With Songs for Sleeping Dogs, Ben Hackett guides listeners through a private world of subtle, observational grandeur, created in the quiet hours of his Athens, Georgia home studio. The title is literal, as Hackett crafted these pieces slowly and softly to avoid waking the slumbering dog at his feet, never mind the rest of the household.

Hackett allowed these songs to develop naturally, relinquishing perfectionism to preserve the spark of inspiration. The music is neither fully improvised nor overly rehearsed—more a balance between spontaneous creation and intentional simplicity. The songs are not emulations of past worlds but instead create something new while acknowledging their influences. Though never merely background music, they remain delicately composed, always careful not to disrupt the balance.

In playing a wide range of instruments—horns, woodwinds, synthesizers, electronics, and traditional wood-and-wire instruments—Hackett allowed the music to unfold organically. He played the role of observer, letting each sound flow into the next.