Kevin Bronson on May 27th, 2020

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Rockers Kelly Ogden and Luis Cabezas juggle the family business — their irrepressible pop-punk quartet The Dollyrots — with their real family. So with two kids, music, Odgen’s SiriusXM radio show and weekly livestreams, they have their hands full, they tell Buzz Bands LA in today’s QUARANTUNES. Behold their playlist: “A Quarantime Punk Primer for Kids.”

THE LATEST FROM THE DOLLYROTS

Sharp as ever, the Dollyrots released their eighth album, “Daydream Explosion,” last summer via Little Steven Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records. With their annual U.S. tour plotted out, they returned this spring with the new single “Make Me Hot” (b/w an artist-endorsed cover of Lisa Loeb’s “Stay”). The single arrived in mid-March right on schedule, but COVID-19 scotched the tour. “Fortunately,” the band says, “the Dollyrots have a crystal ball and ‘Make Me Hot’ lyrically makes a lot of sense in the midst of what we are all living through.” (Also see their recent cover of the Undertones’ “Teenage Kicks.”) 

HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MANAGE THE ‘STAY AT HOME’ EDICT?

The Dollyrots: Well, we’re doing the best we can as a foursome family unit. We’re Mom, Dad and two kids, ages 6 and 3. Fortunately, we really love each other and don’t mind isolating together. We hunkered down pretty hardcore and have been doing “remote learning” with our kindergartener, while balancing music making and keeping up with a super energetic preschooler. We have a backyard studio and, in addition to Kelly’s daily show as the morning DJ on SiriusXM Underground Garage we’ve also been recording collabs with friends. The Pink Spiders, The Queers, Osaka Pop Star and, of course, random Dollyrots singles have been a few of the things we’ve been working on here and there. To stay in touch with fans, friends and family we’ve also been playing weekly streaming shows on StageIt with one show from our living room per week for the last 10 weeks in a row. The livestreams always involve our kids too — and, lately, our new pet chickens.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO WHEN THIS IS OVER?

The Dollyrots: Well, it’s gonna be amazing to get on stage and hug some fans. We also can’t wait to eat French fries at a restaurant. Piping hot out of a fryer. And friends … We really miss our friends, in parent life and band life.

ANYTHING WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS PLAYLIST?

The Dollyrots: We’re in full on parent mode through this lockdown, and these songs are ones our kids love and give off a sense of the silliness and fun of childhood — with the punky edge that’s mandatory in the music we love.

Here is the Dollyrots’ “A Quarantime Punk Primer for Kids.”