Every artist has a tough time following up their best work, when I asked Dyson Knight of the Baha Men how you follow up a huge hit like “Who Let the Dogs Out,” he simply responded, “You don’t.”
Fifteen years removed from “Who Let the Dogs Out,” and thirteen since their last studio album, the Baha Men are poised to make a comeback with their new record, “Ride With Me.” An album which Knight says is all about having fun.
He describes the album as “feel good music” and says “The best way to describe it would be to introduce more happy music. More fun, less business; sing about things that make people feel good.”
Interestingly, Knight was not a member of the band when they released “Who Let the Dogs Out,” he initially joined the band as a temporary replacement for a sick member. Knight told me the story, saying, “I was with a local band called XTRA. They’d seen me on stage, one member got sick, and they were doing a small tour in Asia and they needed a replacement. Unfortunately, that member passed away and I became a permanent member.”
Having performed all over the world, Knight disagrees with the idea that the Baha Men are one-hit-wonders.
“Are we one-hit-wonders? In the U.S. market, yes. European market, no. Japanese market, no. ‘Move It Like This’ was pretty big. ‘Best Years of Our Life’ was in the movie Shrek. ‘Dogs’ was just a different level.” Knight said.
Most people aren’t familiar with the band’s extensive discography. First-year UVM student Peter Ackerman said, “I only know them from Who Let the Dogs Out. I don’t know any of their other songs, and probably the last time I heard that song was ten years ago.”
Other students I spoke with expressed a similar sentiment. First-year Jon Kilian said he recognized the name “Baha Men,” but he had not heard any songs by them, other than “Who Let the Dogs Out.” However, Kilian and Ackerman both said they would be interested in listening to the Baha Men’s newest album.
While they enjoy performing everywhere, Knight said performing in their home country of the Bahamas is a completely diverse experience.
“It’s totally different performing at home.” Knight said “They watch before they’re willing to participate. Introducing new songs is scary.” Knight also admitted that he is still not used to the fame of the band, saying “Any crowd we get goosebumps before, but stadium performance is a bit more thrilling.”
Knight describes himself as the interactive member of the band, saying “I like to jump into the crowd, bring a person up on stage; that’s my role as far the performance side goes. I write for the band and do behind the scenes business work as well.”
The Baha Men are currently accepting show dates, but are not on an official tour.
