I was recently able to sit down with Chicago-based punk band Boybrain, who happen to be tied for the number one spot on my favorite local bands list. The band has a new single, “Ratmouth,” coming out this October; watch for it on your favorite streaming services. You can see them perform at Hands Off […]
I was recently able to sit down with Chicago-based punk band Boybrain, who happen to be tied for the number one spot on my favorite local bands list. The band has a new single, “Ratmouth,” coming out this October; watch for it on your favorite streaming services. You can see them perform at Hands Off Our Fest (H.O.O.F.) October 19th in Blue Island. Find me and say hi, I’ll be at there without a doubt.
I discovered Boybrain early during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, when live music was nowhere to be found and live streams had to fill the void. I caught a broadcast from Liar’s Club that included previously recorded performances. There was a lot of great stuff in the stream, but the one that left the biggest impression on me was “Owl” by Boybrain. Flash-forward to venues opening up and shows happening again. On July 17th 2021 I was able to see live music for the first time in over a year, and boy howdy, I was on my way to Blood People, Aweful, and mother fuckin’ Boybrain at Liar’s Club! The show was nothing short of amazing. If I wasn’t already hooked on Boybrain when I got there, I sure as hell was by the time I left.
Over the next 3 years I saw just about every local performance Boybrain played. Multiple times at both Liar’s and the Bottle, once at Cobra Lounge and even once at Green Mill. I don’t know how I got so lucky, but on my birthday in 2022 Boybrian shared a bill with my good friends Aweful and my other favorite local band, Djunah! It was the best birthday present I could have asked for.
Boybrain consists of Patti on guitar and vocals. Hailing from Florida, she moved here for film school and thankfully decided to stay here and make music. Jon, who recently joined the band on bass duty, comes to Chicago from Detroit by way of Memphis. Inga, ripper of lead guitar, and Colin, smasher of drums, are both Chicago natives.
As we were about to begin the interview they joked about how fun it must be for me to interview a bunch of awkward introverts. On the contrary, their demeanor put my own awkward introverted anxiety to rest and the interview was a ton of fun. We sat down to food-up at Feed while we conducted the interview before walking over to their rehearsal space to take photos. Boybrain has been eating at Feed for a while now, religiously going there on Mondays when they practice. Taking a deep inhale of the atmosphere in Feed, Colin remarked,
“I like a layer of fry oil in the air.”
The band rehearses in the annex of Superior Street Studios where they are part of an excellent community. They currently share their room with Stick Fight. They used to share with Wizzo as well, who have since moved into a room next door. Their friends Something is Waiting practice in the room across from theirs. While the other tenants in the annex are great, the vending situation leaves much to be desired.
“The vending machines in the big space are awesome, but ours is a pop machine that doesn’t even work. They don’t care about us. Second class”
Even though I’ve never seen them put on a bad show, Boybrain is not immune to pre-show jitters. As a ritual Patti, who is usually not a drinker, always downs one shot of whiskey to calm her nerves. I’d wager it’s more a placebo than anything else, but since learning this I have had the privilege to take the pre-show shot with her multiple times now.
Shortly after this interview was conducted, Boybrain debuted a new song titled Nailbox at their home away from home, Liar’s Club. When asked, Inga described the song as “Another Opus” to which Patti added,
“It’s Another Exquisite corpse that is just parts smushed together.”
The song was written about a former member of Mr. Bungle, who had recently been arrested on suspicion of murdering his girlfriend. This was unsettling news for Patti, Mr. Bungle being her favorite band. The story went off the rails into a conversation about Nu Metal. How it was influenced by Bungle and Faith No More, and the role the soundtrack for Judgment Night played in its inception. Jon had this to say on the subject,
“I love Pantera, I just hate when other people try to sound like them.”
We discussed the pros and cons of the band’s recent show at Empty Bottle. One con was they had to headline the show, which they don’t like to do ever. Inga explained they like to open shows and leave the stage. Colin added, “Without vomiting.” Yup, there’s a story to go with that!
