Summer is rapidly approaching and that can only mean one thing: Pool Party! That also happens to be the title of the debut album from Philadelphia’s Bacarrudas, a brand new band fronted by Dirt Bike Annie‘s Adam Rabuck. The album delivers 13 power pop / surf / garage rock / just straight up fun songs […]
Summer is rapidly approaching and that can only mean one thing: Pool Party! That also happens to be the title of the debut album from Philadelphia’s Bacarrudas, a brand new band fronted by Dirt Bike Annie‘s Adam Rabuck. The album delivers 13 power pop / surf / garage rock / just straight up fun songs and it’s due out this Friday on the almighty Mom’s Basement Records.
Of course, you can always rely on your friends at Dying Scene to get you the hookup, and today we’re hooking you up with an early full album stream! That’s right, scroll a lil further down this very page and you’ll be greeted by an embedded music player that grants you, the discerning listener, early access to The Bacarrudas’ debut album Pool Party.
You might notice there’s only 12 songs; that’s because there’s a bonus track! “How do I get this bonus track?” – I’m glad you asked. Get Pool Party on CD (limited to 100 hand numbered copies) from the Mom’s Basement webstore this Friday, May 3rd, and it’ll come with the CD-only bonus track “Bad Baby”. Fuck yeah.
This premiere is brought to you in part by Punk Rock Radar. If you’d like your band’s music video to be premiered by Dying Scene and Punk Rock Radar, go here and follow these instructions. You’ll be on your way to previously unimagined levels of fame and fortune in no time!
John Reis, best known as the guitarist for Rocket From The Crypt, brought his brand new band Swami and the Bed of Nails to Chicago’s Subterranean. In support was Meat Wave, the Chicago group riding a massive wave of acclaim. It was a night of double delight. Swami and the Bed of Nails, is making […]
John Reis, best known as the guitarist for Rocket From The Crypt, brought his brand new band Swami and the Bed of Nails to Chicago’s Subterranean. In support was Meat Wave, the Chicago group riding a massive wave of acclaim. It was a night of double delight.
Swami and the Bed of Nails, is making its new band debut with a series of shows. Though John Reis is mostly known for being a member of Rocket From the Crypt, he has also been a part of Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes, The Sultans, and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, just to name a few groups in which he has played an integral role
In SATBON, he is joined by other well-known punk veterans: bassist Tommy Kitsos (Night Marchers and CPC Gangbangs); Lady Dottie and the Diamonds’ Joe Guevara on piano and synthesizer, session player Richard Larson on drums; and Mark Murino (of Radio Wendy and Dirty Sweet) also guitar.
The band entranced the crowd with a set including, “Do You Still Wanna Make Out?,” “Rip From the Bone” “When I Kicked Him in the Face,” “Vape in the Dark Alone.” While all of those songs are off of Reis’ solo album, Ride the Wild Night, the group also performed its first single, “How Are You Peeling?“
Swami and the Bed of Nails’ lively performance inspired hope in me, and I’m sure in many others in the crowd, that we will be enjoying more music from this group of punk vets.
The band kicked off the night with a raucous performance. Sutter’s growling vocals and guitar playing were complemented by Ryan Wizniak’s pummeling work on drums, and Joe Gac’s fierce bass playing.
The band was runner-up to the legendary Naked Raygun in the 2022 Chicago Reader’s Poll Best Punk Band category. That same year it released Malign Hex with the driving single “10k.” The combination of the two introduced the band to even more listeners, no doubt growing its number of fans.
If you have yet to check out Meat Wave, I recommend you do so soon. The band is just another reason why Chicago’s punk scene stands strong.
This show was a lively and fun one and on a night when the city hosted concerts all over the place, SubT was a pretty good place to be. Thanks and Cheers!
Chicago’s own Meth headlined a wild night of noisy hardcore punk metal madness “in the round,” where they set up on the floor of Thalia Hall and were surrounded by the crowd for the night. Meth delivered an incredible set and the crowd went wild. Opening bands See You Next Tuesday, Deaf Club, Usurp Synapse, and DJ Speedsick […]
Chicago’s own Meth headlined a wild night of noisy hardcore punk metal madness “in the round,” where they set up on the floor of Thalia Hall and were surrounded by the crowd for the night. Meth delivered an incredible set and the crowd went wild. Opening bands See You Next Tuesday, Deaf Club, Usurp Synapse, and DJ Speedsick brought the magic and didn’t disappoint and Dying Scene was there to witness this show.
Meth is a noisy metal band hailing right here from Chicago. Find them here.
