The Dollyrots

 

THE DOLLYROTS – 2023

The Dollyrots began their thrill-packed journey when band founders Kelly Ogden

and Luis Cabezas met in middle school, playing music together for the first time

when she asked him to teach her guitar. After graduating with degrees, the twosome

relocated from Florida to Los Angeles in 2001 and began playing shows and creating

a sound that combines the energy of punk rock with the bubblegum hooks of pop.

They have since built an incredible and loyal audience and become true punk

stalwarts through tireless touring and recording.

The Dollyrots self-recorded and released their first EP, Feed Me Pet Me in 2003 and

were chosen by Hewlett Packard to be part of their Share Your Story Campaign -

which lead to a chance meeting with producer John Fields. The unsuspecting band

went into the studio to record for the HP campaign and knocked it out in one take

with Fields behind the board. Since the studio was rented for the day Fields

suggested they record a few more songs, and before the sun went down their debut

album Eat My Heart Out was finished. Initially self-released, the record gained

traction on Los Angeles radio and was picked up by Panic Button, an imprint of the

influential Lookout Records (Green Day, The Donnas, Rancid) label.

The band spent most of the next two years on the road, including their first stint on

the Vans Warped Tour. In between dates they started working on their second

album but were derailed when Lookout went out of business. Luckily, they had a fan

in Joan Jett, who was so taken by the Dollyrots that she offered them a spot on her

Blackheart label roster. Produced by Jacques Wait and John Fields, the band's

second album, Because I'm Awesome, was released on Blackheart in March of 2007.

They toured relentlessly and popped up all over the map, recording a version of

Jett's song "Bad Reputation" for the soundtrack to the film Endless Bummer, playing

themselves on the TV series Greek, appearing on CSI:NY and landing a commercial

for Kohl's department store.

Their next album was recorded in 2009, with Cabezas taking over some production

duties for the first time. A Little Messed Up was released in 2010 and saw the band

folding more pop elements into their sound. The Dollyrots left Blackheart soon

thereafter and started up their own Arrested Youth label. Sticking with self-

releasing their work, the group turned to a crowd-funding site for support,

launching a wildly successful campaign that yielded the funds needed to record

2012's The Dollyrots. Working again with Fields, the album featured Ogden and

Cabezas firmly in charge for the first time in their career as they played every

instrument and had final say over all facets of the process. They hit the road after

the record's release, including lengthy stints with friends Bowling For Soup and

Buzzcocks, only stopping when Ogden became pregnant. That didn't stop this couple

in life and music from making yet another record, and 2014's Barefoot and Pregnant

was recorded during Ogden's pregnancy. Their baby son arrived, and the album

garnered the band another Billboard chart debut.

The all-acoustic Love Songs, Werewolves, and Zombies was released digitally in 2013

to their PledgeMusic supporters and eventually received a public release the

following year. The Dollyrots continued to successfully fund their projects through

crowd-funding campaigns and in 2016, they released their first live concert album,

the ambitious, double CD/DVD set Family Vacation: Live in Los Angeles. That same

year also saw the release of the three-song EP Mama's Gonna Knock You Out.

As 2016 ended the twosome found themselves working on two new projects:

another DollyTot and their next album. The couple's daughter was born in

November and the John Fields-produced Whiplash Splash was released in early

2017, gaining multiple Billboard Chart debuts.

The newest adventure on the now-expanded Dollyrots caravan was the release of

their seventh album, Daydream Explosion in 2019 and a new venture with Little

Steven Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records. As the band played to a sing-along packed

crowd at the Final Vans Warped Tour, Daydream Explosion debuted on three

billboard charts, #7 on Heatseekers, #16 on Independent Albums Chart and #98 on

Top Albums. This followed Whiplash Splash debuting on the Heatseekers chart at

#13 and on the Independent Albums chart at #31, the band’s 2016 live album/DVD

Family Vacation: Live in Los Angeles hitting #15 on Heatseekers, while previous

studio album Barefoot and Pregnant peaking at #7 on the same chart.

In the midst of all this activity Ogden also recently launched a duets side project

with Jaret Reddick of Bowling For Soup called Jaret and Kelly, which yielded the

theme song for ABC’s Schooled. She has also taken over duties as the weekday

morning DJ on Sirius XM’s Channel 21 The Underground Garage.

Through it all, The Dollyrots recording and touring has raged on, and the band

continues to bring their explosive live show across the globe. Their distinctive brand

of punk-pop has landed them in commercials and television shows while their

sunny, hooky songs and sweaty hugs have won them a devoted fan base. Along with

raising a family, the duo plan to continue to keep the punk-pop flame alive. A new

album will be released in 2023.