It was Colin’s first show at the Empty Bottle. He didn’t get much sleep the night before and he neglected to eat before the show. After loading in and doing a sound check, he was able to stop back at home, so he took an hour nap and ate a lot of spaghetti. Like three bowls of spaghetti. When it was time to play, the corner of the stage where the drums are was blistering hot as always. By the end of their set, Colin knew he was definitely going to throw up, but he thought he could make it to the end of the song. He did in fact, make it to the end of the song, and was just barely able to make it out to the alley to vomit. And get locked out. And vomit more, and more, while the rest of the band searched for him inside the venue. Inga recalled finally going out to the alley and wondering who had spilled all this spaghetti, to which Colin responded,
“You couldn’t tell it was used?”
We went on to discuss other music-related mishaps. Patti recalled almost passing out from the heat at a show in Arkansas. She briefly lost consciousness but somehow her body continued to play while a lesser mortal would have collapsed to the floor. Inga wasn’t as lucky, recalling a time she fell face-first on the stage after a drunk asshole in the audience grabbed her foot in the middle of their set.
We spent some time talking about previous bands everyone had been in, which led to the realization of how glad they are that none of them drink at band practice. Drinking at practice is a great way to waste 6 hours accomplishing nothing. Listening back to recordings the next day you thought would be awesome only to find out it’s terrible and you played like shit.
“In your 20s it’s what you do, because you’re just fitting music into your drugs and alcohol schedule and hanging out. Now we actually just care about the music.”
Having met the band so many times at this point, I felt embarrassed I hadn’t asked where their name came from before now. I guess I didn’t need to feel that bad though, because Colin chimed in that he had never asked either. Patti explained there are two reasons for the name. The first is that Patti calls Inga a boybrain, because Inga has a boybrain. The second being an article Patti read, possibly by Stephen King, (we don’t fully remember who wrote it). The author discussed the adrenaline and psychology of what happens when you watch horror movies, and explained that it is more of a male brain thing. Being both female and a tremendous horror fan herself (the whole band loves horror), she thought:
“That was like, so fucking stupid.”
Having always gotten a degree of a horror vibe from Boybrain’s music, I asked Patti if that was indeed an influence on her song’s subjects and lyrics. Inga pointed out they’ve come mostly from true crime. Patti explains she’s not really motivated by things like love and heartbreak, she’s more interested in writing about anger and things that are fucked up, like killing. She pulls a lot from movies and documentaries and such, which are usually about men behaving badly. However none of Patti’s lyrics are completely literal, she writes them through her own lens turning them somewhat autobiographical. Florida is another subject that frequently pops up in her songs. Collin adds, “Plenty of true crime happens in Florida.” Patti continues, “It is a scary place. Yeah, born and raised there, so it’s terrifying. It’s horrible there so there’s a lot to pull from.
Dying Scene will be covering Boybrain and other artists at Hands Off Our Festival (HOOF) this October. Here are some questions we asked the band about the fest.
What are you looking forward to the most at HOOF this year?
“We’re looking forward to dressing up for Halloween, baby! Playing a show dressed up in crazy as fuck costumes is so fun. We’re horror nerds so we take dress-up time very seriously [clown emoji, tongue-out winking emoji]. We’re also looking forward to playing with a bunch of bands that we’ve never played with before… like Sweetie and Carnivore Mommy! “
What does HOOF mean to you?
“HOOF is a rad festival that centers around women and queers….. without the typical sausage fest vibes that surround a lot of venues, bands and festivals (we see you Riot Fest). It also reminds us of riot grrrl era shit…and we’re here for that.”
Why should people go?
“People should go to support women who play the fuck outta some music.”
There you have it. Once again, remember to listen to their new single, Ratmouth, which will be on streaming services this October! Don’t miss them at Hands Off Our Fest (HOOF) October 19th!!!
In anticipation for H.O.O.F., the one day music festival celebrating the women, femmes and thems of the Chicago punk scene, we are interviewing and spotlighting some of the awesome bands playing this year. We have Sparkling Urbana, Peach Vomit and Carnivore Mommy today! If you are in the Chicago area we better see you there […]
In anticipation for H.O.O.F., the one day music festival celebrating the women, femmes and thems of the Chicago punk scene, we are interviewing and spotlighting some of the awesome bands playing this year. We have Sparkling Urbana, Peach Vomit and Carnivore Mommy today! If you are in the Chicago area we better see you there October 19th!
