselves on as a band.”
“Headrest” is one of Window Dogs’ heavier songs. It mixes into a sound defined on earlier releases like 2015 EP “Afterlife,” which features both lighthearted folk and dark rock songs. With Window Dogs, it’s not unusual to hear banjo plucks and tambourine slaps, next to slamming guitar riffs and scratchy choruses.

That sound comes from a sandwiching of two former local bands, Eclectic Mayhem and Room 149. Window Dogs formed from the two groups. Breeden and guitarist-banjoist Dan Cooley were members of Room 149, and Khouri, Cooley and bassist Nate Dreher were members of Eclectic Mayhem. They later added drummer Mike Jaworske to round out the lineup.
“Dan Cooley is the common thread," said Khouri. “He was in both of those bands.”

In addition to the “Afterlife” EP, Window Dogs has also put out a handful of singles. Right now, it’s gearing up to release a new EP or full-length album this year.

Window Dogs places an emphasis on keeping its music and production in Northeast Ohio. The group hired local photographer Amber Patrick to take band photos, and commissioned single artwork for “Headrest” from The Bubble Process, a Cleveland design company. The song itself was recorded at Summit Music Studios by Chris Matyus, and it was mixed by E. Bradley Heyden and mastered by Jaworske, the band’s drummer, who own and operate Defunk Studios in Stow, Ohio.

“It’s been cool to keep things local, and still have high-end options,” said Khouri.

The band is continuing its Cleveland-centric attitude with a release show at the Beachland Tavern this Saturday, Jan. 26. The show will also include performances by Columbus rock band The Worn Flints and Akron garage rock group King Buu. You can find more information about the show at the Beachland Tavern’s website. - Anne Nickoloff, Cleveland.com

November 29, 2018

Soft, subtle, and quirky.

That’s how Cleveland quintet Window Dogs introduces their latest single, “Go Outside”. Cheekily, the band brings in peppy hi-hat hits as the guitar flutters on. Captivatingly wordy, the song starts to truly build as the vocals come onto the scene.

Before you know it, Window Dogs toss that fluttering guitar out the window and hit a raucous nerve with the declarations of, “I wanna go outside today”. As the track wobbles through quiet moments and loud crescendos, the atypical song structure really shines. The whole time, a feeling of uneasiness stirs in the listener, surely intentional on the bands part.

“Go Outside” speaks volumes. For what can be incorrectly boiled down to just a four minute rock number, the track carries a heavy weight of emotion – an emotion that everyone can comprehend – “I just wanna get away from the walls in this place, it always feels like suffocating”.

Window Dogs will be celebrating the release of “Go Outside” on December 1st at Mahall’s 20 Lanes in Lakewood, OH. - Stevie Ervay, PlaylistPlay

A new band featuring members of local rock bands Room 149 and Eclectic Mayhem, Window Dogs play everything from acoustic pop to hard rock. They aim to be both “accessible” and “innovative,” as they put it. They recorded their debut EP, Afterlife, at Defunk Studios in Brook Park; Blake LaGrange handled the mastering at Mercury Mastering in Oceanside, Calif.

“The EP is a unique collection of indie rock songs — with folk/pop tracks (including some banjo) as well as, some heavier alt-rock songs,” says singer-keyboardist Jonathan Khouri. With its heavy guitar riffs and parched vocals, the single, “Time Machine,” has a distinctive garage rock swagger to it. The band performs with Smiley Baldazar and Lowly, the Tree Ghost at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, at the Bevy in Birdtown. Tickets are $10. - Jeff Niesel, Cleveland Scene Magazine

Window Dogs
Afterlife EP
self-released; 2015

3.4 out of 5
​
Window Dogs is a band from Cleveland, OH comprised of Sean Breeden (vocals/guitar), Nate Dreher (bass), Dan Cooley (guitar/banjo/vocals), Mike Jaworske (drums) and Jonathan Khouri (keys/vocals) that recently released a six-song EP entitled Afterlife.

