Punk’s Weirdest Success Story: A Song About a Dog and a Drummer From Safeway
Some bands stress about writing songs with deep meanings or unique metaphors, and some bands write a song about a dog that unexpectedly becomes a hit. Zero Gravity belongs to the latter group, their creative freedom, unwillingness to adhere to the norm, and dog song coming together to form an interesting origin story that's hard to forget.
Petting the Dog was born in Zero Gravity's early days. The lyrics illustrate exactly what the title says: petting a dog, getting bit by it, and then raging. The weird and quirky song has a special place in fans' hearts, with those who've been around since the beginning wondering when it will return to the set list, constantly asking for it to be played at shows or if it will be uploaded to any streaming platform. The band hasn't officially responded to these requests, so Petting the Dog will have to continue living in the shadows for now...
Similar to their dog song's popularity, Zero Gravity's union is similarly unorthodox. The band consists of Dylan Gerun, Logan Dahlgren, and Casey Cox, all multi-talented 23-year-olds who each found their place on the band differently.
Gerun and Dahlgren were mutuals in high school and slowly became friends while bonding over Blink-182. They wanted to form a band themselves, but neither of them could play the bass or drums. Dahlgren had the guitar covered, so Gerun taught himself how to play bass, bringing them one step closer to the complete band of their dreams. Shopping for an inflatable orca at a nearby Safeway, Cox was offered the spot of drummer, the missing puzzle piece. And the cherry on top? There was no need to search for a vocalist, because the trio's voices were exactly what they needed.
Zero Gravity takes a flexible approach to vocals. One member can write a verse or song and be the one to sing it, or they can ask another member to do the vocals instead. This dynamic allows the group to be collaborative but unstructured, often exchanging ideas freely and compromising when needed to bring a song to life, resulting in diverse lyrics and sounds not unlike their diverse music influences.
The fast, catchy, punk-infused alt-rock of Nirvana, The Foo Fighters, Alkaline Trio, Blink-182, and Def Leppard makes a regular appearance in Zero Gravity's songs. Their lyrics, however, lean more playful and off-beat, depicting both fictional scenarios and lived experiences and the emotions they carry. Together, their music becomes an adventure, an event that listeners can feel, not just listen to.
Zero Gravity has already made big strides in the short time since Petting the Dog. Both their first EP, Liability, and their newest single, Back Then, were released this summer, with their first album in the works and their sights set on expanding their fan base and performing more in the next five years. Who knows, maybe by then, Petting the Dog will have made a comeback...