Why Dogstar’s comeback is still comeback-ing

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The members of Dogstar were trying to manage expectations.

Their expectations.

Just under three years ago, the Los Angeles alternative rock band Dogstar played its first public show in over twenty years at the BottleRock festival in Napa Valley. The band had gained a loyal following in the 1990s during the post-grunge era before disbanding in 2002. This came shortly after their bassist, Keanu Reeves, became famous for his role as Neo in “The Matrix.” Now, they were performing again alongside artists like Post Malone and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Bret Domrose, the singer and guitarist, remembers looking out just before they were supposed to perform and seeing absolutely no one. “It was a huge, empty lawn,” he says. He thought it was discouraging, but understood – they hadn’t been actively touring in a while. They went backstage for a quick pep talk, and then when they came back out, the place was completely full of people. He still finds it funny to think about that change.

Drummer Robert Mailhouse recalls that the audience stayed throughout the entire performance, which he believes was a pivotal moment that launched the band’s career.

Dogstar successfully reunited in 2023 with a new album, “Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees,” and a nearly 100-date world tour. Building on that success, they’ve released a second album, “All In Now,” and are planning another tour this summer, hitting Europe and the United States. Before heading to Europe, Dogstar will perform at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on Tuesday night.

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Domrose believes everyone in the group feels the same way: things are much more enjoyable now than they’ve ever been. He shared this while sitting with Reeves and Mailhouse over beers at Sid the Cat Auditorium in Pasadena. They were about to start rehearsing, and often, rehearsals lead to them creating new songs, they explained.

Reckons Mailhouse: “We’re in a groove.”

Dogstar maintains the strong, guitar-driven sound they were known for during the rise of bands like Nirvana and Silverchair. However, their new material shows a growth in songwriting, drawing inspiration from the atmospheric and melodic post-punk of British groups such as Joy Division and the Smiths. According to Mailhouse, Section 25 – a lesser-known band from the same Manchester music scene as Factory Records – was also a key influence.

A lot of the songs by LP feature melodic bass lines played by Reeves, which have become his trademark. Drummer Domrose even gave Reeves the nickname ‘Chordal Reeves’ because of his chord-focused bass playing.

“That’s actually how we started when I met Keanu,” Mailhouse says. “At first there was no guitar player — it was just him on bass and me on drums.”

Reeves, the most reserved member of the band despite his long career in Hollywood, explains, ‘We actually didn’t know anyone who played the guitar.’

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Who do these guys regard as music’s greatest melodic bass player?

Mailhouse is a fan of Paul McCartney, while Reeves prefers Peter Hook from Joy Division and New Order. Domrose adds, “I really love Arion from Third Eye Blind. Their first album was incredible. I even tried not to like it because of that catchy ‘Doot-doot-doot…’ sound,” he says, humming the famous opening of Third Eye Blind’s hit song, “Semi-Charmed Life.”

“Are you kidding me?” Reeves shoots back. “That’s a great pop song.”

The lyrics in “All In Now” are mostly dreamy and suggestive, but one song, “What Is,” directly criticizes President Trump.

You know, the film really centers around a character lost in their own head, completely oblivious to how their actions impact everyone around them. Domrose described him as a total egomaniac, and it made me wonder, what drew him to explore someone like that in the first place?

“I really don’t like getting involved in politics,” the singer explained. “But I was truly upset seeing Zelenskyy at the White House. It actually shocked me how angry it made me – though I guess it shouldn’t, since I do have feelings. The idea of so many people dying, and for that to be the result… it just felt wrong.” (The song includes the line, “Just one man holds all the cards.”) “I believe power and money shouldn’t have this much influence,” Domrose continued. “But unfortunately, they do. That’s what inspired the song.”

Dogstar recorded their album “All In Now” at the famous EastWest Studios in Los Angeles, working with producer Nick Launay, who has collaborated with artists like Nick Cave and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Launay encouraged the band to play live as much as possible and didn’t allow them to use a click track. Guitarist Domrose recalls wanting to re-record his final parts, but Launay assured him they were already finished.

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I’m really excited about this weekend’s festival! It’s not just country music – Third Eye Blind, with Stephan Jenkins, will be there playing all their awesome ’90s rock songs, which is a fantastic addition.

For Reeves, the value of recording in a traditional Los Angeles studio – even though it’s now possible and cheaper to record at home – justified the cost. He explains, “Being together in one space, having the mixing board, wearing headphones, and having your producer right there, really listening – it creates a shared experience, rather than something pieced together bit by bit.”

Domrose also notes the historical significance of the location. The singer recalls thinking, ‘Tom Petty actually stood right here!’ and felt inspired to give a performance that would honor everyone, even the spirits of those who came before.

Mailhouse considers this Dogstar’s best album out of their four releases. It also raises a question: why can’t you find the band’s first two albums on streaming services?

According to Domrose, years of company mergers have created a confusing situation where the band and its management are now unable to determine who currently owns the rights to their albums “Our Little Visionary” (1996) and “Happy Ending” (2000).

“It’s like a who-built-the-pyramids mystery,” he adds.

Despite releasing new music, the three musicians aren’t upset that their older songs aren’t readily available right now.

Domrose feels their recent break was so significant, it’s like Dogstar is starting fresh. He describes it as feeling like a brand new beginning for the band.

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2026-06-01 23:31