Pet Sounds #79: NORMANS Mastermind Insists ‘You Will Be a Better Person’ for Rescuing a Pooch
Matthew Reid handles vocals and plays guitar and bass for his noise-rock band NORMANS. But as much as he loves music, we’re pretty sure he prefers playing with his two gorgeous dogs. The L.A. band consists of former members of FEELS, Prissy Whip and Blonde Summer and released their self-titled debut through Solid Brass in January 2024. Fans of the Jesus Lizard, Metz and IDLES will appreciate and get hooked on NORMANS’s penchant for creating cacophonies.
A press statement said NORMANS tap into the “terrified animal caged within us all.” But Reid’s limitless love for his dogs ensures they rarely get terrified, if at all – and he’s not the type of dog owner who would coop up his pooches in cages. For this edition of Pet Sounds, Reid answered our questions via email, resulting in the most superb writing of any installment in the series thus far. It’s hard to decide which is more breathtaking, Reid’s superbly poetic writing or the photos he provided. Either way, enjoy this consummately beautiful entry in Pet Sounds.
How did Kaiser and Sigrid enter your life?
I couldn’t possibly begin to answer this without mentioning the significance of our two previous dogs, Marlin and Bear. This will generate some context for the slightly confusing relationship I currently have with Kaiser and Sigrid. Bear was my wife’s dog, whom she had just rescued before meeting me. I have never witnessed a more loving relationship between animal and human. Preeeettty sure she loved/loves that dog more than me (a good dog will do that).
Marlin was my dog, rescued soon after. They were both pit bulls and were inseparable, spending their entire lives as our buff little children before — and during — our human children coming into our lives. They both passed away in a relatively small window of time. This was incredibly painful, as anyone who’s lost a dog will know. They had been through everything with us. Watched me grow from a wild young man into a father.
Life felt different without them. Colder.
Not much time had passed when I was reading Gibby Haynes’ book, Me and Mr. Cigar. In the book’s foreword, Gibby says, “I have a theory that when a person is born they are given three dogs. The first one shows that you have to live and die. The second one teaches you how to cope with it. And the third one comforts you. It’s a three-dog life and Mr. Cigar is definitely number one.”
This struck me pretty deep, and after only a few months we were standing at the hi-desert animal shelter, staring at a tiny, wiry mix of pretty much anything that breeds in the greater Mojave area. We pulled the trigger rather quickly, and Kaiser was in our lives.
After several wild puppy months, it was explained to me that another dog would occupy Kaiser and divert the mischief away from me and the children toward a healthier social interaction. Plus, we were missing the meat-missile charm that is a pit bull. So again, very soon after, we got one-month-old Sigrid.
Did you save Kaiser and Sigrid or did Kaiser and Sigrid save you?
The theme here is definitely timing. It really is everything. It’s the difference between smooth sailing and gridlock.
In Kaiser’s case, that dog was done for. He had been named Nacho and left to wander around a Walmart in Yucca Valley before being captured and held for quite some time at the pound. Looking back, it was much too soon to be getting another dog. Only a couple of months before, I had buried Marlin on our property in the desert. I remember digging into the dry, rocky ground and my hands starting to bleed. I didn’t mind. I wanted to feel every second of it, every ounce of it. I owed it to her.
I remember watching Laibach’s music video for “Sympathy for the Devil” right before finding Kaiser and thinking how cool it would be to have a German Shepherd–looking dog following me around everywhere, laying at my feet, protecting me and my family. Turns out, you have to train the hell out of these dogs to get anywhere near that level of respect from them. And with three kids, a music “career,” and a business, it was — and still is — a LOT to find the time for that guy.
Sigrid is much less complicated. The kids call her Beef, and you can immediately see why. She’s just a little hunk of meat you can pick up and do anything you want with. Part of me believes she would have been fine with or without us, but there are a lot of pit bulls out there looking for homes. It’s a sad reality of that breed that people are slowly coming around to, but the stigma is still real. I personally find them to be the best, most loving dogs you can own.