Greetings, and welcome to the Dying Scene Record Radar. If it’s your first time here, thank you for joining us! This is the weekly* column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl; new releases, reissues… you name it, we’ve probably got it. Kick off your shoes, pull up a chair, crack open a cold […]
Greetings, and welcome to the Dying Scene Record Radar. If it’s your first time here, thank you for joining us! This is the weekly* column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl; new releases, reissues… you name it, we’ve probably got it. Kick off your shoes, pull up a chair, crack open a cold one, and break out those wallets, because it’s go time. Let’s get into it!
Check out the video edition of this week’s Record Radar, presented by our friends at Punk Rock Radar:
Continuing the Record Radar’s recent trend of diversifying into other formats, this week’s first featured release is a cassette! That’s right, a cassette. It’s Buddy Buddy Belgium, the new album from pop-punk supergroup Scrapped Plans, ft. members of House Boat, the Steinways, The Murderburgers, Wrong Life, Don Blake, aaaaand Mike Erg of course!
A few weeks ago I told you about Bloated Kat Records‘ putting this one out on random colored vinyl (you can still buy that here), but now you can also get it on cassette. This is limited to 50 tapes – half are white, half are black – and it’s Dying Scene Records’ first new release in 6 years! Pay money for it here and it’ll show up in your mailbox in a few weeks, maybe with some other goodies? I’d also like to mention I teamed up with Punk Rock Radar and Cat’s Claw Records on this release, and you can get it from them as well.
Back to our regularly scheduled discussion of flattened 12″ discs of polyvinyl chloride, Punk Rock Radar also has UK skate punk / ska band Stank Finger‘s new record Three Finger Discount up for pre-order. Limited to 100 copies on slime green colored vinyl, this is a highly recommended pickup for fans of Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, [spunge], etc. etc. etc. These guys are bad ass! Pick this record up. Our Bri’ish m8s will be able to get the record (or CD!) from the band soon.
Have you heard about Czech melodic punks Krang‘s new album Listens to Krang Once? It’s coming out May 3rd on SBAM Records and spoiler alert: it’s pretty fucking bad ass. The lead single “Cowabunga” is now streaming (check it out down below) and the record is available to pre-order on four different Ninja Turtles themed color variants. Grab yours here (US) or here (EU). Note: The EU store has a bundle with all four variants!
That’s not the only bad ass new record coming soon on SBAM, however. Chaser‘s highly anticipated new album Small Victories lands on June 28th and is being co-released by Thousand Islands and Pee Records. I pre-ordered the Sunburst Orange variant but I don’t think you can really go wrong with any of these. Pre-order your copies here (US), here (EU), or here (AUS). Also, check out the first single:
And last up from SBAM, we’ve got Portland folk punk band the Bridge City Sinners‘ new record In the Age of Doubt, which is due out on July 12th. This one’s being co-released by Flail Records and both labels have exclusive color variants available on their respective webstores. Fail Records also has copies on CD, cassette, and 8 track (and no, I’m not bullshitting about that last one).
Flail Records variants (US): Gold & Black Hand Poured (300 copies) Dark Purple w/ Pink Splatter (700 copies) Clear Emerald w/ Black Smoke (??? copies)
SBAM Records variants (EU, take these pressing numbers with a grain of salt): Tiger’s Eye (100 copies) Agate (100 copies) Jasper (100 copies) Basalt (100 copies)
Just in time for its 30th birthday, the Smoking Popes 1994 classic Born to Quit is back in print! In addition to this being the first pressing in over a decade, it’s also the very first time the original, non-remastered version of this album has been released on vinyl. Very cool! You can get it on pink & white “sunburn” colored vinyl here, and Rough Trade also has an exclusive navy blue color variant limited to 200 copies. Both come in a gatefold jacket emblazoned with the original artwork.
Down By Law‘s got a new record called Crazy Days coming out on June 15th and, what’s that? This is another CD release on the Record Radar? gasp! Yeah, that’s right, this bad boy’s only available on compact disc (and digital) at the moment, but rest assured, vinyl is coming soon for you fucking hipsters (I, too, am a fucking hipster). For now, embrace the affordability and convenience of the shiny lil discs.
Fat Wreck Chords recording artist MakeWar has a new record coming out on June 28th. Check out the lead single from A Paradoxical Theory of Change down below and pre-order the album on colored vinyl (take note of Fat’s new and improved $25 price point!), black vinyl (for the same price colored vinyl was up until a week ago), and/or CD (we like those!) right here.
