Doogle: Screen Test.

Doogle launch 711 Ann St at The Healer on Friday.

Local three-piece Doogle like to do things differently. In their three years of existence, they’ve released two EPs and set up their own website. So far, so normal. But, being the enterprising chaps that they are, Doogle have come up with some novel ways of marketing their music. In fact, they turned down a national record deal in favour of making their music downloadable from the web. Aussie website Download Music makes Doogle’s pop-rock tunes available to the world, and to say that this gambit is a success would be a considerable understatement. That’s because Doogle were the number one downloaded artist on the site for a staggering twenty consecutive weeks.

Now the group are set to branch further into unusual marketing with the release of a new video CD, 711 Ann St, featuring the group in live performance mode at the Zoo, which they’re launching at the Healer on Friday night. I ask bassist Glenn Watkins how the idea came about.

“Basically we just wanted to do something different, something no-one had really done before,” he explains. “With the VCD, it’s just a way that people can see us without having to come to one of our shows, like if we were to send it to a record company or agent or whatever, they can see us play live just by putting the disc in their computer or DVD player. Plus, it’s a kind of novel format I suppose; it’s just a different way of promoting your music.”

What can we expect at the launch, any surprises in store?

”Well Matty (guitar/vocals) suggested getting some smoke machines for the show,” Glenn chuckles, “but I’m not sure if that will happen. We were thinking about having a computer at the venue, though, so people can see the VCD. We’ll just have to see how things go.”

With their downloadable music having been such a success, are the group averse to signing to a record label somewhere down the track?

“Well, if something was offered to us, we’d certainly consider it,” Muses Glenn. “If it meant our music would be in all the shops or whatever, then that would be great. But we’re in no hurry; we’ve kind of come this far on our own, so we’ll just wait and see what happens I guess.”