Hey! We’re Sparkling Urbana, we’re an all trans/queer grunge/alternative band from Chicago. We’re powered by gender-angst, queer joy, and the general chaos of being alive, jam that through some twinkly, fuzzy riffs and loud vocals, and see if it makes sense when the screaming stops.
What are you looking forward to the most at HOOF this year?
Honestly, getting a tattoo done by a cool nonbinary tattoo artist while there’s badass fem/queer punk bands playing on stage sounds like a dream come true, so yeah a couple of us are planning on getting a tattoo from Teddi.
What does HOOF mean to you?
We’re so glad as queer folks and local music lovers that this sort of thing exists. This would’ve been the coolest thing in the world to us when we were younger, which is a standard we try to live by. And it’s not just about the music (which of course the bands are gonna be killer) but about getting people together in a safe space, and celebrating this space by enjoying really talented artists and all of the other fun events–costumes and music and drag and tattoos etc. We want you to be your weirdest self here.
Why should people go to HOOF?
Because they want to be a part of something with other people who want to be a part of something, and they want to see some of the best local bands. Truly, everyone should see EVERYONE here. Carnivore Mommy, The Daddy Sisters, of COURSE Sweetie, and on and on. Sparkling Urbana will be playing songs from our new EP (Give It Extra Teeth) and at least one never before played song. Go see everyone, you literally can’t go wrong.
Anything else you want the people to know? New music/show announcements? Favorite gum flavor or song to cry to?
Our EP Give It Extra Teeth is on all of the streaming platforms and iTunes/Bandcamp and we have additional shows this fall. Follow us on instagram (@sparklingurbana) for show details. 🙂 Sparkling Urbana runs on queer joy, queer rage, and caffeine, so, shout out to the french press, top level cheap way to make coffee if you’re looking for a way to make coffee.
Hey what’s up? We are Peach Vomit! A crappy punk band based out of Harvard IL. Been a band for roughly 7 years and going strong. We got some awesome members including : Mama Vomit aka Meg, the vocalist and the wild woman. There’s Eric aka Papa Vomit who gets silly on the strings of his guitar and he looks fabulous doing it in his signature dresses! We have two awesome bass players , Abby aka Avalanche who is our primary bass player and Habacuc aka Haba who also fills in on bass for us from time to time. Last but NOT least we got Skylor aka Sky beating the crap out of the skins for us.
What are you looking forward to the most at HOOF this year?
We are looking forward to playing a new town, which also happens to be close to Meg’s hometown in Hazel Crest, IL. Also super stoked to see all the fabulous outfits and costumes.
What does HOOF mean to you?
Mama: hoof has an extra special place in my heart especially being a woman in the music scene. It shines a spotlight on those who are overlooked constantly and that is something that I truly respect and love about this fest.
Why should people go to HOOF?
Because it’s a wonderful and inclusive festival where everyone can be themselves and have a great time doing it!!
Anything else you want the people to know? New music/show announcements? Favorite gum flavor or song to cry to?
Yes actually we are currently in the process of working on an EP “Queerdo” and we are hoping to have them in the process of recording by November and hopefully have it released by December!!
Ever wanted the theatrics of emo and the horror of queercore to smooch a little?
Maybe you’re a lil’ freak who desperately wants to be Mommy’s favorite?
May we introduce to you, Chicago’s very own eerie, dancey, sick, and scream-soakedCarnivore Mommy.
Hi! We’re a femme-screamer-fronted, queercore band with influences of metal, screamo, and theatre! Our members are Sage Bryant (bass), Nich Svoboda (guitar), Lauren Memery (scream vox/lyrics), Gabriel Neimark (drums), and we’ll hit our one year as band this December!
What are you looking forward to the most at HOOF this year?
Lauren: I’m excited to hear from my fellow screamers! And also hopefully see some familiar faces from last year! Double also my fellow Mommys are cookin up a great band costume, soooooo very excited to play dress up!
What does HOOF mean to you?
Lauren:Going to HOOF last year was actually one of the final kicks I needed to go all in on Carnivore Mommy. Sage was the first one to hop onto my brain baby for this band, and I had just recruited Gabe by the time HOOF rolled around. Spending that gorgeous day in such sparkly, dingy, saccharine to suddenly vitriolic to delicious space, surrounded by truly the sweetest folks I’d been dreeeeeaming of finally meeting. Of course it finally clicked. The scene is waiting for what you have to offer, now get out of your own way and GET IT.
