Paws, Pets & Metal is Metal Insider’s newest column on bands with pets, discovering who watches them on the road, and more. Get to know more about these metal furbabies. We caught up with Matt Motto, guitarist of Chicago progressive metal outfit Dissona, who revealed that his cat is his toughest music critic.
Tell us more about your pet(s) and their names?
My furry protege is a female domestic cat named Luna. She’s my harshest critic when it comes to the music but if I can get her sold, I know the track will be a hit. She spends roughly 70% of her day sleeping, then 20% eating and 10% doing the self-bathe thing. She also loves to be the center of attention and has a strong affinity for bags or boxes of any kind.
Have you ever taken your pet on tour?
Nope, never! I would imagine that would put a serious strain on our relationship if it were to happen.
Who looks after your pet while on the road?
I have a sister-in-law who works at a local vet clinic and she stops by to check up on Luna while I’m away. She also makes sure to snap a picture or two of her and sends them my way!
What’s your pet’s favorite song or album?
That would almost certainly have to be Dissona’s new single “The Prodigal Son” from the Dreadfully Distinct EP!
How did you introduce your pet to metal?
She didn’t really have a say in the matter, unfortunately. I got her when she was around 4 weeks old and, since I’m an audio engineer, I would be mixing metal music regularly. When she was so young, she loved to climb up my pants and shirt to reach my shoulder and she would regularly fall asleep up there while I would be doing some production work at full volume.
What animal charity means most to you?
I would say the ASPCA. They seem very passionate and intentional with what they do and they have certainly improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of animals through their actions.