Joe Gittleman continues to keep busy following the collapse of the (Mighty Mighty) Bosstones. You’ve probably already heard his new project The Kilograms, but did you know he’s got a new solo album on the way? That’s right, the Bass Fiddleman’s debut solo LP Hold Up is due out June 21st on Bad Time Records. Check out the excellent first single “Plastered in the Rafters” below and get the record on Coke Bottle Green colored vinyl (ltd to 250 copies) right here.
Speaking of debut solo albums, Jen from The Bombpops‘ debut solo album East Side of Eden is out now. The full album (did I mention it’s of the debut solo variety?) is now streaming (check it out below!), and you can get it on “Desert Blue” colored vinyl here. There was another bad ass color variant, too, but dat one sold out.
Wait just a god damn second… What’s that? another solo album?! Yessir, it’s the 25th anniversary of Mr. T Experience frontman Dr. Frank Portman’s Show Business is My Life and Sounds Rad Records is doing it right with a sick ass reissue. There are two versions, the Sounds Rad exclusive 180g black wax (200 copies) and the retail variant on turquoise colored vinyl (300 copies). Both come housed in a die cut jacket designed by Chris Appelgren of Lookout! Records fame. You can “call dibs” on the 180g black vinyl here.
Here’s a non-solo album! It’s the new EP from Tampa pop-punk band Atomic Treehouse who I’d describe as MxPx meets Screeching Weasel meets Nerf Herder. Overthrow the Captain is another CD infiltrating the Record Radar; we’re really diversifying here, folks! Check that shit out below and go here to pay money for the compact disc (or perhaps the digital download).
Austin, TX pop-punks the Hoaxxers‘ debut EP is out now and our friends at Mom’s Basement Records still a few copies of the ultra limited (square!) lathe cut 7″ available on their store. You might recognize these dudes from other bands such as Breaklights, Dropped Out, Oldie Hawn, and Joe Jitsu. If that’s not ringing a bell, I’ll just say if you like 90’s pop-punk (Lookout!, Mutant Pop, etc.) you gotta check these guys out. Also, check out all the other awesome shit Mom’s Basement just threw up on their store while you’re picking up this 7″. The Yum Yums! The Smugglers! The McRackins! The Manges! Holy fuck!
Lars Frederiksen & The Bastards’ 2001 self-titled debut album has gotten a new pressing from Pirates Press Records, with 1,000 copies on “Bleach Marble” colored vinyl. I’m not entirely sure the demand exists for 1,000 copies of this, considering the 2022 repress on Red & Black Galaxy colored wax is still in print (that one was “limited” to 1,000 copies as well lul). But hey, maybe you’re going for a full set or some shit. Get it here.
The 10th Anniversary edition of A Wilhelm Scream‘s Partycrasher has gotten a 2nd pressing of 500 copies on Silver / White Swirl w/ Splatter colored vinyl. You can get your hands on this one here (US), here (EU), and here (UK).
The Goddamn Gallows‘ 2011 LP 7 Devils has been reissued as a remastered Double LP with 7 bonus live tracks on the second record. You can get it on gold vinyl (not sure how many copies were pressed but it’s almost sold out) and/or black wax right here.
We’ll end this week’s Record Radar on an interesting note, with a new split LP from Montreal ska-punk band Subb and Sainte Catherines frontman Hugo Mudie. Cat Sounds is a tribute to Kim Shattuck, with each party contributing a Muffs cover, in addition to covers of songs by each other. Could I have phrased that any more confusingly? Probably. Anyway, buy the record here. This is the first new thing Subb has released since 2010. Due out June 21st on Thousand Islands Records!
Well, that’s all, folks. Another Record Radar in the books. As always, thank you for tuning in. If there’s anything we missed (highly likely), or if you want to let everyone know about a new/upcoming vinyl release you’re excited about, leave us a comment below, or send us a message on Facebook or Instagram, and we’ll look into it. Enjoy your weekend, and don’t blow too much money on spinny discs (or do, I’m not your father). See ya next time!
Wanna catch up on all of our Record Radar posts? Click here and you’ll be taken to a page with all the past entries in the column. Magic!
Premiering at First Congregational in Stoneham, Massachusettes on Saturday, April 27, Don’t Forget to Leave gives a first-hand look into the inspiring, yet tragic life and death of Tim Landers. Formerly of pop-punk/hardcore heavy-weights Transit and Cold Collective, Landers’ story was one that began with true love found in music and a road-dog mentality, but […]
Premiering at First Congregational in Stoneham, Massachusettes on Saturday, April 27, Don’t Forget to Leave gives a first-hand look into the inspiring, yet tragic life and death of Tim Landers.
