Patchwork Studios Atlanta

Admin | December 16, 2011 | Comments Off

Patchwork Studios Atlanta

Patchwork Studios Atlanta

Labeling Dear Enemy as Atlanta's friendliest band is a daunting challenge. "Dynamic arrangements, injected with a pop sensibility that's catchy without commercialism" is this author's summation of their salacious sound. With novel harmonies of aggressive yet emotionally aesthetic vocals, bacchanalic basslines that deliver a debaucherous danceability, and a hot-as-a-four-alarm-fire new EP, one wonders why this five year old band is just starting to get the recognition they deserve.

Lead singer Bryan Kraatz, bass player Ben Workman, drummer Alex Dorminy, and guitarist/vocalists Gogi Randhawa and Ryan Bennett, have traversed a road less traveled to get to their current state of unrest, and it looks like it's been worth every step.

Words of the Wicked EP

Their fourth release, Words of the Wicked, (now available on iTunes and all over the web), is the band's third album produced by Corey Lowery of Dark New Day fame. While some critics may postulate that Dear Enemy's sound has a comforting familiarity, their catalog flirts with the feral edges of casual chaos and melodic moshability.

Influences

Guitarist/vocalist Gogi took some time out to share a little Dear Enemy theory. "We all have such different influences musically but I think its safe to say that we are all influenced by the fans at our shows. Musically we are all over the place," Gogi muses. "We love anything from bands like Everytime I Die, He Is Legend, Killswitch Engage and White Zombie to Michael Buble, Janet Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra... if you listen closely you can probably pick up on little influences here and there from all of them."

Dear Enemy's Cast of Characters

"Well, we had another guitarist and drummer when we initially started back in 2005, and those two along with myself started this project," shares Gogi. "Bryan had sung with the other guitarist in his previous project and we all agreed immediately that he was who we wanted to sing for Dear Enemy because he has such a great voice and scream."

The Hard-Hitting Low End

"We held bass auditions and Ben answered an internet ad we put on and he jumped on board St Patty's Day 2005," explains Gogi. " [Then] we began drummer auditions and ultimately came to find Alex through a mutual friend who recommended him...and about three days later I had made a phone call to Ryan and asked if he wanted to join the band. He was on tour with another band at the time filling in and he accepted, got home from tour two days later and went straight into the studio to start writing his parts and recording our EP, Walking Past Yesterday. The rest is good fun rock-n-roll history!"