After spending some time with the EP my first thoughts were that the band was versatile. They indulge in rock, some folk, and each song has a pretty distinct feel to it. There were some songs that had a style that seemed to fit them better than others. One of the songs that seemed to be a good fit for the band was the opener “Strouds” which reminded me of Mumford & Sons. It contains a bit of country, bluegrass and that upbeat, hopeful vibe that Mumford & Sons tends to have. “Strouds” is simply a fun, optimistic song and also happens to be one of Breeden’s best vocal performances.

“Time Machine” is a pretty straightforward rocker. The band can rock but I have to admit that I thought the band sounded better when there wasn’t as much distortion. That being said there is a wicked guitar solo and a pretty catchy hook.

I was more than happy with folk/alternative rock of “Looking Glass.” “Looking Glass” doesn't throw you any curveballs but is nonetheless a well written song. Out of all the songs this one felt like it could have come out of the ‘90s. I say that in a good way.

The band rocks out on “Buzzards” and pulls off a number of inventive tricks, for example, the upward ascending then descending guitar parts of jumbling breakdown of bass, drums and vocal harmonies. They close with “Doom Loop” which has a slight Slanted and Enchanted Pavement era vibe. I really enjoyed the way the lead guitar sounded on this song.

Window Dogs is a solid band with a good amount of talent. I thought they sounded best when they melded folk and rock as to a more or less straightforward rock song. The EP isn’t perfect but was an enjoyable listen from beginning to end. I will at the very least be listening to “Strouds” and “Looking Glass” for the foreseeable future. - Ted Rogan, The Even Ground

It’s bright and sunny these days, not only outside, but also for Cleveland indie rock band Window Dogs who, today, are debuting their latest single “Stage 4” via yours truly. The release of the song comes in anticipation of the group’s highly-anticipated hometown, headlining show, happening tomorrow, June 14th at Coda Live Music Venue. “Stage 4” is the final single to be released in anticipation of the new full-length album, coming sometime this coming fall. In the meantime, you can save/purchase “Stage 4” and other singles via Spotify, Bandcamp, and SoundCloud.

“Stage 4” is not just any single though, as the song takes on a special meaning for the quintet, particularly lead singer and guitarist Sean Breeden. Breeden’s father recently passed away, after a hard fought battle with cancer and “Stage 4” finds Breeden at home, both literally and figuratively, in that difficult and dark place that so many of us have been in when we lose someone close to us after a fight with a terminal illness. It’s all performed with passion, authenticity, musicality and an uninhibited approach to songwriting, bringing together a story of loss and struggle. It’s heavy stuff, but it’s relatable and something that we can all understand and find special meaning in.

Ok, the time has come. Let’s check out Window Dogs’ latest deep and emotional single, “Stage 4.”

Speaking of the new single, Breeden had this to say: “The writing process for this song was one of the most mentally freeing moments of my life. I had all of these feelings filling me up for a few months since my father passed away in Sept. [2018]. Creativity is a weird thing because in those months I was feeling and thinking about things I had never thought about in my life, but your almost paralyzed and can’t really analyze them. We traveled to Indiana to record songs we had been working on for a while, but I hadn’t finished lyrically. I would try to piece them together in my free time and they were wearing me down. This song was like our ‘extra time’ bonus song in the studio, and for me, I feel like my head finally got to allow things to empty out and it came out just the way I was holding it.

“A lot of what I am saying in this song comes from watching my dad smoke cigarettes his entire life, even after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer - he still smoked them everyday. And I can see now how some of us just need that addiction to get through our daily lives, even if in the long run, it’s going to shorten our time. I also wrote a lot of the song through the viewpoint of my mother, who is now in the aftermath of watching her best friend and soulmate leave her alone on this earth. And for me, that has almost been harder than watching him leave us. A lot of the way we live our lives now is that we are so attached to our phones and that world of not really having to be face-to-face with each other. When you go through loss or tragedy, it’s especially hard because I feel like no one really knows how to talk to each other anymore even when all you need is someone just to be there.”

Led by Breeden, Window Dogs has worked hard to solidify a loyal local fanbase, naturally attracting fans through their impressive, and aggressive, live performances that showcase their gritty form of rock n’ roll, influenced by folk, pop, psychedelia, and alternative rock. It’s all done with a heavy dose of raw energy, and momentum that the band has built up through the release of three previous singles and shows with Dinosaur Pile-Up, Highly Suspect and The Heavy. There’s lots to like about Window Dogs and you can’t help but just be taken in by what you’re hearing.