Formerly of pop-punk/hardcore heavy-weights Transit and Cold Collective, Landers’ story was one that began with true love found in music and a road-dog mentality, but was tragically cut short due to addiction and mental health struggles. Director Bill Fulkerson described this documentary as being unlike any he’d made previously, not because of underground, DIY subject matter, but because of his extremely personal connection as a close friend of Tim’s.
Lander’s death blindsided both the local Boston music community and the nationwide audience they had garnered through relentless touring. Up close and personal interviews with former band members, tourmates, family members and household names including Frank Turner and members of A Story So Far tell the tough, emotional story of the firm grasp that addiction took on one of the scene’s most promising songwriters.
The April 27 premiere takes place at First Congregational in Stoneham, MA, the venue that housed many of Lander’s early performances. Don’t miss the incredible opportunity to celebrate the life of Tim Landers through the premiere, as well as live performances from former friends and bandmates Zac Eisenstein of Man Overboard, Joe Lacy of Transit, and Matthew Spence.
Check the link below for ticket and venue information and keep an eye out in the coming months for the documentary to hit streaming platforms and film festivals. Additionally, a full, one-on-one interview with director Bill Fulkerson will hit the site this coming week. We touch on everything from background to the documentary, Bill’s personal connection to Tim’s story, the hurdles that came with trying to make this over COVID, and a whole bunch more.
Here’s something fun to get your weekend kicked off a little early. World, meet The Calamatix. The Calamatix, meet the world! The aforementioned four-piece are a new-on-the-scene “reggae-rooted, punk-flavored quartet” featuring the dynamic Raylin Joy on lead vocals, Adam Porris (Lost City Angels, Far From Finished) on guitar, Clarence “Pocket” Kidd III on drums and […]
Here’s something fun to get your weekend kicked off a little early. World, meet The Calamatix. The Calamatix, meet the world!
The aforementioned four-piece are a new-on-the-scene “reggae-rooted, punk-flavored quartet” featuring the dynamic Raylin Joy on lead vocals, Adam Porris (Lost City Angels, Far From Finished) on guitar, Clarence “Pocket” Kidd III on drums and William “Matty” Taylor on bass. The project started as a writing project between Joy and – you guessed it, the inimitable Tim Armstrong – before turning into the full-fledged band that’s just about to burst onto the scene.
Armstrong signed the band to his Epitaph imprint, Hellcat Records, and together they’re releasing the first fruits of their labors. It’s a video for the rocksteady/first-wave-ska-inspired “Rootstyle,” and you can check it out below. It’s perfect early summer music. Stay tuned for more from The Calamatix coming down the ‘pike.
Chris Fox (Guitar/Vocals), Pat Mayfield (Bass/Vocals), and Dave Masud (Drums/Vocals) are the Zappa-violence road dogs known as Vampirates. Starting in December of 2023 with the first of many new songs, “WTF?” is a d-beat ripper that blasts you with immediate questions, “What the fuck were we thinking? Rarely opened our mouths to say something ornate. […]
Chris Fox (Guitar/Vocals), Pat Mayfield (Bass/Vocals), and Dave Masud (Drums/Vocals) are the Zappa-violence road dogs known as Vampirates. Starting in December of 2023 with the first of many new songs, “WTF?” is a d-beat ripper that blasts you with immediate questions, “What the fuck were we thinking? Rarely opened our mouths to say something ornate. Why did we buy all those Dead Kennedys records if we were never going to read the liner notes?” With their first single back they’re letting you know where their heads are at, this song is almost a thesis statement that you’ll feel throughout all their new songs, “Write something that means something, benefit everyone.”
This band has seen the decline of society’s compassion for one another as a privileged few race to hoard everything around us. “Can you remember the last time you saw a bridge that wasn’t also someone’s home? For the left behind and down out of luck. While up above, a surplus of vacant second houses. Keep pulling up, but those old bootstraps keep getting stuck.” Between the bands fretboard melting riffs and frenetic fusion drums, there’s a desperate plea to be better to one another, “We need help, this culture is only motivated by the distraction of wealth; not by community, not by progress, not by health. Our social fabric, a cheap plastic caste of itself.”
It can be difficult to feel like you’re doing anything genuine in our current digital age, but with each new single Vampirates puts out I feel their frustration. With titles like “Cancel Culture” and “Wake Up”, there is a palpable anger that these songs convey. I am excited to see what Vampirates will be cooking up till the whole album releases in October, make sure to keep an eye out every month for the next single!