Why should people go to HOOF?
Lauren:Why wouldn’t you want to spend your day with the loveliest, silliest, most talented scenesters, and just lavish in generosity and power and spit and bite all dang day? Why would you NOT want to do that??? And everyone dresses up! Like, have fun already! Ugh!!!
Anything else you want the people to know? New music/show announcements? Favorite gum flavor or song to cry to?
Lauren:We’re playin’ Cafe Mustache (pwyc!) with our pals in An Fang on Oct 22nd and Liar’s Club Oct 27th with the Cult of Space Skull AND The Cult of Nasty! (So if you like cultic goodness AND screamy tunage, then you know where you gotta be, Baby.)
Also our Insta is: @carnivore.mommy ️
Double also, best song to sob your dick off too is Because Dreaming Costs Money by Mitski. Obviously.
The pop-punk genre has had some legendary crossover throughout the years. Most of the tours listed below are shows that will never happen again. They are a perfect moment in time, a product of their generation and surroundings. Some fans were lucky enough to witness such an experience. As for the rest of us, we’ll […]
The pop-punk genre has had some legendary crossover throughout the years. Most of the tours listed below are shows that will never happen again. They are a perfect moment in time, a product of their generation and surroundings. Some fans were lucky enough to witness such an experience. As for the rest of us, we’ll look at these lineups and dream about what it might have been like to see such a show.
This list excludes festivals like Bamboozled, Warped Tour, Mayhem fest, Sad Summer fest, etc. To make the list they must be cross-country traditional shows.
This is the most recent tour by far. Originally scheduled for 2020, but delayed a year because of COVID, the 21 Years of Bad Luck Tour was everything fans wanted and more. Seeing 3 staples of the pop-punk community on one tour was breathtaking. Every time one set ended, the next one came in even stronger. All 4 bands on the bill truly gave it their all and it shows. Bayside was supporting their heaviest record yet, Interrobang [2019]. Senses Fail had just collaborated with Spencer from Ice Nine Kills and was gearing up for Hell Is In Your Head [2022]. As a pop-punk fan, you won’t see a lineup this stacked for a while.
The Wonder Years have never had a bad lineup on any of their tours. The band is known for having their finger on the pulse of the scene. Their fall tour with Motion City Soundtrack is easily one of the most iconic tours yet. State Champs even opened for this show right before they blew up into the mainstream. This feels like a fan-made tour on Tumblr in 2014. Fall tour of 2015 is even more impressive when you consider this is in the wake of the bands 7″ split EP! All of these bands on this bill grew to have even more successful careers.
The hype for this tour was palpable to say the least. Pierce the Veil drops King for a Day with Sleeping With Sirens in 2012, it soars to the top of every rock chart. It immediately becomes a cult classic. The tour was inevitable, but what was unexpected was just how memorable it would be. It skyrocketed every band on the bill’s career. This tour made post-hardcore cool again. Sleeping with Sirens was still extremely heavy at this time. Opener Beartooth had dropped their debut album Disgusting and was on track to be the next huge headliner. Even the more mellow This Wild Life provided a breathtaking soundscape for fans to enjoy (and get real sad to). Fans of one band soon found themselves obsessed with all 4. This was a scene kid’s dream come true.
Any show that either Taking Back Sunday or Coheed and Cambria do separately is always a 10/10 performance. Some fans were lucky enough to see these two rock legends perform together, back to back. Taking Back Sunday is known worldwide for their energy and charisma. Coheed is famously one of the most talented and technical bands in the scene. They can play unimaginable riffs with ease. Not only that, but The Story So Far opened for this once-in-a-lifetime event. From old bands to new bands, this tour brought the heat. While all the bands are still together, we’ll never see them in this incredible order again.
8.) Believers Never Die Tour (2009)- Fall Out Boy, All Time Low, Cobra Starship, Metro Station, Hey Monday
It’s hard to even imagine the excitement of a Fall Out Boy and All Time Low tour alone. What happens when you add on Cobra Starship, Metro Station, and Hey Monday? You get the scene tour of the decade. Anyone that ever bought skinny jeans from Hot Topic or had Green Day on their iPhone shuffle went to this tour. To this day, memes about this tour are all over pop-punk Instagram and tik-tok. It’s defined the test of time. It certainly lived up to its hype for decades to come.
