DT: NOVEMBER 23, 2021

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER, KELLY WALSH/SRO PR

SLEEPING DOGS
SHARE SET LIST FROM THEIR
RELEASE SHOW FOR DEBUT EP
‘SOMEWHERE OUT IN CALIFORNIA’
AND VISUALIZER FOR LATEST SINGLE “ENCINO”

THE SOCAL OUTFIT REVEAL DETAILS ON
UPCOMING FULL-LENGTH ALBUM
DUE NEXT YEAR IN Q&A

Southern California-based rock outfit SLEEPING DOGS, a spinoff project of the late 90’s group WANK, self-released their debut EP SOMEWHERE OUT IN CALIFORNIA on November 12, followed the next day by a record release show at the TIKI BAR in Costa Mesa (along with performances from the legendary Bow Wow Wow [“I Want Candy”], Ganda and Kevin Never Talks). The set list included their latest single “Encino” which was teased with a brief compilation clip HERE.

The band–which consists of all original members of WANK including Bobby Amodeo (bass, vocals), Danny Walker (lead guitar), Higgins X-13 (guitar, ex-The Offspring) and Spider (drums) along with newly added keyboardist George Huges Jr. (Ziggy Marley)– have shared the set list from the show as seen featured above. In addition to songs from the EP, the band performed WANK favorites and previewed material from SLEEPING DOGS’ upcoming 2022 full-length album.

Read a Q&A with the band’s Bobby Amodeo and Danny Walker discussing the show and their upcoming plans here:

Congrats on releasing the EP and celebrating it with a performance. What were some of the highlights of the show?

WALKER: “Getting on stage with Bobby, Higgins, George, and Spider was awesome. As our intro music winded down, looking at each other knowing we were about to kick some ass with the new stuff was a nice moment. I loved playing the new ballads, ‘Rejected’ and ‘Tomorrow’s Gonna Suck,’ because they’ve got some juicy guitar solos and giant choruses. The biggest highlight for me was seeing our friends who came out to support and get their faces melted. We love our people.”

For fans out there wondering about a tour, do you have any plans for 2022 in the offing?

AMODEO: “We’d love to jump on some big shows with our friends Foo Fighters, Social Distortion, or the Offspring, but first we need to put the final touches on our full length. While we hammer that out, we’re going to play regionally and tighten up this Dogs live show. It’s something to behold.”

Also looking ahead to 2022, is there anything you can reveal about a full-length debut album from the band? 

WALKER: “It’s going to be dynamic. Like the song mix on our EP ‘Somewhere out in California,’ the rest of the tracks are diverse, each Sleeping Dogs song has its own signature, substance, and shape. And every one of them is rad.”

SOMEWHERE OUT IN CALIFORNIA was recorded with producer Paul Miner (New Found Glory, Agnostic Front, H2O) and is available now for streaming or download here: https://sleepingdogs.hearnow.com/somewhere-out-in-california. The EP includes the music video singles “Let’s Be Friends” and “No Mercy,” described by MXDWN as a “laid-back mid-tempo ska at its best, led by a slinky guitar lead from Walker. The upstrokes are never in much of a hurry, laying down an almost-funky groove for Amodeo to deliver the song’s message.”

From left to right: Bobby Amodeo, Spider, Higgins X-13, George Hughes Jr., Danny Walker
Credit: Harmony Gerber

SLEEPING DOGS Social Links:
https://www.instagram.com/sleepingdogsofficial
https://www.facebook.com/SleepingDogsOfficial/
https://www.tiktok.com/@sleepingdogsmusic
https://twitter.com/Sleepingdogsusa

###

For press inquiries about SLEEPING DOGS, please contact:
SRO PR
Mitch Schneider – mschneider@sropr.com
Kelly Walsh – kwalsh@sropr.com

DT: NOVEMBER 9, 2021

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER, KELLY WALSH/SRO PR

From left to right: Spider, Bobby Amodeo, Higgins X-13, George Hughes Jr., Danny Walker
Credit: Harmony Gerber

SLEEPING DOGS
SHARE NEW SINGLE, “ENCINO,”
AHEAD OF THE RELEASE OF DEBUT EP
‘SOMEWHERE OUT IN CALIFORNIA’
DUE THIS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12

LISTEN TO THE SONG HERE
BY THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ROCKERS WHO ARE THE
SPINOFF OF THE LATE ‘90s BAND WANK

SLEEPING DOGS today (November 9) have shared “Encino,” the third single from their debut EP SOMEWHERE OUT IN CALIFORNIA due this Friday (November 12). Listen to the song here. The Southern California rockers who are a spinoff of the late-90’s-formed outfit WANK recorded the five-song EP with producer Paul Miner (New Found Glory, Agnostic Front, H2O) and they’ll celebrate its release a day later (November 13) with a show at Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa. Tickets for the gig, along with performances from the legendary Bow Wow Wow (“I Want Candy”), Ganda and Kevin Never Talks, are on sale now here.