Hot on the heels of their long awaited 2023 self-titled debut, pop-punk supergroup The Phase Problem is back with their sophomore effort The Power of Positive Thinking, out now on Lavasocks Records (US), Brassneck Records (UK), and Stardumb Records (EU). It’s a bad ass record and we’re quite excited to be bringing you the exclusive premiere of this music video […]
Hot on the heels of their long awaited 2023 self-titled debut, pop-punk supergroup The Phase Problem is back with their sophomore effort The Power of Positive Thinking, out now on Lavasocks Records (US), Brassneck Records (UK), and Stardumb Records (EU). It’s a bad ass record and we’re quite excited to be bringing you the exclusive premiere of this music video for one of the tracks – “Shadow of Me”, to be specific. Check that shit out below and go here to buy the record.
I referred to The Phase Problem as a “pop-punk supergroup” in the previous paragraph; allow me to justify that statement. In addition to being fronted by Squirtgun‘s Flav Giorgini, the band also features Fraser Murderburger (The Murderburgers, Wrong Life, etc.) on guitar, drummer Alex Keane (Roach Squad, The Murderburgers, City Mouse), and bassist John Bonnar (Haiver, Piss Bath, Paws). What’s more, The Power of Positive Thinking includes guest appearances from Heather Tabor of the Teen Idols and original Squirtgun frontman Matt Hart, among others.
This premiere is brought to you in part by Punk Rock Radar. If you’d like your band’s music video to be premiered by Dying Scene and Punk Rock Radar, go here and follow these instructions. You’ll be on your way to previously unimagined levels of fame and fortune in no time!
Bossy D is hitting the coast and will be seeing many corners of Oregon and California as they continue to support Bouts with Bummers. Straight from the guys themselves: Tour! May! Oregon! California! Party! Bossy D is hitting some West Coast dates on our A May Zing Journey! Check the dates below and find full […]
Bossy D is hitting the coast and will be seeing many corners of Oregon and California as they continue to support Bouts with Bummers. Straight from the guys themselves:
Tour! May! Oregon! California! Party! Bossy D is hitting some West Coast dates on our A May Zing Journey! Check the dates below and find full info/tickets where available atbossdaughter.com
Also announced recently will be their return to Gainsville in October for FEST 22, their 7th year throwing down with Floridians. So catch them on tour or at your local punk fest, they’re always a great time!
On 09 March 2024, Otoboke Beaver headlined a sold-out show at Thalia Hall in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, with Drinking Boys and Girls Choir, and Ovef Ow opening the show! Here’s how it looked! Prior to the show, Dying Scene (Fleurette Estes) and Kyle Decker interviewed Drinking Boys and Girls Choir, where they also took some […]
Prior to the show, Dying Scene (Fleurette Estes) and Kyle Decker interviewed Drinking Boys and Girls Choir, where they also took some photographs. Check out the interview below and go check them out!!!
Megan, Meena, and MJ at Thalia Hall Lounge Room.
Interview has been shortened for clarity and length.
Dying Scene: Tell me about Drinking Boys and Girls Choir. Introduce yourselves and who you are, where you’re from, and your members.
Myeong-jin Kim (MJ): Drinking Boys and Girls Choir is from South Korea, and we’re based in Daegu City, South Korea. I’m MJ and I’m from Daegu City. I was born in Pohang but currently live in Daegu City. I play drums and sing.
Meena Bae (MB): I am Meena, I’m the bassist and I also sing.
Megan Nisbet (MN): My name’s Megan. I live in South Korea, but I’m from Glasgow, Scotland and I play guitar and sing in the band.
MB: Yeah, we write our own songs, and every member contributes.
MJ: Yeah.
MB: There is no main songwriter.
DS: So, how did you all meet? And were you friends before joining this band?
MB: Yes. MJ and I were friends from around 2007. Yeah, she was young, just 20, and she just joined the university. At the time she was in a band named the Odeum Starz and it was a cute pop punk band and they just started making their own songs because they couldn’t play well enough to cover other songs. So, it was really kind of cute, but they ended the group because…
MJ: Army service in Korea and the job career thing. After that, we started a girl band, Chicken and Mayo ABC.
MB: Chicken and Mayo ABC. A few years later we decided to do a band again. It is Drinking Boys and Girls Choir.
MJ: Yes.
“Daegu City is conservative, and my parents are super conservative. Nowadays, almost all young people really just like K-pop music, the K-pop scene, and K-pop culture. And in Korea, as you know, the mainstream doesn’t play punk music. They just stream the K-pop music, K-pop things. So that’s why young people can’t know about their taste in music”.
