From emotionally-driven pop punk to full-on indie, singer-songwriter Jake Ewald has hit both sides of the spectrum. His current project, Slaughter Beach, Dog, focuses on an intricate, acoustic-based sound and storytelling lyrics. The Set List caught up with Ewald ahead of their DC show this month.
Jake Ewald of Slaughter Beach, Dog. Photo by Jessica Flynn.
Originally known as co-frontman and songwriter of Philadelphia’s Modern Baseball, he began Slaughter Beach, Dog in 2015 as his main endeavor neared its end. When Modern Baseball announced their hiatus in early 2017, Ewald transitioned to work on SB,D full time.
While Modern Baseball’s identifying factor was their straightforward and incredibly personal lyrics, Ewald moved to a more fictional writing style for SB,D.
“These days I usually try to chase an emotion instead of a plot line in a song. For a while, it kind of felt like homework because the process was so unnatural to me, but with practice, it got easier,” he explains.
While switching projects can be a big endeavor, Ewald takes it all in stride. Taking a step back from Modern Baseball has allowed him to reevaluate his priorities and balance everything, he says, “It’s a never-ending process, but the little rewards along the way are amazing.”
Slaughter Beach, Dog released their first full-length album, Welcome, in 2016 and quickly began building a loyal fan base. Their sophomore LP, Birdie, was released fall of 2017 and only continued to grow the hype.
“It feels like the people that follow us are always willing to check out the next thing even if they didn’t love the last thing. That keeps the process exciting for us because it opens up a lot of room to try new stuff,” Ewald explains.
Following the band’s upcoming US tour, the band will take time off to write in December with plans to record a new album early next year and subsequent tours to follow.
Slaughter Beach, Dog will headline DC9 on August 28. Tickets are available here.