Doc & The Doses: From Barn Jams to Blues-Rock Breakouts

About Me – Doc and The Doses

In the heart of Concord, North Carolina, a musical journey was born during one of the quietest, most uncertain times in modern history. Doc and the Doses emerged not from a club, a festival, or a recording studio—but from a barn. As frontman Dustin explains, the origins were simple yet serendipitous:

“When no one else was playing music during the pandemic… I just started inviting all the musicians that I know and it kind of started as open jams and developed into the core four you see here today.”

Those core four—Dustin, Ben, Derek, and Bradley—were the ones who kept showing up. Over time, their casual gatherings at Green Life Family Farms evolved into a tight, original rock outfit. The farm, which Dustin has run for over five years, isn’t just for growing vegetables and hemp—it’s a hub for live music, hosting weddings, multi-day festivals, and the much-loved Barn Jam Summer Concert Series.

This year, they’re focusing on one big blowout:

“Our only show at the farm this year… September 20th. Big blowout home. Big one, three bands, vendors, camping, the whole works, big slide for the kids.”

You can follow event details via Green Life Family Farms on Instagram.

Finding Their Sound

Initially, the music flowed from jam sessions, but as the band locked in, the songwriting process matured. One pivotal night was New Year’s Eve 2020:

“We kind of locked ourselves in there, ate some frozen lasagna… and then we just started jamming. A lot of the songs… on our debut EP were ideas that came out of that jam session.”

That debut, Electric Tales (released October 2023), is a five-song collection blending tight arrangements with space for improvisation. Recorded in one long day at Hibernation Studio—Ben’s home-turned-pro-level recording space—it marked the band’s leap from barn rehearsals to polished productions.

Hibernation Studio itself has a backstory: a flooded basement, a big insurance check, and ten years of slow-build upgrades. Now, it’s one of the area’s hidden gems for tracking and mixing. As Ben puts it:

“When it all comes down to it, what’s most important is the performance… I wanna make it a space that people feel at ease and they can put their best performance down on.”

Big Shows, Weird Payments, and Kid Rock Requests

Doc and the Doses aren’t strangers to the local brewery circuit, but their biggest gig so far came when they opened for the Marshall Tucker Band at Village Park in Kannapolis.  Not every night is a festival dream, though. They’ve been paid in everything from 12 dozen oysters to Home Depot gift cards. And while they’re open to fan requests, there’s one hard rule: “No more Kid Rock.”

From Singles to Steady Momentum

While Electric Tales was a full EP drop, the band is now trickling out singles for sustained fan engagement. Their latest, Shotgun Betty, came almost fully formed from Derek: “I got a song… it’s a banger. It really is a rockin’ song and it came together really quick.”

Influences and Identity

Their sound is a melting pot—Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, Sabbath, Zeppelin, Warren Haynes, jazz fusion, funk, and even Swedish heavy metal. As they describe it:

“It’s this weird melded stew of all of those influences… it took a year or two for us to find our musical identity, but we definitely have that now.”

Building a Community

The band’s barn jams double as community events, giving local acts a stage and fans a place to gather. That DIY spirit is core to their mission:

“The whole idea at the beginning was just to create the community and bring it to us.”

With their eyes on future stages like Shakori Hills—and long-term dreams of Red Rocks—they’re ready for bigger audiences while keeping their grassroots connections strong.

Catch Doc and the Doses at the Barn Jam on September 20 and follow their music via Doc and the Doses on Instagram. Whether it’s under barn rafters or in front of thousands, one thing’s for sure—you’ll never see the same show twice.