Q&A with Larusta & The Dead Dogs

– What’s the story behind your stage name Larusta & The Dead Dogs?
‘Larusta’ is an acronym of Layne Rutherford Staley, the original singer of Alice In Chains. He used this name when he lived incognito in the
years before his death. This name always stuck with me since I’ve learned about it. ‘The Dead Dogs’ come from a vivid dream I had half a
year before I moved to London in which I turned into a wolf and there were dogs dying. There was also a neighbour friend back then, who
claimed that my singing would sound from her flat like the crying of a dying dog. And It rarely let a good alliteration go to waste.

– What led you to relocate to London and how did the city’s music scene influence your development as an artist?
I wanted to move to a completely different place since I felt artistically stuck where I was living at that time. The only good
options were moving to London or Berlin. Then I was picked for studying at a local music university, so I went for it.
I have to say the London music scene influenced me most when it wasn’t really existent during the lockdowns. This was a tough time personally
but it made me come up with some of the most introspective songs I’ve written yet, like ‘Scattered’, ‘Who Cares When You’re Not There?’ or
‘The Life You Save May Be Your Own’

– Your sound blends dark lyrical themes with an alternative rock style. Who were some of your musical influences growing up, and how do they
manifest in your work today?

As a teenager, I listened mostly to any kind of grunge or punk rock, foremost Nirvana, Pearl Jam or The Clash. I wouldn’t say that these
bands influence me much these days but they probably do on a subconscious level. I think I can hear an influence of The Clash in the
song ‘The Warden’ of my upcoming album and there might be a Nirvana influence in ‘King of Your Fall’.

– In your journey as an artist, what have been some of the most challenging moments, and how have they shaped your music and outlook?
Definitely the aforementioned lockdowns. I think my writing became more sinister and it drove me even more to the storytelling in my songs.

– Your latest release “Scattered” was born during the first lockdown in London. Can you share more about how that period influenced your
songwriting and creative process?
I feel the storytelling I’m going for since the lockdowns, is also an attempt to find an order within the chaos. There’s also a kind of
satisfaction stemming from getting the storyline from point A to B and then to its final end within the short frame of a song. And sometimes
while doing this, an action happens within the story which I wasn’t expecting when starting out writing it.

– How do you envision the evolution of Larusta & The Dead Dogs in the coming years? Are there any specific goals or aspirations you hope to
achieve?
I was once asked where I see myself in five years. I said playing a show at the Royal Albert Hall. I don’t mind if it takes less time or more.
You can’t plan this stuff.