Trackdogs – Kansas City Out Groove

Trackdogs – Kansas City Out Groove
Release Date: June 1 2018

Made up of two Irishmen, an Englishman and an American, Track Dogs came together in 2011 in Madrid to create their unique brand of acoustic music; a veritable 4 x 4 of voices and instruments, identified by the fusion of styles which include folk, Latino, Americana, bluegrass and, dare we say it…pop.

The four international “madrileños” (Garrett Wall, Dave Mooney, Howard Brown and Robbie K. Jones) whose artistic name Track Dogs derives from the dark subterranean world of New York’s subway system, present their fourth album Kansas City Out Groove for release on June 1 2018.

In 2017 the band were invited to Kansas City to showcase at Folk Alliance International, the largest gathering of folk and acoustic musicians in the world, and from this musical experience comes the title to their new work. It was here also that they also met The Barefoot Movement, from Nashville, who collaborated with them on the song ‘Gonna Get My Way’.

Kansas City Out Groove features the band’s striking line-up of 4-part harmonies, acoustic guitar, ukulele and bass alongside cajón and trumpet, with a bit of banjo and mandolin thrown in for good measure. The new album sees a progression in their sound to a more robust Latin, ‘south-of-the-border’ and Americana feel, as they explain – “This is something we’ve almost unconsciously being moving towards for some years. Living in Spain and being surrounded by such a richness in musical diversity eventually seeps under the skin. The lyrical themes have also gotten somewhat darker, counterbalancing the Spanish sun that’s in there too”. Early reactions to the new songs have drawn eclectic references including Manu Chao, Calexico and Juanes.

Working with co-producer and Latin Grammy nominee Germán Gutiérrez, Track Dogs have finally achieved the sound they’ve spent 10 years kneading. Now the dough has risen – the perfect balance between their live gigs and the best in-studio production. Kansas City Out Groove was recorded in Madrid at Playground Studios on an analog Studer A80, originally used at Abbey Road. “We were hugely impressed with the studio, thanks to the Gutiérrez brothers, and especially the sound of the Studer A80 analog machine. For a band like us, who tend to do everything somewhat old-school, it was like coming home. The Studer is an old Abbey Road machine from 1972 and we believe it was used by both Pink Floyd and for some of the Beatles remastering so, who knows what ghosts are in there!”

In the UK, Track Dogs kicked off the first of 5 visits this year in style at Trafalgar Square as part of the city of London’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations with Kila and poet Stephen James Smith. May sees the band making a return for the third year running for a performance at the Rochester Sweeps Festival in Kent preceded by a trip to Ibiza in April for Costa del Folk alongside Sharon Shannon.

Praise for Track Dogs

“Behind the often jovial lyrics and summer tempo, there’s a treasure trove of precise, expertly performed arrangements and a wealth of perfectly executed close harmonies.” Folk Radio UK

“… rootsy acoustica with a distinct Latin flavour…featuring guitars, ukuleles, banjo and sundry other percussion effects, it’s joyous stuff, with a good-timey sunshine vibe to it.” Hot Press

“…rhythmic, soulful and simply cool. This is indie-acoustic arranged with a hippie flair. The band’s music is, like the band of ex-pats, an eclectic cultural crossover.” The Irish Echo

“The antidote to a bad day” Maverick

“…thoroughly fresh and invigorating.” R2

“This band turned out to be a total discovery, with vocal harmonies on a par with groups like Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, America or the most melodic style of, for example, the Eagles mixed in with the graceful irreverence of The Pogues.” Renacer Eléctrico Music Magazine (Spain)