Listen to ‘Burger Dog’ Now!
He’s got pickles and he’s got cheese. Listen to the brand new Bluey single: Burger Dog! Available now.
BURGER DogInterview: Daniel O’Brien Spills the Sauce on ‘Burger Dog’
‘Burger Dog’ composer and Bluey musician Daniel O’Brien “YAP YAP YAPS” with Bluey.tv to spill the sauce on all things Burger Dog!
From the second Bandit Heeler pressed play on Burger Dog, fans have been hungry for more.
With a tasty combination of energy, synth and sesame seeds, Burger Dog has been a “well-done” addition to the menu of Bluey hits. The best part? A brand-new extended version is available to listen to now – and even comes with a side of fries!
As the world gets ready to take a bite, composer Daniel O’Brien spills the sauce on the creation of Bluey’s newest release.
It’s officially Burger Dog week when Daniel sits down for our interview. He’s spent the morning in the park filming an unboxing video (with a pair of Hammerbarn Gnomes) and we’re days away from the release of the new and extended single.
“I’m so excited that it’s being released for Record Store Day” he beams. Record Store Day is a huge calendar moment for artists and music fans alike, celebrating the culture of independent record stores and bringing together fans, artists, and stores worldwide. This year, Bluey announced an exclusive double sided picture disc that will see Burger Dog released for the very first time. “It’s a day to share the joy of music” Daniel says, which is what the sound of Bluey is all about.
Though the series of Bluey Minisodes marked the first time Daniel had taken the lead on a project, his presence and work in the Bluey music team has been heard for years. He first began collaborating with the show’s head composer, Joff Bush, when production had just begun on the third series. “I finished university pretty quickly before jumping on the Bluey train, at the point when it was really sort of taking off – especially in America – and it was so great” he recalls. He reflects on his few months working on Bluey as a “big learning curve”.
“It all happened very quickly for me” he explains.
“Working with Joff has been so great, I’ve learnt more than ThoughT I ever could.”
His time in the music team has also covered the production and release of the two most recent Bluey albums: Dance Mode and Rug Island (the former winning the ARIA Award for Best Children’s Album in 2024) as well as production on the Bluey Special ‘The Sign’, which saw the Bluey Music team collect both a Screen Music Award and Best Original Score for Television at the AACTA Awards.
Between the intended audience, track duration, and purpose of the music – working on the show and the albums aren’t as similar as one might expect.
“We really think about the two quite differently,” he explains. “With episodes, there’s dialogue all the way through that we have to constantly duck and dip around. Whereas with the albums, you get the freedom of traditional song structure: verse, chorus, verse, big ending!”
The Bluey Minisodes called for a different approach once again, showcasing snippets of fun rather than being paced with a longer narrative or character arc. “Structurally, you’re thinking about it very differently.”
“Sometimes you feel you’re jumping into a scene, and you want the music to feel like almost as if there was a full episode on either side of it. It’s about capturing the spirit of a moment.”
For the first time, this approach was his to spearhead alone, on the recommendation of Bluey’s lead composer Joff Bush. This allowed Daniel the opportunity to bring more of his own voice and sound to the show. “I enjoyed the challenge of finding that balance” he says. “I was very conscious to stay within Joff’s musical world. I really enjoy writing in his voice because it is so unique and well known. To find my own path in that was fantastic.”
It’s Daniel’s familiarity with Joff’s work and sound that makes the Minisodes such an organic progression of the Bluey sound audiences know and love, while also offering a new perspective – something he credits to Joff’s support.
“Joff and I discussed my voice and his voice. He encouraged me to make it my own, which obviously I greatly appreciate. Joff is also a big supporter of being yourself and being strong to who you are.”
Burger Dog’s story begins with lyrics and clear point of direction from the show’s creator and writer, Joe Brumm.
“The brief from Joe came in. I think all he said was: ‘I want an annoying song.’ ”
Much like a burger itself, Daniel breaks down the method of creating an annoying song into ingredients layered on top of one another. At the base is a LOT of repetition – which can only really be bearable with a catchy hook. For Burger Dog, this came from what Daniel calls its chipmunk voice.
“There’s a piercing weirdness to it. It’s sort of a human voice, but then you get the comedic element that no one could sound that ridiculous”
As for who’s behind the mic? That secret comes out in a flame-grilled exclusive: “No one’s really picked up on it… but the singer in Burger Dog is me! I sang the whole thing myself much lower and then pitched it up!”
Alongside annoying and ridiculous, at the core of Burger Dog’s creation was a much more important ingredient that Daniel kept at the forefront of his mind.