You know this lineup is stellar when even the bottom of the bill could headline an arena. Considering this was Blink 182’s first album without Tom Delonge, they knew they had to bring their best. This tour was perfect for every generation. Older fans were there to see Blink and A Day to Remember, younger fans came in droves for All Time Low and the All-American Rejects. This show can only happen once in a lifetime, and if you were there, you’ll never forget it.
6.) The Save Rock and Roll Tour (2013)- Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, Twenty One Pilots
This is another tour that is absolutely baffling. Fall Out Boy, fresh off the heels of their massive comeback, and touring with Panic! At the Disco, the band they helped create. Save Rock and Roll may be a divisive record but I firmly believe it has so much heart. There’s a reason the band came back even bigger than when they broke up. To add a cherry on top, Twenty One Pilots was the main opener and still extremely small at this point. When people refer to alt-emo this is the sound they are referring to. Regardless of your preferred genre of music, this tour was perfect for everyone who rejected mainstream modernity in 2013. A show like this would sell our baseball stadiums in 2022.
The Story So Far Tour in 2018 was a renaissance of modern pop-punk. Every single band on this lineup would grow up to be influential in the emo scene. Citizen and Movements have become icons for sad downbeat music. Turnover has dove deep into soft rock and found success there. All of these artists gave something back to the scene they loved and pushed the boundaries of music forward. The best compliment about this lineup that I can say is that it feels almost too good to be true.
This is the tour on the list I’m the most jealous of by far. Even the main opener (The Wonder Years) is one of the most concise and powerful bands of all time. Keep in mind, when this tour occurredall 3 headliners were experiencing a massive rise in their respective careers. A Day To Remember had just dropped their magnum opus, Common Curtsey. Pierce the Veil had released their biggest album to date, Collide With The Sky. Even All Time Low was finding success again with their record Don’t Panic! Every band was blowing up simultaneously. If you got to witness this lineup, you are one of the lucky ones.
Another recent entry on this list, and arguably one of the biggest, the Hella Mega tour swept the world with hype. 3 of the largest rock bands in the scene agreed to come together for an epic tour. Very rarely can you see Emo and Pop-punk bands sell out 50,000-capacity stadiums. The financial success of this tour showcases how necessary it was and valued among the pop-punk community.
This tour is extra special because 2/3 of this bill no longer exists. It is literally impossible to see these artists live. However, for the special fans who got to experience such an event, I am confident they will never forget it. Brand New and Modern Baseball both being the faces of modern emo, with the fun alternative sound of the Front Bottoms makes this a legendary show. This concert will forever live on as one of the greatest experiences in rock history.
There isn’t much that can be said about this tour that hasn’t already been said. Green Day and Blink 182 were dominating the mainstream in ways rock hasn’t seen in years. Their tour together would cement itself as one of the crowning live events of the 2000’s. This tour is so well known, you can say “pop disaster” to any fan of the genre and they’ll immediately know exactly what you’re referring to.
Jim Lindberg’s Black Pacific is back after a fourteen-year hiatus with their new album, Here Comes Our Wave. Presented is a collection of songs that are all punk rock in some form, but a few go in unexpected directions. While that spectrum is wide, Lindberg keeps to his roots lyrically, but lets us get deeper […]
Jim Lindberg’s Black Pacific is back after a fourteen-year hiatus with their new album, Here Comes Our Wave. Presented is a collection of songs that are all punk rock in some form, but a few go in unexpected directions. While that spectrum is wide, Lindberg keeps to his roots lyrically, but lets us get deeper into his head and personal life.
The songs on the first side will sound familiar to anyone who has followed Lindberg over his thirty-five-plus year career. The album opens with the song, “I Think I’m Paranoid.” A straightforward punk rock song about the distrust of people and the government that Jim’s been preaching for years in Pennywise. “Superhero” feels like a 1990’s punk rock song where Lindberg speaks about his lack of self esteem and wanting to find more. “No Fun’s” fuzzy surf intro dissolves into a mid-tempo punk rock song about dictators around the world and the sociopathic ways they show, “It’s no fun, til we kill everyone.” “Won’t Make A Sound” laments about media biases and how stories get skewed. “Here We Come,” warns about A.I. and its eventual takeover of jobs and probably us. The robot apocalypse has never sounded so catchy.
