Surf's up and Boston surf rock band Dune Dogs is creating waves with their new salty fusion of punk, reggae, pop and surf rock on their single, "Higher Ground", released across all platforms on December 2, 2022. The song captures the sick at heart rejection of one-sided love. This release followed the release of their 10-track album After a While, which received great reviews and a solid fan following generating 74K streams and getting the attention of 70+ playlists.
The pandemic period was focused on the album and their vision to make something impactful, relatable and create songs that oozed their own unique style that was in no way similar to mainstream music. The band covers popular surf and beach covers and original music that blends island and beach music that attracts an engaging energetic crowd.
Love that is not openly reciprocated or understood by the beloved, not only can be torturous and bring sadness, but it also bring confusion over whether or not you should stay around, fight rejection, and keep trying. Dune Dogs new single delves into the rejection of pure and deep affection, and the courage to back away and wait just in case love turns the right way. As you listen to the song, you hear no out of your mind anger, but instead acceptance, “Never seem to see what you mean to me, so just take the lead.“ Won’t the loving come round, yeah, you’ve got the higher ground”, shows the sit back and wait patience and hope of the pursuer. Unrequited love can drive you crazy, and “Higher Ground” tackles those ugly emotions.
Beneath the shiny veneer of this upbeat love song lurks a cloud of doubt and fear of being hurt, which Nick Bernarducci’s vocals successfully project from the first lyric on. Double vocals on the chorus reinforce the mission to escape. and are anchored by buoyant drums and groovy reggae keys and guitar rhythms matching the band’s signature sound, which accurately sing a story of a love that will go unanswered.
The lyrical content is one direction with the repeated chorus….having us think about how horrible a feeling it is when love goes unanswered. “Oh, oh you know you don’t, Oh you know you don’t" acknowledges the surety that love will not win.
The band describes themselves as an alternative beach-rock band with a distinct hybrid sound that blends influences of pop, reggae and funk with a dominance of captivating guitar based music. They were formed in October 2019 by school friends/surfer enthusiasts Nick Bernarducci (lead vocals), Nick Brescio (lead guitar), Beau Colvin (bass, keyboard), and Ben Buckley (drums).
The synergy and cohesiveness throughout the track is evident with the distinct hybrid sound that blends pop, reggae, blues and funk along with salty beach vibes splashing along throughout the song. The song's arrangement strategically rides along with the song’s emotional cycles, and the arpeggiated guitar riffs move to new highs towards the song's end, ringing out the desperation and showcasing the band’s musicianship and well-balanced dynamics and effective production layering.
The band plays all over the North Shore region performing at Plum Island Grille, Metzy Cantina, Surfside at Salisbury Beach, Newburyport Brewery, Franconia Rugby Festival and Yankee Homecoming parade. Despite their busy college life, they manage to continue to work on new originals, so they have a lot more content coming.