– Meena Bae
DS: Do you still play and do things with the other band?
MB: No.
DS: Do you ever want to try to relive that one?
MB: No. We’re done. That’s just our memory. We don’t want to make it again. We want to make new things.
DS: How would you describe your music? And who are your influences?
MN: We describe the music as being fast, aggressive guitar sound, intense drumming, and a powerful bass tone but with angelic vocals over the top of everything. Three-part harmonies.
MB: I really like harmony. I just sing by myself, and they just start to make harmonies every time, every time…
MN: I go low, you go high.
Kyle Decker (KD): For the choir part…
“Earlier in the afternoon, we ate a really good lunch with Kyle at Bang Bang Pie, and I really liked that quiche and chicken pot pie and the other dessert pie. I really liked that. And maybe tomorrow we have lots of time before the show, so I hope to go to some good place and maybe I believe that he will introduce us to so many good things there”.
-Meena Bae
(L-R: Meena, MJ, Megan, and Kyle)
DS: So, you have been on tour with Otoboke Beaver. Did you know them before the tour? How has it been becoming friends with them on the tour?
MB: Yeah, we are label mates. We are signed to Damnably with them. The Damnably label is based in London. The first time we met them was in 2019 at South by Southwest and then we started doing tours together.
MN: Yeah. With this lineup, we’ve done two tours with them. We did the UK last year in May and then this year here in the US for the first time. And we get on very well with them. They’re very friendly, lovely people.
MB: Yes. We really like each other.
MB: Yeah, we’ve done more shows with them, we even did a show in Korea with them. Before Megan joined, we went to Japan to celebrate their new album. In 2019 and 2020 we toured together in the UK and the Netherlands. So, we really love our songs and our vibe and really respect ourselves and each other. It’s a really good vibe.
KD: The scene has shifted since I left Daegu City, I know that, but what is it like being the only punk band in a pretty conservative city? How many people come out to shows?
MB: Yeah, Daegu City is conservative, and my parents are super conservative. Nowadays, almost all young people really just like K-pop music, the K-pop scene, and K-pop culture. And in Korea, as you know, the mainstream doesn’t play punk music. They just stream the K-pop music, K-pop things. So that’s why young people can’t know about their taste in music. Do you know what I mean?
MN: They don’t have many options for different types of music to listen to because it’s pretty much K-pop or bust. So, they don’t know how to find new artists to listen to and stuff like that. So, at our shows, the audience is, on average, older, late twenties, early thirties.
DS: So, I heard you guys are paving the way for K-punk.
MB: Yeah, so we use the “K.” Actually, we really hate the “K” things, but we started to use the K-punk because it makes it easier to find our music. And so, we are trying to reach out to younger audiences. So, when we put on our own shows in Korea, we give free tickets to underage youth. But yeah, it’s hard to get a crowd. We never get a crowd of even 100 people in Daegu.
KD: Do you feel like you’re getting more audience response in the United States and Europe than in Korea?
MJ: So, we’re getting bigger in US, Europe, and the UK but not in Korea.
MB: So, sometimes we get invited to the (Asia Cultural Center) World Music Festival in Korea and so many members from the audience have told me, “Oh, I didn’t know you are from Daegu. I live in Daegu, but I don’t know you.” So, every crowd has told me that. I don’t know how we can grow our audience in Daegu. Yeah, I don’t know.
MJ killing it on the drums!!!
DS: I’ve been following you on social media and so many of the shows are sold out. What does that feel like?
MN: It feels like a huge opportunity really for us. And so far, the audience response has been positive. They come to the merch table, and they tell us how much they enjoyed the show and it’s really encouraging. So, I think we’ve done the right thing coming here.
DS: I absolutely love the fact that every time I look on my Instagram page you’ve had another sold-out show. I just think that’s lovely.
MJ: Yeah.
DS: Tours can be busy. Have you had time to do any sightseeing while you’re in any of the cities?
MJ: Actually, we drive ourselves so we can see a lot.
DS: At night?
MN: Actually, during the day. So, when we were driving through Salt Lake City and places like that, we got the full view of everything. Beautiful, snowy mountains and everything like that. So, it’s been lovely. As for sightseeing, we had time in Seattle because we started the tour there and we visited pretty much most of the tourist spots in Seattle, like the Space Needle and MoPOP museum and everything.
MJ: The Sub Pop store.
MN: The Sub Pop clothing store.
MJ: And KEXP.
MJ: And the market.
MN: The seafood markets. Pike Place.