The back half of this record is what makes this album truly a great and interesting thing. Lindberg shares a different side with us and deviates away from the punk rock he is typically associated with. “Best Day Ever” is probably the most optimistic song I’ve heard Lindberg sing. It’s nice to see him stretch his legs a bit and branch off into poppier punk. It’s not pop punk in its usual form, but it’s a song about appreciating yourself. “Float Away” is a full-on love song. A fantasy about making a raft for him and his wife to float around the world on an endless vacation as a way to get out of the doldrums of a long marriage. “Won’t Let You Down” continues some of the same themes of “Float Away,” but in a more grounded way. It’s a nice culmination of the side before the closing song “Here Comes Our Wave.” Thematically, the title song feels like it would work better closing the first side of the record, but “Won’t Let Me Down” would be a weird place to end the album.
Here Comes Our Wave is a personal record written by someone who has clearly put in the work on his mental health and is not afraid to talk about his feelings as a result. Something that seems to be a lot more prevalent as the punk rock scene gets older. While some of these sentiments have been expressed with Jim’s work in Pennywise, it’s a bit refreshing to not hear them at breakneck speed. If you’re looking for a full-on Pennywise album, this may not be for you, but a few of the songs will definitely scratch that itch. Hearing pop punk filtered through Lindberg’s words mostly lands where it needs to with a pretty good payoff. Alan Vega’s drumming stays in that punk rock box and keeps this album moving at a good pace. Clocking in at under thirty-five minutes, Here Comes Our Wave is a great exploration of punk rock as a genre and Jim Lindberg as a person. The album is out now via Dine Alone Records.
Philly punk rock four piece The Bad Ups released their awesome new album Life of Sin last week on Jump Start Records, and we’re keeping the party going with an exclusive premiere of the band’s music video for “Better Than You”. This is one of many standout tracks on the record; check out the video […]
Philly punk rock four piece The Bad Ups released their awesome new album Life of Sin last week on Jump Start Records, and we’re keeping the party going with an exclusive premiere of the band’s music video for “Better Than You”. This is one of many standout tracks on the record; check out the video down below 👇 and grab The Bad Ups’ new album on straight bitchin’ colored vinyl right here.
By the way! If you’re local, catch The Bad Ups’ show tonight at The Fire. They’re playing with Kids On Fire (on tour from Washington! (the state, not our nation’s capital) and fellow Philadelphians, Astrophels and Left on the Right. And once again, buy their new record! This shit kicks fuckin’ ass. And that’s a Screeching Bottlerocket promise.
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!
The Garden Amp in Garden Grove hosted “Drive-Thru Metal band” Mac Sabbath for their tenth anniversary show. Support from The Dickies and Peelander Z made this a tongue-in-cheek night of satire, bad puns, and insanity. Peelander Z, the Japanese Action Comic Punk band, opened the night by pumping up the crowd, chanting “Go PZ, Go” […]
The Garden Amp in Garden Grove hosted “Drive-Thru Metal band” Mac Sabbath for their tenth anniversary show. Support from The Dickies and Peelander Z made this a tongue-in-cheek night of satire, bad puns, and insanity.
Peelander Z, the Japanese Action Comic Punk band, opened the night by pumping up the crowd, chanting “Go PZ, Go” until Peelander Yellow, Peelander Green, and Peelander Red exploded into “P-Burger,” a song about eating hamburgers every night and every day. During fan favorite “So Many Mike,” they pulled up someone from the crowd wearing a homemade shirt provided to him that said “I Am Mike.” At one point, Peelander Yellow replaced each member of the band by holding up signs asking for someone from the crowd to volunteer to play an instrument on stage. While this was happening, bowling pins were set up at the front of the stage. Once a new band had been formed, Peelander Yellow waited at the back of the venue and ran into the pins for a quick game of human bowling. They closed the set dancing to their cover of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” Peelander Z’s set moves so fast they don’t give you the proper time to process what you are watching, but by the end of their set, most of the crowd was on board. Their stage show is the most fun one will ever have at a punk rock show. My description cannot do justice to how amazing their set was and must be seen in person.
