Bill Guandolo, Dolo’s lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist, believes in acoustic music. “That’s where the words and the singer meet.” For Guandolo, music is not just about a beat or a groove, but “the connection between the words and the melody and the singer and the audience. Like Jim Morrison said in the Doors movie, “Words and music man, words and music…” Not surprisingly, that’s precisely where Dolo’s roots lie. Guandolo, writing on his acoustic guitar, developed the songs that explore emotions and experiences, songs that attracted the interest of his band mates, Jack Cornell, Neal Chapman, Doug Wilson and Fran Dyer. “It started with the songs.” Guandolo asserts, “ then the energy just happened with the band and the sound exploded.” One listen to the band’s first single, the appropriately titled “A Passion, “ proves that this band has a groove and energy. With simple lyrics that cut straight to the heart, a gripping interplay of electric guitar and gutsy vocals and s solid, driving rhythm section, “A Passion” is a modern American rock song from beginning to end. It is also and example of lyricist Guandolo’s talents as a storyteller, yet another way in which Dolo follows the tradition of American music. The band’s sound, a combined intensity and polish, inticacy and directness, is the product of the diverse talents and backgrounds of all five of its members. Frontman Guandolo and keyboard/sax player/vocalist Doug Wilson have a long history as both friends and writing partners and have played in several North Carolina bands together. Bassist/vocalist Jack Cornell is a stage veteran, having played in a host of bands including The Woods, The Slackmates and the Fabulous Knobs. Drummer Fran Dyers has also honed his chops in a variety of influences including hip-hop, alternative rock and jazz for his grooves. Besides playing an impressive lead guitar in Dolo, Neal Chapman is also a jazz genius who plays solo and with a partner in local jazz clubs. Producer John Custer, (Gran Torino, Dag, Cry of Love, Chris Whitley, Corrosion of Conformity) captured the band’s spirit and energy in rec9ording the debut album and Big Music, Raleigh’s newest digital studio. Infectious melodies fill the bands fist disc with songs like “A Passion,” “The Ride,” and “Deep Under,” which captivatingly tell the stories of life and love. With the release of their first single, Dolo has begun to fulfill their self-stated goal, “to say what is in our hearts and our heads, to let it blossom and make it good enough that people want to wait for that last line in the last chorus.”