Non-Algorithmic, Unfiltered, and Proudly Weird: My Son The Doctor Break Down the Making of Glamours

Photo by Ismael Quintanilla III

Brooklyn’s My Son The Doctor have emerged as one of the most compelling acts in the city’s indie rock scene, blending jagged riffs, off-kilter lyricism, and undeniable hooks. Their debut LP, Glamours—recorded at Mitch Easter’s Fidelitorium and engineered by Jeremy Snyder (Idles, Pure Adult)—captures the unpredictable spirit of their live shows while pushing their sound into new territory. We caught up with the band to talk about their anti-algorithm approach, the making of standout track “Moby Dick II,” and why timpani belongs in more rock songs.

After years in Brooklyn's DIY scene, how did your sound evolve from those early basement shows to what we hear on Glamours? Were there any turning points or shows that really shaped the direction of the album?

We've gotten more sure of ourselves and probably more interesting melodically. We wrote these songs over a 2-year period and played most of them live through that period, so we tried to take that live show into the studio. Our engineer, Jeremy Snyder, helped push us in that direction and capture the live feel. There are some specific shows that stand out, but we become a slightly better band every time we perform.

The album was recorded at Mitch Easter's legendary Fidelitorium studio. How did that come about, and did working in that space influence the sound of the record?

The studio has a guest house, so we were able to sleep on-site with 24-hour access to record. Mitch is a legend and was telling us these crazy stories, including the detailed mechanics of how Wilco parked their tour bus in his dirt driveway to record Summerteeth. Also, Mitch has these Naugahyde dolls in the studio that we're obsessed with.

"Moby Dick II" is damn near a perfect song IMO—what's the story behind that track, and why did you choose it to introduce the album?

Oh man, this is great news; you're too kind. We're thrilled when anyone likes Moby Dick II. It's one of our favorite songs on the album, but we know it's not exactly a radio hit. Joel had been playing around on guitar with the melody that opens the song, and we absolutely fell in love. It came together in a day or two. It's about unhinged radio hosts, and we think it goes harder than anything on the album. It's also the only track on the album to feature timpani.

Brooklyn's DIY scene has this reputation for being both super supportive and wildly eclectic.

How has being part of that community shaped your sound and approach?

It's the only scene we've known, so we don't have much basis for comparison. There's a million bands and venues, so you can go to tons of shows. And it's cool seeing so many friends' bands take off. Brooklyn crowds can be hard to please, so I guess we feel inspired to always try writing better songs. Our fashion sense still sucks compared to the cool bands, though.

Your bio mentions the album being "non-algorithmic, always evolving, and proudly unpolished." In an era where so much music seems designed for playlists and streaming metrics, was that anti-algorithm approach deliberate?

It's hard to talk about without sounding pretentious, but yeah. Who isn't bored by algo-rock? It's hard to see your streaming metrics low, but it would feel worse to write songs geared for, like, 'Easy Rock Songs For Driving In Traffic' or whatever it is. A lot of value is lost trying to make music perfect. That said, Moby Dick II is probably a good example of why we won't be a more successful band.

The album threads the line between '90s slacker rock and early '00s pop-punk. Who are some specific influences—either from those eras or current bands—that you'd cite as touchstones for Glamours?

We love Jeff Rosenstock, Hop Along, Sonic Youth, Pavement, Weezer, Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, Life Without Buildings, Bodega, The Peggies, Gustaf, Model/Actriz, Water From Your Eyes, Gilla Band, and Spread Joy to name a few.

Listen to the full album here!