Second up was the legendary Dickies. They opened the set with “Killer Klowns From Outer Space.” Ben David Selig’s rhythm guitar, Eddie Tatar’s bass, and Adam Gomez’s drumming hold the band steady while Stan Lee shreds through a set that went through most of the Dickies’ hits, including “Eve of Destruction,” “Manny, Moe, and Jack,” and “You Drive Me Ape.” Lead singer Leonard Graves doesn’t move as well as he used to, but his voice still sounds great. He’s still a charming and funny frontman who will wear a snorkel and goggles while dancing with a blow-up doll during “Waterslide.” The band closed with their covers of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” and the themes to Gigantor and Banana Splits. While I have never seen a bad set from this band, it was disappointing not hearing “Stukas over Disneyland.”
Mac Sabbath is touring in celebration of ten years. Ten years of Ronnie Osborne and his Monsanto-mutated fiends Grimalice on bass, the Cat Burglar on drums, and Slayer McCheese on guitar to warn the world of the evils of a drive-thru dinner. Mac Sabbath came out in tuxedos to celebrate their anniversary but quickly took them off to let the mayhem begin. While most of their set consists of parodies of Black Sabbath songs like “Drive Thru the Void” and “Sweet Beef,” they also include takes on the band’s songs. Peter Criss-Hamburglar mash-up, the Catburglar, sings a version of KISS’s “Beth” called “Bread.” Decrying other fast food bands such as Dokken Donuts, Taco Belle and Sebastian, and Iron Maidenny’s. At one point, Ronnie Osborne grabs a microphone attached to a trouble light and sings Roy Orbison’s “In Dreams” like Dean Stockwell in David Lynch’s “Blue Velvet.” Mac Sabbath’s set included a secret word. The secret word was “cake,” and when said, Ronald Osborne would put on a bucket hat and the band would go into the first verse and chorus of Cake’s song “The Distance.” At the end of the set, Stan Lee of the Dickies came out to play guitar on “Pair-a-buns,” Mac Sabbath’s take on “Paranoid,” prompting Ronnie Osborne to crowd surf on a hamburger pool float before teasing us with the beginning of “Gravy Train,” their cover of Ozzy Osbourne’s song “Crazy Train,” but ending before the first verse and their set.
This was a perfect lineup, and their powers combined made this one of the best shows I’ve seen in years. Picking bands that have no qualms about their silliness makes for a good time. The energy in the venue was different than most shows. It almost felt like watching Saturday Morning Cartoons live in person. Replaying this show in my head feels more like a fever dream than a cheap-ticketed night of entertainment.
Toronto pop-punks Streets to Ourselves will be dropping a new from their upcoming album The Truth Between Us on Spotify, Apple Music, and all your other favorite streaming platforms tomorrow. But let’s talk about tomorrow, let’s talk about today! Today, these good Ontario boys are exclusively premiering the music video for that same new single […]
Toronto pop-punks Streets to Ourselves will be dropping a new from their upcoming album The Truth Between Us on Spotify, Apple Music, and all your other favorite streaming platforms tomorrow. But let’s talk about tomorrow, let’s talk about today! Today, these good Ontario boys are exclusively premiering the music video for that same new single – it’s called “Free” by the way – right here on DyingScene.com. Scroll on down the page and check that shit out!
Here’s some background on the song from Streets to Ourselves frontman Daniel Peachy:
Free was written about the Freedom Convoy occupation that took place a few years ago in Canada, and as a Canadian I felt very strongly in opposition to that movement. However, I was also touching on what happened in America on January 6th as I think both events have many parallels. Although the lyrics were written back in 2022, I believe they are just as relevant today.
I find it disturbing to see such a rise in anti-intellectualism, as well as an increase in support for far right extremism. I think seeing more and more seemingly average people not only tolerate, but even align with the alt-right is a serious cause for concern. Up until now I’ve shied away from making political statements through Streets To Ourselves, but I know the 17 year old punk rock kid I used to be would punch me right in the face if all of this was happening and I wasn’t writing about it.
Streets to Ourselves will be playing a hometown album release show on November 2nd at Sneaky Dee’s. Go here for more details and tickets.
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!
