Dogs Don't Deal: No Filter, No Nonsense, No Rules

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQdFTMNj5f0

Leicester duo Dogs Don't Deal aren't interested in fitting neatly into a box. Blending indie, hip-hop, rock and pop into something entirely their own, Mikey V and Cobbler have quickly built a reputation for sharp songwriting, infectious energy and an unfiltered take on modern life.

Their latest single, Be Less Jeff, takes aim at power, privilege and the increasingly bizarre world we find ourselves navigating, all delivered with humour, honesty and zero interest in preaching. It's a track that's already picked up support from BBC Introducing and Fresh On The Net, while the band's explosive first live show proved they're just as compelling on stage as they are on record.

Ahead of their upcoming headline show in Leicester, we caught up with Dogs Don't Deal to talk authenticity, masculinity, working-class representation, genre-bending songwriting and what comes next for one of the UK's most exciting emerging acts.

1. Dogs Don't Deal has been described as "two UK boys with no filter, telling the truth about life right now." What aspects of modern life do you feel are most misunderstood or overlooked in contemporary music, and how are you trying to address them through your songs?

Mikey V: Generally these days we feel that people are able to write about anything. And we have tried to make full use of that. Obviously Be Less Jeff highlights our thoughts towards billionaires, technology taking over and just generally bad people in the world that seem to hold a lot of power. It’s not that we feel certain things aren’t getting talked about, but more that, we can talk about the things that are important to us in our own unique way.

Cobbler: Mikey’s right – there’s space for more than just love songs these days. I think there’s an authenticity in writing about your own life, experiences, and viewpoints. We’re not trying to preach, or tell people what to think – we’re just trying to speak our minds, and I think people can relate to that.

2. Your music blends indie, hip-hop, rock, and pop in a way that's difficult to categorise. Was creating something genreless a conscious decision, or did your sound evolve naturally from your individual influences and backgrounds?

MV: I think generally the sound of Dogs Don’t Deal is down to Cobbler. Cobbler makes the beats and then sends them to me to add the melody lines and lyrics. There is sometimes a crossover but generally speaking this is how we do it. Cobbler’s been great at shaping that sound and then it’s up to me to work out how it’s gonna be delivered and what the actual tone of the vocal is going to be like.

C: I never go into making a beat thinking, this is going to be whatever, or sound like whoever. I generally have a vague idea in my head of a melody line or a riff or a chord sequence and it goes from there. But we make pop music, in the traditional sense of the word – the songs tend to be short and snappy, have clear verse / chorus structure, strong melodies and are memorable.

3. Your lyrics tackle masculinity with humour, honesty, and self-awareness rather than falling into the extremes often seen online. Why was it important for you to approach those conversations in that way?

C: Masculinity is not in itself a negative thing – toxic masculinity is. We feel it’s really important to show that masculinity can mean different things and can be fun and lighthearted too.

MV: I don’t think it would suit us to be too angry serious and hitting people with facts. I like honing in on morals as opposed to which political party someone will or won’t vote for. (Although I very much have opinions on that!) By adding humour to the lyrics, we try to make serious subjects sink in for the listener, whilst them being able to digest it without feeling utterly depressed by the end of it. Humour is a great way of getting people together so adding a lighthearted take on something serious can be very effective.

4. Coming from Leicester and writing from a working-class perspective, how much does your environment shape the stories you tell, and do you feel there is still a lack of representation for those experiences in UK music?

MV: I think of course there is a lack of representation for working class people. I think there’s many groups that are underrepresented and that the music industry is a tough place to be in. Writing from a working class viewpoint wasn’t a deliberate thing for me or a image thing. I’ve always been at my best when writing lyrics that are honest. The working class viewpoint is what I’ve seen in my life, it wouldn’t make sense to be talking about a lifestyle in an ‘honest’ manner that I’ve got no idea about.

5. You've already picked up support from BBC Introducing, Fresh On The Net, and have started building a reputation for energetic live shows. With momentum clearly growing, what does success look like for Dogs Don't Deal over the next 12 months?

MV: Many thanks! We keep building, gigging and making great music. Having a GOOD manager or label at this point probably would help us out. So would having unlimited money or being a nepo baby. But we’re not scared of hard work and it feels right at the minute so we’re very excited to see what the next 12 months has in store.

C: We’ve got a couple of albums worth of material and we keep on writing! It would be great to be on the bills at some festivals next year.

MV: And we just want to say thank you to everyone who has backed us in any way. The live show in Sheffield was unbelievable. It was our first gig and we won a crowd of strangers over who were singing our songs back to us and moshing by the end. If we can keep doing that we’ll be happy.