Dogs often occur in pop music. From Walkin' The Dog and I Wanna Be Your Dog (Iggy Pop) to I Wanna Eat Your Dog from the Amsterdam based band Maple. A dog is served as a snack. This may be uncommon in the Western world, but not in Asia. The same goes for pop songs, where a dog is considered a delicacy. Aside from dogs, Maple seasons its music with a taste of Britpop and Powerpop.
Vocalist and guitarist Jordy Sanger laughs while thinking of the title I Wanna Eat Your Dog. They recorded more songs and together they will eventually form their debut album. ‘We call it fuzzpop,’ explains Sanger. He is also The Mysterons’s guitarist (signed at record label Excelsior). You can hear a lot of fuzz. Doesn’t that make the band more shoegazer
because of the combination fuzz and melody? ‘No, our music isn’t as dreamy. And we actually like to make contact with the public instead of awkwardly staring at our shoes. But we’re basically a rock ‘n’ roll band.’ That definitely seems to be the case after listening to their music. Open Up Your Soul adds to the whole rock element, while Mr Wonderday proves that the band is also able to switch easily between heavy and gentle. Mr Wonderday starts off with a lengthy acoustic intro and ends in an electric climax, similar to songs like Oasis’s Champagne Supernova. ‘We like to play according to the song,’ Sanger adds. Duncan Daalmeijer, Maple’s drummer, adds the rock ‘n’ roll vibe to their music. The two men started the band back in Lochem, a small town in the east of The Netherlands where both men originate from.
Duncan is the son of the late Appie Daalmeijer, a local pop hero in that part of the country. So it’s no mystery where his passion for music came from. As to Jordy: it was his mother that encouraged him to start playing. ‘She thought it would be fun, not because she used to play in a band, but she has seen many iconic bands back in her days, take for example
Pink Floyd in ’67.' Their home town Lochem, known for the Lochem Popmeeting (festival), was also a big contributor to their musical career. Legends like Chuck Berry, The Kinks, Thin Lizzy and Motörhead performed in this small town. This all happened before they were born, but some of it must have infected the ground. Sanger and Daalmeijer attended the Herman Brood Academy, but studied in different directions. Sanger eventually finished his degree at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. ‘We’re an official band now,’ according to Jordy. Bassist Darek Mercks and guitarist Robbi Meertens joined their line-up a few years back. Their debut album, produced by Jurriaan Sielcken and Iwen Legro, will be released in 2018.