MB: Pike Place Market. Chicago is really the second city we’ve been able to stay in for a few days. Earlier in the afternoon, we ate a really good lunch with Kyle at Bang Bang Pie, and I really liked that quiche and chicken pot pie and the other dessert pie. I really liked that. And maybe tomorrow we have lots of time before the show, so I hope to go to some good place and maybe I believe that he will introduce us to so many good things there.
DS: There are so many amazing places to eat and to see. Besides playing amazing shows with great crowds, what else do you want to accomplish while you’re in the States?
MJ: Maybe work on our next tour…
MN: While we’re here now, I want to have a good bond with the four people in our party…make some close relationships. I want to make some fans in every city and make a good impression on people by being very kind and friendly and open. That’s what I want to do.
DS: Being from South Korea, do you feel responsible for representing your country?
MB: Yes.
DS: What do you want your audience to know about South Korea?
MB: Yeah, Korea is not just K-pop. Yeah, I hope for them to know about that. We have so many subcultures. And really everything is small because Korea is small, but I hope the audience knows there’s more to Korea than just K-pop. I want the audience to think about Korea a little bit positively.
MJ: Yeah.
DS: If anyone were to visit your hometown of Daegu City, what are the top three recommendations you have for them to do or see?
MB: Yeah, like our song that we call the “BIG NINE, Let’s Go,” we introduced three locations. The first one is Daemyeong-dong…it’s really a music neighborhood…in the music scene. There is Club Led Zeppelin. And there is a famous beautiful university there called Keimyung University. Even New Jeans’s music video (for the song “Ditto”) was filmed there. And so many famous Korean dramas were filmed there. So, I want to introduce Club Heavy. They remodeled it and the rooftop is beautiful. Sometimes we have acoustic shows on the roof when the weather is good. Because we have the four seasons and the summer is extremely hot and winter is extremely cold, so we cannot do anything outside in the summer or winter. So, we have just a few days we can do rooftop shows. So, I want to recommend it. And second location is downtown Daegu – Dongseong-ro. And the third one, if you want to go to Suseongmot (Suseong Lake) you can take the monorail. It’s a beautiful lake with many restaurants, but it is a little bit expensive.
Actually, I say in the song (“BIG NINE, Let’s Go”), “makchang, soondae, joonghwa bibimbap.” It is really famous food in Daegu. It’s not vegan but… yeah. And so nowadays I’m trying to say the vegan food in the middle of singing. So sometimes I say different foods.
MN: Changing the lyrics of the song on the fly.
DS: Tell me about your favorite performance as a group so far.
MN: Why don’t we talk about the performance from this tour that we liked?
MJ: For perfection level, LA. For enjoyment level, Pioneertown.
MN: We played well in LA. We just were on the same wavelength.
MB: The zone!
MN: We were in the zone, and everybody had a really good time. We felt nervous before the show, but as soon as we got up there, we just really locked in.
MJ: So much fun! So much fun! So much fun!
MN: Pioneertown was like this little cowboy-themed town in the desert somewhere in California. We liked that show because it was a smaller, more intimate venue, but it was packed. And, we’re used to playing in a smaller club setting, so it was more comfortable for us, and we could let go and just have a good time.
MB: Yeah!
DS: What’s next for you? Are you working on new music? Do you have any tours planned?
MB: Yeah, during this tour we have had a good response from the audience and really every city’s promoter has been really impressed by us. So, they’re really starting to focus on us. So, maybe we could headline our own U.S. tour later this year. And I hope we could also tour the UK and Europe. We are also planning an Asian tour, so maybe we will visit Taiwan and Japan this year. And we really tried to make a new album, our third album, last year. We’ve already recorded eight songs, so we must finish our third album this year.
MN: We just released a new single and I think that it showcases the new direction of the band, the new influence maybe that I’m bringing to the table, and we are pulling out of each other. So, you can hear that in the new single. Three-part harmonies. Really fast, aggressive but angelic vocals over the top. The song is called History. And then we’re working on the new album, hopefully.
MJ: Yeah, and we have a live album soon to be released, maybe in the summer.
MB: We just recorded the live album in January.
DS: Oh, that would be exciting.
KD: Megan, how did you become involved in the band? Because I’ve known Drinking Boys and Girls Choir for a while, and I’ve known them to have a rotating cast, so to speak. How did you join the band and what new directions and influences are you bringing to it?