Did it take a while for Kaiser and Sigrid to learn to get along?
Imagine watching a TV show where a giant, tough-ass roller derby chick and an angst-ridden pubescent teen have to solve crimes in the middle of nowhere. That’s the show I see every day. They naturally beat the hell out of each other constantly, but when it’s time to band together and scare a coyote or something, all differences are set aside.
How do Kaiser and Sigrid complement each other?
I don’t know that they do, but what one lacks the other certainly makes up for. Kaiser is a big, stiff, awkward loner who will patrol the neighborhood endlessly, whereas Sigrid gives you the love and physical connection I’ve come to expect from pit bulls.
What do you love most about each of them?
It’s funny to think about, because at the time of writing this we’re about a year in with Kaiser and six months in with Sigrid. These are pretty new dogs, and I’m not totally sure the wounds have healed from Marlin and Bear’s passing.
I do love how these dogs remind me just how important a good dog can be in your life, and how the trajectory from puppy to true companion can be chaotic and frustrating — especially when you have something to compare it to.
Which dog is more dominant?
Sigrid is an alpha chick for sure. She’s half Kaiser’s size but will not let him do a damn thing unless she goes first. Food, outside, petting — whatever it may be — she gets it first.
What amusing ways do Kaiser and Sigrid interact?
It’s a nonstop wrestling match in here. These dogs can fight for hours. The real comedy starts when you take into account their totally opposite body types. One is tall, goofy, and completely heedless. The other is short, stocky, and determined beyond all measure to win. It reminds me of those old cartoons where it’s just a tornado of fists and legs tearing through the house.
What’s the funniest anecdote you can recall involving either or both dogs?
I was walking Kaiser with my kids one day. It was a beautiful spring day and everything was super green and vivid. Just then, this gorgeous, colorful butterfly starts floating around us. It was so graceful and picturesque, almost like it was dancing for us or something. The kids were loving it. It was like an Elysian fantasy.
Out of nowhere, Kaiser opens his mouth and eats the butterfly out of midair. No struggle — just one quick bite and the thing is gone. The kids are horrified, and the dog doesn’t miss a step. It’s like nothing happened.
That’s Kaiser. Clueless. Brutal.
I try to avoid asking this question, but where did you come up with the names Kaiser and Sigrid?
There is a Scottish television show about pensioners from the early 2000s called “Still Game.” In one of their early episodes, the old men keep getting terrorized by “a damn devil dug” named Kaiser. It fit with my vision of this calculated German companion. Instead, I got a butterfly-eating coyote. There is still hope, though.
Sigrid was a hasty choice. I imagined her growing into a graceful, sleek, blue-nosed specimen. The name sort of means victory and peace, I think, and it fit the theme with Kaiser. The kids are right, though — she’s Beef.
What advice would you give someone who is considering getting a pet?
I’ve only had dogs, so I’m probably biased. But that being said, if you haven’t had a dog before, absolutely go out and rescue one immediately. You will be a better person for it.
It’s hard, especially if they’re young, but you have to remember these creatures threw their genetic lot in with us many years ago, and that deep connection exists to this day. It takes work, but when you finally establish that bond, it’s for life.
One thing I definitely think is worth mentioning is the idea of if — and when — to get another dog after losing one. We have all lost friends and family, but the loss of a dog can be profound and can almost carry that same weight. These things see you at your best and at your worst and will love you no matter what. It’s pure kindness in an increasingly dark-feeling world.
I chose to jump back in pretty quickly because I have young children and think it’s very important for them to grow up knowing that relationship. I often find myself judging and comparing them to my old dogs, with whom that ancient connection was strong. But that’s not fair. Every dog deserves a chance, and I know Kaiser and Sigrid will continue to get them from me, no matter what.
We owe them that much.
Head to NORMANS’ Bandcamp page to learn more about the band (and do some shopping).
For more editions of Pet Sounds, check out our extensive archive.
The Bad Penny (beta) 
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