SLEEPING DOGS are building on the presence they’ve established with the EP’s first two singles: the upbeat and melodic rocker “Let’s Be Friends” and “No Mercy,” described by MXDWN as a “laid-back mid-tempo ska at its best, led by a slinky guitar lead from Walker. The upstrokes are never in much of a hurry, laying down an almost-funky groove for Amodeo to deliver the song’s message.”

“Encino” is a wide-open melodic pop anthem written by the band’s lead guitarist/songwriter Danny Walker and lit up with a powerful lead vocal from bassist Bobby Amodeo. “I wrote ‘Encino’ a while back,” says Walker. “Lyrically, it’s a stream of consciousness–there’s a lot going on in the lyrics. It’s a bit Freudian–a lot of death and sex, with a dash of show business and dream chasing.”

The verses are metaphorical and pulsing:

“Drive by suicide I got bombed by an apathetic girl with a streak so mean…
I got a TV girlfriend, she don’t know me, can’t communicate ignore me…
Stay with me and I’ll promise nothing, Ms. Encino took my money, I’m not your average
Son of Sam, kept down by the man, Encino”

And the chorus calls out for a sing-along:

“On a westbound Greyhound bus, somewhere out there, I’ll find love”

Elaborates Walker: “I wrote the bridge for the song during pre-production, and our EP found a title in the last phrase: ‘Maybe I found what I was looking for/Somewhere out in California.’”

Says Amodeo: “This was a fun one to belt out! Lyrically, I was drawn in and it felt easy to relate my own musical journey to the story. Vocally, I’m trying to connect on every theme and loved how this one came out.”

“The original demo of the song had a different chorus lyric, no organ and no bridge,” adds Walker. “Working through the song with the full band definitely helped us to improve the final track. George’s work on the organ is tasty, and our engineer/producer Paul Miner was helpful with tweaking the harmony vocal lines. I dig it.”

SLEEPING DOGS members include the entire lineup from WANK–Bobby Amodeo (bass, vocals), Danny Walker (lead guitar), Higgins X-13 (guitar, former member of The Offspring) and Spider (drums)—along with the addition of George Hughes, Jr. (keys), who is also the keyboardist for Ziggy Marley. WANK first made their mark in 1998 with their debut album on Maverick Records, which featured “Larry Brown” (produced by Mike Ness) and the KROQ hit “Forgiven.” WANK, who played shows with Social Distortion, The Specials, Goldfinger, and Deftones, split in 1999. In 2000, Walker formed and fronted HANDSOME DEVIL (RCA Records), and toured with Lit, The Used, Hoobastank and Zebrahead, and released three albums. WANK reformed in 2017 and released the full-length album White Knuckle Ride in 2020 and are currently on hiatus.

SOMEWHERE OUT IN CALIFORNIA Track Listing
1. Let’s Be Friends (WATCH)
2. No Mercy (WATCH)
3. Rejected
4. Encino (LISTEN)
5. Tomorrow’s Gonna Suck

Listen to a preview of the EP here:
https://sleepingdogs.hearnow.com/somewhere-out-in-california

SLEEPING DOGS Social Links:
https://www.instagram.com/sleepingdogsofficial
https://www.facebook.com/SleepingDogsOfficial/
https://www.tiktok.com/@sleepingdogsmusic
https://twitter.com/Sleepingdogsusa

###

For press inquiries about SLEEPING DOGS, please contact:
SRO PR
Mitch Schneider – mschneider@sropr.com
Kelly Walsh – kwalsh@sropr.com

DT: AUGUST 10, 2021

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER, KELLY WALSH/SRO PR

Credit: Harmony Gerber

SLEEPING DOGS
ROLL OUT SECOND SINGLE +
MUSIC VIDEO “LET’S BE FRIENDS”

TRACK IS FROM
DEBUT EP DUE THIS NOVEMBER BY
GROUP THAT IS THE SPINOFF OF WANK

Coming off their debut single + video “No Mercy” this past June, Southern California band SLEEPING DOGS today (August 10) have rolled out their second single + video, the upbeat and melodic rocker “Let’s Be Friends.” Watch the video, a modern-day vampire love story, here. It was premiered yesterday (August 9) by New Noise. Listen to the single, which will be available tomorrow (August 11) at all streaming platforms, here.