Upcoming Summer 2019 Tour Dates:

06/14 @ CODA Live Music Venue
07/16 @ Grog Shop w/ Mutts
07/21 @ Taste of Tremont
08/09 @ Beachland Ballroom w/ Jared and the Mill - Christopher Gonda, PureGrainAudio.com

Band of the Week: Window Dogs
By Jeff Niesel

MEET THE BAND: Sean Breeden (vocals, guitar), Dan Cooley (guitar, banjo), Joey David (drums), Jonathan Khouri (keyboards, vocals) and Brian Thompson (bass)

LANDING WITH NEW LISTENERS: The band formed in 2015 as two other local bands merged and started playing songs that Breeden had written. "We have this dark-folk sound, but it's hard to categorize our music," says Khouri. "I like Umphrey's McGee and Sean [Breeden] likes Manchester Orchestra and Brand New and our guitarist Dan [Cooley] is into different things and likes weirder stuff like Ween and Primus. Brian [Thompson] likes shreddier music like me, and Joey likes punk and then a lot of folk stuff like Mt. Joy. We continue to improve our chemistry, and we touch on different sounds, so we try to bring the energy and have a good time when we're up there playing live. It allows us to connect with everyone out there."

A TEAM EFFORT: The five-piece compiled tracks for its new album, Nexus, after working with a couple different audio engineers and some friends who served as session musicians throughout the process. Half of the tracks were recorded/mixed at Blockhouse Studios in Bloomington, Indiana, with Andy Beargie, while the rest were done locally. Beargie, a Westlake native who went to Indiana University and does both commercial A/V stuff and indie rock music, works out of the former Echo Park Studios, which he recently purchased. "It's a really cool studio, and he's a pro," says Khouri when asked about working with Beargie. "We can just haul out there and work late into the night." The group recorded three tunes locally with Jim Stewart at Superior Sound and two with Mike Jaworske and Brad Heyden at Defunk Studios in Stow. The album was mastered at Cleveland-based Cauliflower Audio. "We pieced it together and a lot of these songs have been live staples, so we really wanted to get them out there," says Khouri.

WHY YOU SHOULD HEAR THEM: "Stage 4" features hoarse vocals and a mix of piano and loud guitars, and "Downward Spirals" possesses a herky-jerk Pavement-like vibe. "Chasing My Tail" features banjo, and the album includes a stripped-down version of "Looking Glass," the band's first single from 2015, The Nexus version features piano, vocals and a full string arrangement performed by friend, former Bloomington resident, and Amsterdam-native Diederik van Wassenaer (the Wonderhills, Dietrich Jon). "We recorded the song with Andy [Beargie], without enough time to add some finishing touches, so Andy sent it to Diederik. We just laid down the pianos and vocals. Diederik put the strings over it, and it sounds great."

WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THEM: windowdogs.bandcamp.com and soundcloud.com/window-dogs

WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM: Window Dogs performs with AJ & the Woods, Paper Morning and Uptight Sugar at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18, at Mahalls 20 Lanes in Lakewood. - Cleveland Scene Magazine

INTERVIEW: Window Dogs
By: RJ Frometa

Window Dogs are back with their new album “Nexus,” a record that beautifully blends the Folk with the Rock in such a Britpop way reminiscent of the likes High Flying Birds. We get to sit with the band to talk about the new album and more!

Hi guys, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?
Hello! We are awesome, thank you for taking the time to chat with us.

Can you talk to us more about your latest album “Nexus”?
Yes, we released NEXUS on October 18, 2019 at a release show here in our hometown, Cleveland, Ohio. It is a 10-song album that is our first full-length effort and brings together our varied sound and really showcases the style and identity we’ve been developing over these first 3 years as a band.

