‘I hope they feel something’: A look into the latest ‘grandiose’ project from local band Dad Bod

SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — Dad Bod has just released their latest album, Loop De Loop Miracle Ministries Lords of Glory , a name that will grab your attention just as much as the songs on it.

From the shimmery “Alcohol,” to the bluesy tracks “Cherry Tree” and “Fine Print,” to the upbeat, funky “Feels Like Forever,” and addictive, grungey “I Simply Cannot Live (Without Her Love),” Loop De Loop delivers in creatively blending genres and ideas for an exciting listening experience.

Dad Bod , based out of Salt Lake City, currently consists of three brothers, Michael Marinos (guitar, vocals), Marcus Marinos (drums), Matthew Marinos (bass), as well as Russ Allphin (guitar, backing vocals).

The band is no stranger to ABC4, having performed on Good Thing’s Utah a few years ago, with Michael showing off a fresh “ABC4” tattoo for the occasion.

Their latest focus has been working on the follow-up to 2021’s Pastels , explaining to ABC4.com that the new Loop De Loop shows the growth the band has gone through, both emotionally and musically.

Why Loop De Loop?

Chuckling, Russ explained the story behind the album’s odd name, saying it came to them when they were playing a show in Las Vegas at a strip mall.

“It was like a church, a toy store, a concert venue, another church….It was just such a weird place to have a venue, and I remember we were just out in the parking lot….We were looking at all the shops and stuff that was in the strip mall — and there it was, it said, ‘Loop De Loop Miracle Ministries Lord of Glory.’ And we’re just like, that’s the maddest, wildest thing.”

For fun, Russ took a picture of the peculiar sign — the same sign that is now on the album cover, marking the center point for an array of bright colors and collages. He said shortly after that tour, the band got back to recording, and when discussing in a group text what the new album title may be, Michael brought up the name as a suggestion.

“I was like no, no, we’re not calling it that…Then….five seconds later, it was like, we are calling it that….It’s just so ridiculous that it just works,” he said.

Michael added, “Which is just like our music.”

Inspiration behind the album

In talking to ABC4 about the direction Loop De Loop takes, Matthew said they’ve recorded previous albums themselves at one of their homes, but this time, the group decided to go to Orchard Studio , where they worked with producer Denney Fuller , who also plays in the local band The Mellons .

“I think as we progressed in our tastes, continued to progress in music, and we started to get a little bit better and a better understanding of how to record, we wanted to dive in a little deeper and make it a little bit more professional,” he said. “It was our first time recording in an actual studio, and it felt like the songs that we were writing at the time also felt more mature and more put together. There are also a few songs that we had just been sitting on for years, like ‘The Sound of a Memory’ is a song that we wrote a long, long time ago, and it finally just like came together.”

Matthew added the experience with Denney in the studio felt exactly like what these songs needed, as the band pushed themselves to make the songs in this album even bigger than before.

Marcus said the album felt like everything fell right into place, leading to the Loop De Loop released on July 10.

“I feel like it was one of those things where it’s kind of just like a go-with-the-flow type deal, where sometimes you don’t know where it’s going, but you just go with it and see where it leads you,” he said. “I feel like sometimes that’s when you find the best stuff, whether we’re working on a song or parts of a song….or we’re revisiting it. I think sometimes it’s hard to see how things are going to come together in the beginning, and eventually, it kind of just forms itself.”

Russ explained that on a personal level, each band member was experiencing changes in their life during the time of recording, which played a part in their creative process.

“It was a refuge place, and it was very like, ‘Oh, I could we could just let it all out here’…Our songs just feel a lot more grandiose on this album than our previous efforts….I feel it’s a lot more like….’Let’s have nine tambourines. We’re there recording maracas till three in the morning or something when there’s a snowstorm out…I look back on that album, like listening to Loop De Loop now….it was a crazy experience,” Russ said.

Marcus agreed with Russ, saying when he listens to the album, it feels like it’s a time capsule, serving as a window into the memories they’ve made completing the record.

The group said the album shows the evolution and growth Dad Bod has gone through, and they’re excited to now share that with fans, especially at shows.

“I love playing live music because you have an ability to kind of bring everyone in that room together and facilitate an emotional experience for hundreds or thousands of people at the same time,” Matthew said. “That’s the beauty of art and creativity, is just to have the ability to impact someone somehow and I hope it’s in a positive way. I hope they feel something. I hope people walk away from the album feeling better than when they did before they listened to it.”

What’s Next?

Although Dad Bod has been on smaller tours before, on Friday, July 19, they will be embarking on their first full U.S. tour with close to 30 stops. They will be playing alongside Brazilian lo-fi band Oruã and are set to have their first show in Boise, Idaho.

“It’s such a unique and incredible opportunity that not a lot of people get to have in their life, which is like, you leave for a month to go do what you love. It’s like a vacation. I know it’s work, but it’s like, you’re with your best friends doing what you love, where else would I rather be?” Matthew said.

Already, Dad Bod said they are working on new music, which they’re looking to record as soon as they return.

“We’ve been comparing Loop De Loop to Sgt. Peppers and hopefully this next album will be kind of like our White Album , and just taking a completely different approach to recording, making it feel a little more raw, and experimenting a little bit more. I’m so excited. I love recording. I can’t wait to record some more,” Matthew said.

Listen to Loop De Loop now on Spotify and follow Dad Bod on Instagram to stay updated on what they have coming up.

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