Filmed in Orange County with Jarrod Anthonee (Megadeth, Lamb of God, Social Distortion, and the Offspring) behind the lens, the “Let’s Be Friends” video stars two huge Internet personalities as the romantic couple: The Girl IQ (over 1.9 Million followers on TikTok, known for empowerment and inclusion) and The Magic Crasher (over 3.2 million Followers on TikTok, known for his creative viral “Magic Prank” videos). Says the band: “The Magic Crasher and The Girl IQ had great romantic chemistry, which really brought the story to life. They were awesome.”

“Let’s Be Friends” was written by the band’s lead guitarist/songwriter Danny Walker and produced by Paul Miner (New Found Glory, Agnostic Front, Adolescents, Zebrahead, H2O). It will be featured on SLEEPING DOGS’ debut EP in November, to be followed by a full-length album in early 2022. “Let’s Be Friends” is the follow-up to the band’s debut single “No Mercy.” Raved MXDWN: “’No Mercy’ is laid-back mid-tempo ska at its best, led by a slinky guitar lead from Walker. The upstrokes are never in much of a hurry, laying down an almost-funky groove for Amodeo to deliver the song’s message.” Below are quotes from the band about “Let’s Be Friends.”

SLEEPING DOGS—Bobby Amodeo (bass, vocals), Danny Walker (lead guitar), Higgins X-13 (guitar) Spider (drums) and George Hughes, Jr. (keys), who is keyboardist for Ziggy Marley–is a spinoff of the So Cal band WANK, who first made their mark in 1998 with their debut album on Maverick Records, which featured “Larry Brown” (produced by Mike Ness) and the KROQ hit “Forgiven.” WANK, who played shows with Social Distortion, The Specials, Goldfinger, and Deftones, split in 1999. In 2000, Walker formed and fronted HANDSOME DEVIL (RCA Records), and toured with Lit, The Used, Hoobastank and Zebrahead, and released three albums. WANK reformed in 2017 and released the full-length album White Knuckle Ride in 2020 and are currently on hiatus. WANK’s Amodeo, Walker, Higgins X-13, formerly of the Offspring, and Spider have joined forces with George Hughes, Jr. in SLEEPING DOGS. Says Walker, “He brings so much to our songs, creatively, musically, and vibe-wise, that we asked him to join the band. George makes us better–plain and simple.”

QUOTES FROM SLEEPING DOGS ABOUT “LET’S BE FRIENDS”

Song:

I wrote “Let’s Be Friends” for a musical I am writing about vampires. It’s about people from different worlds falling in love. I like the romance and simplicity of the lyrics. I did not intend it for Sleeping Dogs, but when we played it at rehearsal, it was special. We had to track it. Everybody in the band brought tasty riffs to the session. (Danny Walker)

Love this song. Musically and lyrically, it hits on all points. Monster chorus kicks you right in the gut. (Bobby Amodeo)

This song is a little different for us–I love the almost spooky sound of the chorus. I was trying to channel a guitar vibe inspired by memories of Bowie songs from the Deram Anthology album. I’m very thankful too that the boys kept my little guitar melody on the track! I love this song! (Higgins X-13)

It’s always fun creating new music—and hope this makes it to your favorite playlist. We should be friends. (George Hughes, Jr.)

Here’s a new song to ask her to slow dance to. (George Hughes, Jr.)

