Creature by Good Dog

Who’s a Good Dog, then? Well … Suse Bear is Good Dog. A much respected and sought-after stalwart of the Scottish music scene and a lynchpin of Lost Map Records, Suse has variously worked with Lost Map artists including Tuff Love, Pictish Trail and Martha Ffion, as well as The Pastels, Tracyanne & Danny, Malcolm Middleton and on a variety of theatre projects, whether as bassist and keyboardist, producer, songwriter, sound-designer or something in between.

Good Dog’s debut album Creature will be released digitally and on limited-edition CD-R on May 22, 2020. Its 15 tracks represent, explains Suse, “kind of a diary of my 20s”.

“I wrote them, played everything on them, recorded and mixed ‘em all on my computer in my home studio in Glasgow or some on my dad’s Sony tape player from 1981. I’m proud of that but for next time will try and collaborate with people more I think.

“I quite like just making stuff and having it live inside my computer and most of the time amn’t bothered if people hear it or not. But now I’m no longer in my 20s (THANK GOD) and am able to zoom out and reflect on that time, I thought it would be a nice idea to share these songs so I can move on with finishing more recent stuff. These songs are mostly about dealing with loss; getting dreams, films and memories mixed up; the struggle of trying to evolve into your final form as an adult; struggles with mental health; and struggling to fit into society as queer person sometimes.

“I used to play in a band called Tuff Love with my best friend. After that stopped I started playing with other people and working in theatre as a sound designer and performer. I love doing that, I’ve toured lots and done loads of fun stuff (I was in Brazil last year with a theatre show where I was the drummer and also they made me act.... scary but fun). But I have really missed doing music for myself and am excited and nervous to share these songs with you. I’m so pleased to be releasing them on Lost Map, it’s like a brilliant wee musical family.

“The music I was listening to in my 20s was Husky, Aphex Twin, Lomelda, Weezer, Metronomy, Rilo Kiley, Now Now and a lot of chart stuff probably.”

DIY label, run by Pictish Trail, from his caravan on the Isle of Eigg, Scotland.