Did any event in particular inspire you to write this album?
The album itself was not created as a conceptual album, so I wouldn’t say something inspired the album as a whole. But we’ve been writing over the course of these last couple years, and refining staples in our live set, many of which come from similar places in relation to major life events that have taken place during our time in this band.
Nexus is defined as the central and most important point, or a connection or a series of connections linking 2 or more things. It was the name handpicked by my late stepfather Ken for our first family dog, which we brought into our home as he and my mother got married when I was three (3). In the years that it took creating this album, we [as a band] all went through a lot of changes in life. We all lost important pieces of our family, we endured heartbreak, and we all grew as humans and artists. Some songs were written and recorded in one weekend, some were recorded multiple times in different places over the course of years. This album is exactly that: N E X U S; a connection that links all these years and all these experiences – it is all we’ve been through and all we aspire to continue to do.

Any plans to release a video for one of the tracks?
Yes, we are in the process of preparing to shoot a music video for “2x4s” in the spring of 2020.

Why name the record after the first song (“Nexus Hole in My Hope”) in particular?
See my above thoughts on Nexus. The song was written and named prior to our decision to also call the album NEXUS; however, we ultimately decided it was fitting given the way the album came together, the songs we included on it, and the state of the band leading up to and at the time of its release.

How was the recording and writing process?
Our recording and writing process was a bit longer than we wanted, but we didn’t want to rush it. We’ve all had life get in the way in one way or another, so we just rolled with the punches and kept grinding until we had a collection of songs that we were proud to release. The recording process kept us here in town for a lot of it – working with locals Defunk Studios, Jim Stewart Recording and Summit Music Studios – then we also went out to Blockhouse Studios in Bloomington, Indiana to work with Andy Beargie, a close friend who has extensive experience both with us and recording/producing quality indie rock records.
Our songwriting process takes a couple different forms, but our preferred approach is to really for [Sean] to bring a story to the table and/or a vocal melody and general structure, off of which we can build. But that isn’t always how we do it – some of the tracks were the outgrowth of music that one of us brought to the table and then we all built the song together and [Sean] generated vocals within the structure of a composition that was tweaked as was necessary.

What role does Cleveland play in your music?
Cleveland plays a big role in our music – in the sense that a band’s hometown shapes their approach and the experiences that are projected in their music. But I’d say the thing that stands out here in Cleveland is our growing music scene and the way we’ve been able to support each other. A lot of artists in this town are out at each other’s shows making connections and linking up non-musicians with quality local music that they’ll enjoy. It’s a mission we’ve taken on, and we know we have so many friends doing the same thing. It’s awesome to see people finding bands they love, and often times, they’ll have mutual friends and get to know them on a personal level and feel truly invested in their growth and success.

How has Highly Suspect and DINOSAUR PILE-UP influenced your writing?
Supporting these 2 bands were milestone moments in our short history as a band. Both these acts are heavy-hitting grunge bands that are willing to take risks – but I think the strongest influence they have on us is with regard to aesthetic and approach. These are 2 bands that we found to be incredibly authentic – that authenticity resonates with their respective fan bases and is undoubtedly a source of their success. So while we’re not necessarily looking to write songs like these 2 bands, we feel lucky to have met them and certainly want to emulate some of their approach to a tricky, volatile music industry. Our biggest takeaway from these guys is just to stay true to yourself.

Where did you find the inspiration for the songs and lyrics?
My inspiration for the songs and lyrics are from my life. Whether that is a break-up (“Go Outside”), losing a loved one (“Stage 4”) or in many cases, discussing other complicated relationships and experiences, I try to dig deep and engage with listeners in a real way – providing a window into my life and a creative outlet that can be really rewarding once the finished product effectively communicates my feelings or a particular story that has impacted me.

Any plans to hit the road?
Our plans to hit the road are modest at the moment, but 2020 will definitely see us expanding our reach throughout the Midwest. We plan to return to nearby cities like Akron, Columbus, Bloomington, Bowling Green, and ideally hitting 5-6 other new cities. We are certainly open to hitting the road for regional touring, but we want to continue making in roads nearby with weekenders so we know that we are touring efficiently and reaching our listeners.

What else is happening next in Window Dogs’ world?
As 2019 comes to a close, we are hosting a holiday party at the Grog Shop here in Cleveland, which will be our final show of the year. Otherwise, we are rounding out our early 2020 calendar and writing new music. Our hope is to continue pushing NEXUS out to new listeners and ideally move some of the tracks into radio and licensing opportunities. In the meantime, we will continue honing our craft and working to branch out for some quality gigs in new locales next year. - VENTS Magazine