Singer Brooks Nielsen and music director/guitarist Matt Taylor met in high school in the beach town of Dana Point, California, bonding over surfing, skating, and partying. When offered the chance to perform at a house party, the duo quickly wrote their first six songs in a single day, leading to the first incarnation of the band that would eventually become The Growlers.
After releasing a handful of self-recorded cassettes and CDs, The Growlers issued their first studio album, Are You in or Out? in 2009 on Everloving Records. Aquarium Drunkard described it as “consistent in sound and tone that is as enjoyable straight through or on shuffle… Taken as a whole, the record is a beautiful mix of late 60’s freak-out, folk calmness and surf rock.” Their second album, Hot Tropics, was released in 2010, also on Everloving Records. The band's third album, Hung at Heart, the first to feature Anthony Braun Perry on bass and Jason Kaiser on percussion, was released in 2013. The band originally worked with Dan Auerbach to record the album, but the finished version never saw official release. Instead the band recorded a new version of the album in Costa Mesa, CA with Mike McHugh at his Distillery Recording Studio, to get a more lo-fi sound.
Chinese Fountain, their new "more grown up, well polished" album was released September 23, 2014. This album was produced by JP Plunier at Seahorse Studios in Los Angeles, CA. While touring the album, the band expanded their live band with percussionist Nick Murray.
The band's fifth studio album, City Club was released by Cult Records on September 30, 2016, while they embarked on a supporting tour in the same month. It was the first Growlers album to be credited solely to Brooks Nielsen and Matt Taylor, as opposed to the whole band. Nielsen and Taylor wrote and recorded demos for the album over a span of 2 to 3 months with the help of Kyle Mullarky at his studio in Topanga Canyon, CA. It was preceded by the title track as a single produced by Julian Casablancas, who also owns the label. Neither drummer Scott Montoya nor bass player Anthony Perry feature on the album. On September 25, the band confirmed Montoya's departure from the band and stated that Perry was set to return in the near future. The band toured for this album with Brad Bowers on bass, Adam Wolcott Smith on keyboard, and Richard Gowen on drums. Whether their membership in the band is permanent is currently unclear.
The band released Casual Acquaintances on July 27, 2018, a collection of demos and unused material from the City Club sessions.
Allegations of misconduct
In July 2020, allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against the band, along with other artists associated with Burger Records and the Southern California surf and garage rock music scene. Arrow De Wilde, the lead singer of the L.A. rock band Starcrawler, shared a personal encounter on her Instagram. In her post, Arrow claims she was assaulted by a male stripper hired by The Growlers while they were on tour together in Australia. In a statement issued via Instagram on July 31, 2020, Growlers singer Brooks Nielsen took "full responsibility and accountability for the behavior of all Growlers' band members, past and present," and announced that Matt Taylor would temporarily leave the band. Additionally, former Growlers touring keyboardist Adam Wolcott Smith admitted to an incident of abuse on his Instagram, while on tour with his band Zen Mother.
Dope On A Rope
The Growlers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dead-end nights make a heart beat half dead
In the mirror, striking a pose
Conjured up glamour in a school play rock show
Guess it doesn't last forever, just a feeling to remember
Dope on a rope we hang, the cat walks a plank
Unless we turn around, and do it again
Generations change
In a blink that band's extinct
Find your lover or your flash of fame
Before you wake up from your dream
Everything changes when
When the last call lights shine
Seizing the heartbeat of our lovely reckless time
Everything changes when
When the last call lights shine
Seizing the heartbeat of our lovely reckless time
Collect taxidermy fist
Smudges on your wrists
New friends flood the list till you're sick
Trying to have a ball in a tagged-up stall
Numb when its from making sense of it all
Guess it doesn't last forever
Just the feeling to remember
Dope on a rope we hang, the cat walks a plank
Unless we turn around, and do it again
Dope on a rope we hang, this cat walks a plank
Unless we turn around, and do it again
Generations change
In a blink, that band's extinct
Find your lover or a flash of fame
Before you wake up from your dream
Everything changes when
When the last call lights shine
Seizing the heartbeat of our lovely reckless time
Everything changes when
When the last call lights shine
Seizing the heartbeat of our lovely reckless time
"Dope on a Rope" is a song by American rock band The Growlers released in 2016. The lyrics in the song describe the experiences of musicians and their entourage living a hard-partying lifestyle of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, but they are still trying to find themselves and their purpose in life. The line "Dope in the wash, strangers in bed" suggests that many of the characters in the song are living recklessly, with no regard for the consequences.
The repeated phrase "Dope on a rope we hang, the cat walks a plank" suggests that the characters are living on the edge and are in danger of falling off if they don't change their ways. The song reflects on the fleeting nature of youth and the realization that everything changes, especially when the party is over, and the last call lights are shining. The lyricist urges the listener to find their purpose, whether that be love, fame, or something else, before they wake up from their dream.
The line "Generations change in a blink, that band's extinct" suggests that the music industry is fickle, and musicians must constantly reinvent themselves to stay relevant. Overall, the lyrics suggest that the wild lifestyle the characters lead is not sustainable and that they must find a way to grow and evolve if they want to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
Dope in the wash, strangers in bed
Being under the influence of drugs, waking up in a place with unknown people
Dead-end nights make a heart beat half dead
Nights when nothing good happens can affect one's emotions
In the mirror, striking a pose
Trying to look good and confident in front of oneself
Conjured up glamour in a school play rock show
Creating an illusion of glamour and fame in a rock band performance
Guess it doesn't last forever, just a feeling to remember
Realizing that these moments don't last forever, just memories
Dope on a rope we hang, the cat walks a plank
Being stuck in a dangerous situation, like walking on a thin rope
Unless we turn around, and do it again
Unless we make a conscious decision to break the cycle
Generations change
People change over time
In a blink that band's extinct
It only takes a moment for a band to be forgotten
Find your lover or your flash of fame
Finding love or achieving fame before it's too late
Before you wake up from your dream
Before the reality hits you and ruins the illusion
Seizing the heartbeat of our lovely reckless time
Enjoying and taking advantage of our carefree and adventurous youth
Collect taxidermy fist
Collecting trophies or reminders of past victories
Smudges on your wrists
Signs of reckless behavior or carelessness
New friends flood the list till you're sick
Having many friends or acquaintances can lead to feeling overwhelmed
Trying to have a ball in a tagged-up stall
Trying to have fun in an unappealing or unsafe environment
Numb when its from making sense of it all
Feeling emotionally detached and indifferent when trying to make sense of everything
Everything changes when
Everything is subject to change
When the last call lights shine
When the party or event is coming to an end
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Brooks Nielsen, Matthew Taylor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind