photo by Zachary Sorrels
Kelcey Ayer has shared “Ghosts of Neighborhood Dogs”, his third solo single – which sees him team up with Jordana. The track will appear on Ayer’s debut EP, No Sleep, which will be released on July 18th via Awal.
Ayer self-produced/engineered the track at his home in Highland Park, CA, and it was mixed by frequent collaborator Danny Reisch (Shearwater, Sun June, Other Lives). The song imagines Ayer telling the story of a beloved neighbor’s dog who died to his newborn son, allowing the story to act as a window into the family and neighborhood he was born into. There’s a real melancholic nature to it, with a piercing soulful glimpse into the soul – with a haunted atmospheric flourishes (very Aaron Dessner), warmed up by the duel vocal duties shared with Jordana.
Detailing the track. Ayer adds:
“My wife and I moved to Highland Park in 2019, and since we walk our dog twice a day, it forced us to get to know our new neighborhood really quickly. There was this Doberman named Diesel who barked bloody murder at us every day we walked by his house for about 3 years straight. At first it was terrifying, but then we made a game out of it, saying silly things, singing him Happy Birthday, whatever we thought of at the time. Then all of a sudden he was gone. It was eerily quiet from then on, and we could swear we still heard his barks for months after. The song imagines me telling Diesel’s story to our son Oskar who was born after Diesel passed away, as a way of getting him to know our home, our neighborhood, and our history.
I had it written on piano and needed a sonic direction for the production, and I’d heard of other artists using songs they loved as a template, so I thought I’d give it a shot. I chose Wilco’s “Ashes of American Flags”. That song has always haunted me, and felt as though they made such interesting choices when to start and stop drums or bring elements in or out. The logic is nonsensical, but it feels absolutely perfect, kind of like bowing to the chaos of life. I think it really helped the song take off.
Last piece of the puzzle was finding someone to sing it with, since I’d always felt it should be a duet. I’d become fast friends with Jordana when she opened for Local Natives a few years ago. Despite her being quite a bit younger than me, her musical talent and voice feels so timeless, so last summer I asked her to try it and she crushed it in a couple hours. She’s a superstar and I’m so grateful to have had her join me on this song.”
Ayer directed the music video with the help of DP John Bonenberger, which can be found shared below.
To celebrate the single’s release, Ayer is throwing a party entitled Songs for Neighborhood Dogs at Creature Comforts Taproom and Brewery in downtown LA. The event will be focused on Ayer’s three greatest loves: beer, music and dogs. Beer sales will raise money for MaeDay Rescue (who will also have dogs on location for adoption), and while the event itself is presented by Dogs Only Social Club, Gillian Jean Creative, and Flood Magazine (free with rsvp/ suggested donation of $10 at the door).
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