Mission From Dog, the Chicago-based music collective led by Casey Hess, has never been about surface-level songwriting. A Berklee-trained multi-instrumentalist and composer, Hess has spent more than three decades crafting music that fuses acoustic intimacy with electric urgency—music that feels lived-in, weathered, and deeply human.
From Detroit Stages to Chicago’s Notorious Venues

Hess’s journey began in Detroit, playing guitar in the punk-metal high school band Wit’s End. Even in those early days, he found himself performing in bars alongside rising acts like Stone Temple Pilots and Kid Rock. After college, his Chicago-based project Asher Love built a loyal following across the city’s most notorious venues, cementing his reputation as a passionate live performer and thoughtful songwriter.

A Sound Shaped by Experience

When Hess writes, he isn’t chasing trends—he’s processing what it means to be alive, sensitive, and fully engaged with the world. His music channels influences as varied as Elliott Smith, Eagles, Mark Knopfler, and Descendents. The result is a post-grunge blend of beauty, darkness, and hope—melancholic yet uplifting, grounded yet spiritual.

Life has profoundly shaped that sound. Hess found and married the love of his life, raised children, and cared for his wife through nearly a decade-long battle with cancer before her passing in 2016. That loss marked a turning point. He moved, remarried, and rebuilt his life in downtown Chicago with his new bride and two sons—ushering in what he calls his “second act.”

The new album is due out on all streamers on March 13th.

The Birth of Mission From Dog

By 2019, Hess formed Mission From Dog and released “Major Second,” a title nodding to his second solo release and the musical interval known for its pleasing, non-dissonant quality. The album gained notable attention when its track “Hall of Fame” was featured on the popular podcast Welcome to Night Vale.
In 2024, the follow-up album “Minor Third” leaned into a more aggressive mix of rock and acoustic-driven arrangements, showcasing the project’s expanding dynamic range.

“These Times Take Things”: A Meditation on Impermanence

Now, in 2026, Mission From Dog returns with its fourth album, “These Times Take Things.” The release is a culmination of decades of songwriting, featuring both new material and songs that waited 25 years to find their moment.

The album stands as Hess’s most complete artistic statement yet—an inward exploration of mental fragility, fleeting time, and the quiet beauty hidden within daily life. Each track unfolds like a meditation, inviting listeners not just to hear the music but to inhabit it.
With “These Times Take Things,” Mission From Dog doesn’t merely offer songs. It offers stories—honest reflections on love, loss, resilience, and renewal—reminding us that even in impermanence, there is lasting meaning.

My website:
https://www.missionfromdog.com/

merch:
https://missionfromdog.threadless.com/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6GkiOMLaWAbfv4QvXSaIAdjb4LQ


Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/missionfromdog/