Bristol’s SPLIT DOGS keep on truckin’

BRISTOL’s punk rock ‘n’ rollers SPLIT DOGS celebrate the recording of their new album ‘Here To Destroy’ (out February 2025 via Venn Records) by releasing the heavy-duty ‘Monster Truck’ single.

“’Monster Truck’ is about lessons learnt, seeing it coming but you keep on trucking,” said guitarist, Mil Martinez. “Focus on yourself and the good stuff around you, be strong, lead with an open heart, and don’t take kindness for weakness.”

Born from the frustration of witnessing music become commodified and soulless, vocalist Harry Atkins and Martinez first floated the idea of forming a band in 2015, with the name ‘Split Dogs’ pulled from the classic zombie film, ‘Return of the Living Dead.’

But it wasn’t until 2022 that Split Dogs officially arrived, with bass player Suez Boyle joining a year later. Already a prominent figure in the queer punk scene, Boyle played the first ever Rebellion Festival aged sixteen, with her band The Walking Abortions.

In 2024, drummer Chris Hugall signed on fulltime cementing the current line-up, with the band eventually grabbing the attention of UK label, Venn Records (Gallows, Bob Vylan, High Vis).

‘Here to Destroy’ was recorded over three days at Middle Farm Studios, produced by Peter Miles. All tracks were laid straight to a 16-track, reel-to-reel tape machine, without any autotune, effects pedals or computers. The album was also recorded live, with Atkins singing along in a vocal booth.

“It was a blast!” adds Martinez. “We fully immersed ourselves, sleeping in a small apartment below the studio, cooking meals and listening to Pete’s extensive record collection.”

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