We had the good fortune of connecting with  Nick Roels & Anthony Stroud and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nick & Anthony, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Anthony: Music has been an interest of mine for as long as I can remember. Making music is something that feels natural to me, and I know that it is something I would do whether I could make a career out of it or not. It just feels like a part of who I am.

Aside from becoming close friends after meeting at our first gig together in 2019, we share a lot of musical interests and we work really well together. There are things that we both excel at individually that really compliment each other’s abilities.

Nick: Ever since seeing my mom play clarinet professionally as a child, music has been a dominant force throughout my life. I had received a guitar for Christmas when I was four years old, and started writing my own songs right away. After learning piano, drums, and various other instruments, music became something that I loved and something that I knew that I would want to do for the rest of my life. With the loving support of my parents, I attended the University of North Texas and graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor of Music degree.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Nick: As a completely independent musical duo, Dogs For Senate writes, records, produces, and promotes all of their own music. Ever since Anthony came to my apartment years ago and we began recording our first EP, The Apartment Tapes, we have pushed to write memorable melodies, effective lyrics, and infectious grooves, all from our own homes with only the materials we owned at the time.

Personally, I had planned on pursuing a career in music ever since my senior year of high school, although with the COVID-19 Pandemic, being a musician that relied heavily on the music scene of the DFW Metroplex became something that would be more difficult than ever. Now that many venues have opened back up and are looking for live music, it is imperative as a new, up-and-coming band for us to not only be our own writers, sound engineers, and producers, but also our own promoters and management.

Dogs For Senate is a group that wants to invoke emotion in its listeners, and wants people to feel the love that we feel for our music.

Anthony: One of the largest challenges that we face as a music group is time. We are a new band in the DFW area, so finding the time to market ourselves, write new music, rehearse, record, and work to support our startup expenses is a frequent struggle. Starting a band in 2022 feels very similar to starting an entertainment company. It requires equipment, people, social media management across all platforms, creating and selling merchandise, collaboration, and countless hours of honing in our unique sound.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The DFW Metroplex is a melting pot of a ton of different cultures and vibes, which is obvious just by going to different cities and towns in the area. Some of our favorite places include The Square in both Denton and McKinney, Bishop Arts and Deep Ellum in Dallas, and the Stockyards in Fort Worth, which are all great places to see live music, eat good food, and have great drinks with friends. There’s always something going on there!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Anthony: My parents, Mark and Shawn Stroud.

Nick: My parents have been remarkably supportive of me pursuing a career in music and have always said that that they wanted to provide me with the tools to do whatever I wanted to do in my life. I am incredibly grateful to have such loving, supportive parents who helped me push myself to become the musician and person I am today.

Website: dogsforsenate.com

Instagram: @dogsforsenate

Facebook: facebook.com/dogsforsenate

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuQODI20LnXlbAf84LG7BQQ

Image Credits
Photography by Michael Daniels

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