MN: Right. So, I really love indie music and I’m a huge music fan and I’ve always played guitar. But since I was like 14. And, so, I was just watching KEXP at home in South Korea one night by myself with a bottle of wine. And, so, I’m scrolling through, and I saw Drinking Boys and Girls Choir and I look at the band name and the thumbnail and I’m thinking they look Korean. I think maybe they’re Korean, so let’s check it out. So, I clicked it, it was their session that they did in 2021.
MN: I totally fell in love with the band, their appearance, the energy, and everything. So, okay, I followed them on Instagram and everything like that.
MB: We put up a notice that we were looking for new guitarist.
MN: I thought I don’t have anything to lose, I might as well. So, I sent them an email and the rest is history.
“We describe the music as being fast, aggressive guitar sound, intense drumming, and a powerful bass tone but with angelic vocals over the top of everything. Three-part harmonies”.
– Megan Nesbit
DS: So, have you guys toured Scotland, yet?
MN: Yes, we did.
MB: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yes.
DS: How was that experience?
MJ: We met Megan’s parents, cousins, aunties, everyone…
MB: I feel like every town was Megan’s town because people came to see her.
MN: They were happy to meet the girls. They were kissing and hugging them. I was delighted to introduce them to my family as well.
MB: Yeah, it was. And because we were born in Daegu and we’ve lived in Daegu our whole lives. So, our parents or family culture is not close to each other in Daegu, and I felt the love from her family. So, I was so happy to be there.
MN: It was great.
MJ: Yeah. Maybe more than my parents.
MB: Yes, exactly.
MJ: They loved me more than my parents.
MB: Yes, exactly. Yeah, she calls her father often and every time he asks about how the girls are doing.
MJ: Yeah, it’s like a family now.
MB: And he bought lots of beers for us. Yeah, we had a really good time. Maybe if we can arrange our schedule for the next tour, I want to make Glasgow our last city. I want to spend more time in Glasgow after the tour. Yeah, I hope.
MN: I would love to show them not just Glasgow but other cities and other more rural northern areas in Scotland because it’s a beautiful country. I think they would love it.
DS: What advice do you have for musicians who are starting out? And those who are touring other countries?
MJ: Workout.
MB: Yes. It’s important.
MJ: Yeah, physical workout is important. It makes you healthier, physically, and mentally.
MB: Yeah.
MN: What do you think?
MB: Don’t think about it, just do it.
MN: This is where you get the personalities of each of us, right? She says work out is a good and logical answer. Don’t think about it, just do it. Okay. And then for me I would say be personable, be friendly, be honest. Wear your heart on your sleeve and go for it.
DS: Great. Thank you. What five bands are you guys listening to while on tour?
MJ: For me, I like Jacob de Haan, a composer from the Netherlands. I love that man.
MN: In the van, we listen to music mostly in the van because that’s the best time for it. So, I guess I’ve been listening to Bouncing Souls a lot. Hot Water Music…
MN: Smoking Goose. I love that band. That’s a Korean band. Okay. They’re from a city called Daejeon and they play skate punk music. They’re a three-piece. They also play fast, have catchy hooks, and play three-part harmonies as well. So, I guess I love that band. And we are three girls. They’re three boys and they’re cool.
MN. Jaurim. Good, classic Korean rock band. They’re still active today. Very kind. Nice people.
MB: Yeah, they’re super rock stars in Korea.
MN: Super rock stars.
MB: We did we say five? Alice in Chains, The Offspring, Bouncing Souls…Tyler Langley.
MB: So, I’d like to introduce some of our friends in Korea. We really like Billy Carter. They are really…blues…
KD: They’re like psychedelic blues, but they’re rooted in the punk scene, too.
MN: They have a punk vibe as well. But it is like bluesy.
MB: Yeah. A really good band. My friends Ohchill and they released a new album last year. And I want to recommend Smoking Goose as well. Who else?
MJ: We’d like to introduce some other Daegu bands named Sindosi. They’re a post-punk band. There’s a legendary band from Daegu called March Kings. They’re not a punk band but we recommend them. There are female-fronted bands called Igloo and Honz.
DS: What else would you like to share with Dying Scene’s readers?
MB: Yeah, just come to our show when we come back here again. And please buy our merch.
MN: Please check out our music here. Come to the show. And then if you do come to the show, come, and say hi. Because we are selling the merch personally ourselves. We love to talk to people and sign things and take pictures and everything. So, don’t be shy and just come say hello. That’s it.
MB: Thank you so much.
DS: Thank you.
Check out the Otoboke Beaver, Drinking Boys and Girls Choir, and Ovef Ow Photo Galleries below and check out the link for The Korean Times collab with Fleurette Estes and Kyle Decker.
Dave
Thanks Bobby!