Conversations with Julian Allard

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julian Allard.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Our band formed in 2023, when we were all juniors in high school. We formed with the intention of playing a single song, Paranoid Android by Radiohead, for a school talent show. When the opportunity for an extended set arose courtesy of our music teacher, we put together an hour-long set of covers for our debut performance.

With the performance only weeks away, we realized we’d neglected to come up with a name. Running low on ideas, we thought about my dog, Belle. We’d had a running joke that she had human-like eyes and looked like a “human in a dog costume”. Realizing that name sounded like we were furries, I just flipped it, thus giving us our band name.

We’ve been met with a range of reactions to our band name, and even had considered changing it multiple times over the years. Though we never came up with anything that we thought fit better, nowadays we think the name has become ingrained as who we are.

This past year has been our most eventful as a band. We released our debut album, Shells, on June 20th of this year. The proejct took us about 2 years and was recorded out of the same place I take guitar lessons at. Our producer, Steve Moss, has been my guitar instructor since I started playing about 5 years ago. In the years I’ve known him, Steve has become a close friend and mentor, and it was a dream come true to work on a project like Shells with him.

We’ve also massively upgraded our live act this year, taking on more shows and constantly trying to improve and innovate our performances. We’re extremely excited for what the future holds for us.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being in a band is never easy. It’s a commitment. Three of our bandmates live 3 hours away from us and therefore have to make the arduous drive every weekend they can, just so we can stay fresh for our rehearsals. I’m extremely grateful that I have bandmates who are as dedicated and passionate about the music as I am.

Time management has always been a struggle, and finding opportunities for our band requires persistence and dedication.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am the band’s primary writer. I recorded all my demos at home in my basement. My favorite part of what I do is arranging a full composition. I believe my strongest quality as a musician is my ability to visualize an entire song as I write. Songwriting is definitely my passion and the thing I strive to get better at continuously. I aim to continue to innovate and change my writing, always trying to find new sounds to infuse into what I do.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Atlanta has so much opportunity for musicians. It has a rich culture and history, and I believe it’s truly the place to be if you’re trying to start a career in the music industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://doginhumancostumeband.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doginhumancostume/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61559028524642/photos/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DogInHumanCostume
• Other: https://linktr.ee/doginhumancostume