Stepping onto the Midwest emo scene with a name as unforgettable as their sound, rural Michigan three-piece I Only Came Cause You Said There Would Be A Dog (or IOCBYSTWBAD for short) are gearing up to make a serious impression. Roots embedded in basement punk shows and Bandcamp deep-dives give their guitar-driven indie-rock a raw, unmistakably authentic edge that taps straight into the heart of the genre.
Ahead of their highly anticipated self-titled debut EP launching this autumn across all major streaming platforms, we sat down with the band to talk through the emotional mechanics behind their songwriting. In this interview, we cover everything from navigating grief and fatherhood on their new material to wild late-night emergency room runs, open-tuning catharsis, and the sheer joy of creating music together again.
Hey there! Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us today. Growing up in rural Michigan with a small local scene, how did those early days playing basement punk shows shape your overall sound and vibe as a three-piece band?
“Growing up in such a small town in Michigan there really wasn't much for live music. We had a group of friends that pretty much shared different Midwest emo bands between each other on Bandcamp. Everyone always trying to find a cool niche band that nobody's heard of. We all kind of played in shitty punk bands playing basements in the Midwest to only a few people. Which was fantastic, I wouldn't have had it any other way. Some of the best stories I can think of. I feel like playing these shows really has moulded us into what we are now.”
‘Smile estaban your family is rich’ navigates an intensely personal contrast between grieving a grandmother and comforting a newborn daughter. What was it like emotionally to translate such a tender, heavy moment into a track?
“Yeah, I would rock my daughter and listen to 'Smile' by Nat King Cole and cry my eyes out thinking of my grandmother who passed. It's such a personal track for me because of dealing with the loss of a loved one and raising a daughter at the same time. This is the first track I've written in a long time and it felt good to get something so heavy off of my chest and translate it into a song. Honestly like getting the weight off my chest.”
‘What's your name?’ touches on themes of childhood separation and nostalgia. What was the original story or memory that inspired this song?
“It's basically just a metaphorical song for the kid that stole my Rock Band when he moved away back in grade 7. I don't know why I thought of this story, but it is still funny thinking he has my Rock Band to this day.”
‘Mango Vape Juice’ sounds like a chaotic, high-energy story. What actually went down the night that inspired this track?
“It was a crazy story, one of my friends fell into a fire and we ended up having to run her to the ER. After getting pumped full of drugs, we got her home and she realised she had locked herself out of her apartment. She then started climbing up the side of a four-storey building and breaking into her apartment from the window. Pretty crazy story but pretty funny to put together.”
‘I lost my cigarette case in Guadalajara’ feels like a quiet, introspective moment on the record. How did it feel getting back into the rhythm of writing again for tracks like this?
“I just feel like overall it's been really great to write some music again after not playing for such a long time. I feel like this EP is going to be something pretty cool people will like.”
Your songs pair confessional lyrics with atmospheric guitar work. How do you all collaborate as a band to turn these initial ideas into full song arrangements?
“I come up with a lot of the lyrical ideas, but Jared and I bounce back and forth quite a bit on lyrics. The whole band will get together, and we will work on a song structure together, and it's been working very well.”
How do you strike that balance between keeping the lyrics vulnerable and making sure the tracks stay dynamic and engaging?
"There are obviously those punk influences, but with open tunings you can make something pretty beautiful. I think that it's something special that people will really enjoy. A lot of group vocals, different instruments, and some pretty overall rad tracks.”
With your debut EP arriving this autumn, what do you hope listeners take away when they hear these songs for the first time?
“I just hope people can listen to it and connect in whatever way they need. Music is an incredible thing, and I just can't wait for people to hear it. It's been a blast to work on so far, and I'm excited to see where this thing takes us.”
With their debut self-titled EP dropping this autumn, I Only Came Cause You Said There Would Be A Dog are delivering a honest, beautifully cathartic slice of Midwest emo that demands your attention. Keep your eyes peeled for the release on all major streaming platforms, and be sure to check out their pre-release links to stay up to date with everything the band has in store.
You can follow I Only Came Cause You Said There Would Be A Dog on Facebook and Instagram today, and be sure to check out their website for music and merch.