This song will play with your emotions. A love that shouldn’t exist somehow thrives. (Spider)

Video:

Really enjoyed making this video. Fun watching the story come to life. The Magic Crasher and The Girl IQ killed it with an incredible chemistry that brought it all together. (Bobby Amodeo)

The ‘Friends’ video was a blast to make – simply magic. I would have rather filmed it during the day but it was a pleasure to finally be able to work with a real life vampire. (Even though we had stay up all night to get it done.) David is a very, very cool guy. (Higgins X-13)

There are no rules in rock n roll. It’s fun to take a chance on a new music idea and see where it takes you. Let’s Be Friends; a modern-day film noir, takes you through the challenges of a beastly love for a fair maiden. (Spider)

Working with Production Team:

I love that David (Magic Crasher) and Rachel (The Girl IQ) wrote a treatment that aligned with the original theme of the song–vampire love. An improbable love story. It was great having their energy and enthusiasm on the planning and execution of this video. We all got to play a little role in the drama sequence too. I am a terrible actor, but it was a fun time with the crew. (Danny Walker)

Their ability to capture the concept of the song, lay out a video treatment in days of production was simply remarkable. The videographer captured our best musical moments, while never forgetting the story line. (Spider)

SLEEPING DOGS Social Links:
https://www.instagram.com/sleepingdogsofficial
https://www.facebook.com/SleepingDogsOfficial/
https://www.tiktok.com/@sleepingdogsmusic
https://twitter.com/Sleepingdogsusa

###

For press inquiries about SLEEPING DOGS, please contact:
SRO PR
Mitch Schneider – mschneider@sropr.com
Kelly Walsh – kwalsh@sropr.com

DT: JUNE 9, 2021

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER, KELLY WALSH/SRO PR

NEW SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA OUTFIT
SLEEPING DOGS
REVEAL DEBUT SINGLE +
MUSIC VIDEO
“NO MERCY”
FROM DEBUT EP DUE THIS NOVEMBER

Q&A BELOW WITH THE BAND
WHICH IS THE SPINOFF OF WANK

“’No Mercy’ is laid-back mid-tempo ska at its best, led by a slinky guitar lead from Walker. The upstrokes are never in much of a hurry, laying down an almost-funky groove for Amodeo to deliver the song’s message.” –Matt Matasci, MXDWN, 6/8/21

SLEEPING DOGS marks the new spinoff project of the late 90’s SoCal group WANK who first made their mark in 1998 with their debut album on Maverick Records, which featured “Larry Brown” (produced by Mike Ness) and the KROQ hit “Forgiven.”

SLEEPING DOGS features WANK members Bobby Amodeo (bass, vocals), Danny Walker (lead guitar), Higgins X-13 (guitar), formerly of The Offspring, and Spider (drums), along with newly added keyboardist George Hughes Jr. (Ziggy Marley).

The outfit today (June 9) have shared their debut single and video “No Mercy,” an infectious slice of pop-anchored rock contrasted with lyrics “about frustration and wanting revenge,” says Walker. The track—which premiered yesterday (June 8) via MXDWN— was produced by Paul Miner (New Found Glory, Agnostic Front, Adolescents, Zebrahead, H2O) and will be featured on the band’s debut EP in November, to be followed by a full-length album in early 2022. Listen to “No Mercy” streaming now across all digital platforms HERE and check out its music video, directed by Kerry Donovan, streaming below or on YouTube.

Read a Q&A with SLEEPING DOGS about their new music below.

SLEEPING DOGS – “No Mercy” Music Video

Q&A WITH SLEEPING DOGS
ON THE NEW SINGLE, “NO MERCY”

“’No Mercy’ is about frustration and wanting revenge. Remember the cartoon with the Devil on one shoulder and the Angel on the other, trying to persuade the person to do their evil or good deed? Well, this is the Devil talking smack to the Angel and the person. After all, we are just vessels, here for a while, to do good and evil.” –Danny Walker

“I think the timing is right for this tune. Fun right out of the gate and keeps you wanting more.” –Bobby Amodeo

ON MAKING THE “NO MERCY” VIDEO

“I said ‘NO–Absolutely Not!’  I will never wear a light blue suit in a rock video as long as I live! Since we had to cancel all the live shows, it was great to have the cameras on us. Things had started rolling again, and we were rolling right into it all as well!  It felt good to be getting back to the action.” –Higgins X-13

“It was a unique experience and loads of fun. We spent the day working with professionals, filmographers, a dance troupe and even squeezed in a photo shoot to boot! It was really a kick…!” –Spider

“It was a blast for us to go a different direction musically and visually for this project. Couldn’t be happier with the outcome” –Bobby Amodeo

Credit: Harmony Gerber

Find SLEEPING DOGS online at:
https://www.instagram.com/sleepingdogsofficial

https://www.facebook.com/SleepingDogsOfficial/

###

For press inquiries, please contact:

SRO PR

Mitch Schneider – mschneider@sropr.com
Kelly Walsh – kwalsh@sropr.com