Salt Lake City quartet Dogma Society has been putting their own stamp on Utah’s underground since 2020. Now, the group is beginning their next chapter with the release of their new single, “Horns”. The track blends genres into a heartbeat that’s instantly captivating, backed by the lyrics and talent of Lord Sinek, Nubes, Dirty Chino and K8OH. Atlas spoke with the group via email about their new music, coming up during the pandemic and what they envision for the future of Dogma Society.
Atlas Artist Group: You guys got started during the pandemic in 2020- what motivated you to begin your creative journey during such an uninspiring time?
Dogma Society: It gave us a chance to take a step back and really analyze what direction we were all headed in our lives. We knew that we all wanted to do something bigger with music and everything we experienced that year gave us the drive to do so.
Atlas: I’m not super familiar with the music scene in Utah- what’s it like being part of the SLC community and building your following there?
DS: It has definitely been interesting. When you first start creating or pursuing a career outside of the norm, people don’t care to support you. It took a while for people in the city to notice what we were doing. We’d like to say the attention really started coming because of the music we were dropping and the footwork we were putting in. The movement we are creating is hard to ignore.
Once we started turning a couple heads, the word spread and by the time we knew it, we had like 400-500 people at our shows.
Atlas: Where does your group name come from? How do you take your individual beliefs and experiences and channel them into what Dogma Society has become and will become in the future?
DS: The meaning of “Dogma” is that a set of principles or rules are laid down by an authority. It is a word that we live by and have tattooed on all of us. We made that word our own, becoming our own authority because at points in our lives we have felt like outcasts or rejects in a system laid before us. Our only hope for the future of this group is to be better role models for the youth of today and for tomorrow.
Atlas: You’ve all talked about your influences a bit but who would you each say is your top musical (or non-musical) influence? Is there anyone new that’s really caught your attention recently as well?
DS: Mac Demarco, Bone Thugs, Wu-tang, Pro Era, Gorillaz, Mgmt, Prayers, Tame Impala and Nirvana would have to be our top influences.
Recently the artists that we have been fucking with are the homies from Deathproof, Jean Dawson, and Hotel Ugly etc. But we try not to grab any recent outside influence when we’re creating. We usually try to listen to bands/artists from before our time.
Atlas: What are you guys passionate about outside of music that helps to drive the musically creative side of who you are?
DS: Family, friends, and simply creating a better life for ourselves and for the people we love.
Besides that we just love any type of art, fashion, skateboarding, and films (huge passion).
Atlas: Your new single “Horns” is definitely a fascinating blend of sounds and genres. It has such a steady pulse, it’s hard to not be instantly captured by it. What was the process behind making this song?
DS: Thank you! K8oh and Sinek were sitting at our friend NCHJefferys house playing with synth sounds and came up with the melody. After that, it was pretty much clockwork. Sinek finished up the beat while everyone wrote and then we headed to the studio from there.
Atlas: Is there a song in your catalog that you really find yourselves drawn to or relating to more than others? On the other side of that, what do you hope listeners will take away from your music?
DS: “Home/Doesn’t Feel Right”. Not to get too deep into the story but that song comes from a time when we all moved away from Salt Lake to escape the things that were happening around us. We had friends passing, on drugs and financial issues that were holding us back. That song captures feelings of it all. It is also a song that started really bringing attention toward us.
We just want people to relate to us vice versa. We want to be there for kids the same way our inspirations were there for us when we had nobody. We want to bring comfort with our music.
Atlas: With the new music coming out, do you have any plans for shows or even touring coming up? Who would you want to be out on the road with on an ideal lineup?
DS: We actually just got booked for SXSW weekend in Austin, Texas, which we’re super excited for. Other than that we have many shows and tours in mind. We definitely want to tour the U.S. this year. Planning a show in LA within the next few weeks.
An ideal lineup for us would be with any punk/indie bands or artists. We love touring with Nascar Aloe and Deathproof. That shit is always a blast.
Atlas: Can you tell us anything about what’s next for you?
DS: Music, merch, shows, music, charity, family, and more music. Those are the only things our focus is on.
Stream “Horns”, out now!
Story by Olivia Khiel
Photo credit: David Anderson