“When you think about Burger Dog, it’s supposed to be annoying. But for me, Bluey and Bingo really, genuinely, love It. So, I wanted to maintain a sense of sincerity and heart.”
There’s a clear evolution of sound throughout the duration of the song. “It starts with this sort of ‘Queen’ – big rock star moment – with big chords and a strong opening statement of what the song is.”
“Then you have the first chorus, which is fun and annoying. I wanted people to think: This is ridiculous! This is silly! But by the end of the track, where the big brass lines and all the layers come in, hopefully it feels like a genuine and real song that you can groove out and have a good time to!”
You could never be accused of overthinking Bluey – every aspect of the way the show is constructed practically invites it. The episode’s script tells one story, while the artists construct entire subplots in the episode’s background, and the soundtrack often plays as much of a storytelling role as the characters on screen. At least when it comes to Burger Dog, conspiracy theorists can rest easy…
“You know it’s funny, because with the full episodes you’re thinking carefully about the story of the piece. What’s the music saying? How’s it supposed to feel? What’s the narrative? What’s the arc?” he explains.
“But with Burger Dog, it was almost the opposite. The idea is that it’s joyous and fun and doesn’t necessarily mean anything.” However nonsensical the lyrics appear, there were still elements within them to guide the sound that would become the song. “I wanted to capture the nonsense of the lyrics. Let it be fun; let it repeat and focus on the music without getting trapped in trying to figure out who Burger Dog was.”
It’s a response that leaves a lot unanswered… When was Burger Dog a wiener dog? Is he more burger, or more dog? Is he anatomically sound? Daniel wants it on the record: “I have been asked a few times what the lyrics mean, and I cannot tell you. Many people have tried to find the meaning in it… good luck to them!” He doubts anyone on the creative team knows the truth, but sets a challenge for the audience to decipher. “Maybe they (the fans) can tell me what it’s about, because to this day I’m still trying to work it out!”
Although it may seem almost tailor (or chef) made for the charts, it wasn’t until Bluey fans began reacting to and requesting its full release that an extended version was ever broached. “I never imagined that there would be a demand to get a full version of it.”
“I worked on the Minisodes in a relatively quick time frame, and so when the Burger Dog was released the internet got really excited about it, and I was quite taken aback.”
Excited is an understatement. The reaction from fans has been as vocal, repetitive and high energy as the song itself. “It was really special, very exciting. And I thought, what on earth am I going to do?”
One of Daniel’s biggest concerns when it came to extending the song, were the lyrics. “I’m no lyricist” he explains. Joe Brumm had written the lyrics for the chorus in the minisode, and Daniel knew he wanted to keep the ridiculousness and theme consistent. For the verses, he enlisted the help of Christopher Cosgrove, who leaned on fast food references and rhymes to extend the lore of Burger Dog.
“Both verses 1 and 2 have these raps that are very silly, that I’m really excited for everyone to hear. Hopefully, they’re a little unexpected.”
Alongside Joff and Christopher, there’s a whole team of musicians and creatives Daniel was keen to bring into the kitchen to help flame grill the new single to perfection. “I got to work with these amazing musicians,” he says.
“Ben Byrne, on saxophone, who has the amazing solo at the end on the track. We got him to do so many different takes, I could make a whole song out of all the solos he did. Robert Schultz on trumpet, who does a lot of the brass lines at the end. David Orr on guitar who does these amazing guitar solos. Alex Van den Broek, who did a lot of extra vocals, and Marly Lüske at Alchemix Studios who mixed and mastered the track – he made it really bangin!’”
As ever with Bluey, kids were at the heart of the creative process. Daniel even asked friends with children to contribute. “ I asked all my friends who have kids to be a part of it. I recorded about 15 kids shouting “Burger Dog” which adds a lot of heart to the song.”
All the “Burger Dog” kids are credited on the vinyl sleeve, which Daniel pulls out to display – fresh from unboxing. “I love this vinyl so much.”
“Burger Dog on the front is so cool, and I love how side B is made up from the lyrics twisting around. I wanted to thank the artists: Nick Rees, Trudi Monteith and Connor Johnston. I love it so much!”
As we wrap up the interview, Daniel reflects on his most important measure of success. “I have a lot of friends with kids who would sing the song to me, which was very special and weird at the same time. You could see they genuinely loved it and wanted to sing along to it, almost immediately.
“Their joy was something very special, and it has really meant a lot to me.”
With time for one last question, we ask Daniel if he’s been able to eat a burger since bringing Burger Dog to life.
“I’ll never be able to eat a burger again,” he laughs.