On the base of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in Albemarle County, Virginia, an exceptional and smashing brew of rock and roll music was concocted during the summer of 2006. Mike Doyle (drums), Dave French (lead guitar/vocals), and James Fretwell (bass) hooked up and began holding informal jam sessions at Mike's old farmhouse in Free Union, VA. The three were very pleased, curious, and confident about the chemistry that arose from these sessions, and soon after took it to a live setting. Mike's impressive chops were complimented perfectly by James in-the-pocket bass playing, and Dave's scorching lead guitar wizardry was the cherry on top. It wasn't long before the group adopted Chase Rannigan (rhythm guitar/vocals) to assist in propelling their song-writing and vocals. In 2007, Richard Jones (keyboards), an old friend of the band, was recruited for his trade, and helped to bring out a rich and brighter tone to the group's songs.
The band began regularly playing bars and clubs around the Central Virginia area and managed to garner up a loyal and rowdy fan base, as well as to secure a reputation for fun, lively, and engaging performances. During 2007 the band went to work on their first studio album. The self-titled album is a fine example of the group's songwriting craft and opulent blues-rock flavor. The blend was made even spicier when, in June of 2008, Will Faulconer (percussion/vocals) joined the band and helped polish off the band's desired sound.
With a copious amount of original songs in their canon, and a whole variety of covers sprinkled in for good measure, Raw Dawg can bring a lot to the table. The sound is very blues-rock driven, but several other styles, including bluegrass, reggae, funk, and soul, are also incorporated. The band, once a ferocious rock-thirsty pup, has transformed into six headed beast, intent on rocking faces and getting those boogie shoes worn in.