Hands Off Our Fest returns to bring you female-fronted bands, drag, and comedy at Blue Island Beer Co. Celebrating the women, femmes, and thems of the Chicago punk scene, this music festival brings a gold mine of a musical lineup. After last year’s success, this year promises to be bigger and better than before, featuring […]
Hands Off Our Fest returns to bring you female-fronted bands, drag, and comedy at Blue Island Beer Co.
Celebrating the women, femmes, and thems of the Chicago punk scene, this music festival brings a gold mine of a musical lineup. After last year’s success, this year promises to be bigger and better than before, featuring live musical performances, drag, stand-up comedy, a Halloween costume contest, and much more. The event will be hosted at Blue Island Beer Company in Blue Island, IL on October 19th from 3pm to 11 pm.
Birdy Vee, founder of H.O.O.F. and frontwoman of Chicago lipstick-punk band, Sweetie, was emboldened by the success and joy of last year’s very first Hands Off Our Fest, and she boasts that this year will be even more ‘delightful and bewitching’.
“When I began organizing the first H.O.O.F., I was feeling really run down and intimidated by many of the experiences I had dealt with as a woman in the music scene,” said Vee, who sings and plays guitar for Sweetie. “There were times where I felt really upset and afraid. Instead of quitting, I put my background in community organizing to the test and took on the task of organizing my own festival.”
“I really wanted to make something that would bring together the women, femmes, thems, and queer folks of the Chicago music scene and give us the opportunity to bond, grow our community, and create space for ourselves,” Vee said. “Last year’s event was truly so special and heartwarming that I knew I absolutely needed to organize another Hands Off Our Fest. Last year’s festival had the same joyful, bubbly vibes as a slumber party, and I hope this year is even more fun and jubilant. Especially since the lineup this year is, once again, absolutely killer!” The lineup of musicians include Sweetie, The Rumours (IA), The Daddy Sisters (KY), Boybrain, The Cell Phones, Sparkling Urbana, Carnivore Mommy, and Peach Vomit.
“We are also excited to announce that this year we are partnering with Dying Scene, an online music publication that covers everything punk rock and its related subgenres.” Vee said. “ Boasting to be ‘for the punks, by the punks,’ Dying Scene is a news source for album releases, concert reviews and helping fans discover new artists no matter their size.”
This event also features a drag show hosted by Kai Valentine, with performances by Ichabod Vicious, Dr. Caligirlie, and Dolce Vita, accompanied by standup comedy from The Queeny Bitch. Teddi Garson of Electric Tattoo Parlour returns once again with their HOOF-themed on-site flash tattoos, donating part of their proceeds to Youth Outlook, a local charity supporting local LGBTQ+ youth. The festival is all ages (concertgoers under 17 must bring an adult). Tickets can be found on the Blue Island Beer Co. website for $25 presale and $30 at the door.
Want to get into the HOOF spirit? Check out the playlist below and listen to some of the artists playing this year and some from HOOF’s first year!
The Smoking Popes have released a live album of their breakthrough album, Born to Quit. Recorded in front of a small audience at Bombsight Recording Studio, the Caterer brothers and Mike Fulemee celebrate thirty years of their breakthrough album, and the results are spectacular. From the first lines of “Midnight Moon,” it’s clear that Josh […]
The Smoking Popes have released a live album of their breakthrough album, Born to Quit. Recorded in front of a small audience at Bombsight Recording Studio, the Caterer brothers and Mike Fulemee celebrate thirty years of their breakthrough album, and the results are spectacular.
From the first lines of “Midnight Moon,” it’s clear that Josh Caterer’s voice still holds up after all these years, which shouldn’t be a shock if you’ve followed his career. The Smoking Popes have done their best to emulate the original sound and tone of the instruments on the album. There’s almost a Beatles or Smithereens feel on the guitar parts. I have never played in a band with my family, but it seems that bands with siblings who are in sync with their influences seem to meld in a different way than the friends you meet and play music with. The humorous lyrics of “Rubella,” intersecting symptoms of an infection and the feeling of falling in love with someone, still work. The impatient “Gotta Know Right Now” has its third verse sung by Deeana Belos of Sincere Engineer, giving it a bit of underlying humor over a verse some could find problematic all these years later. This is an album about young, stupid love, which is why it connects so well. Nothing shows this better than the song “Mrs. You and Me.” Those strong feelings of thinking you’ve met the one you want to spend the rest of your life with. “Just Broke Up” tears down those reasons pretty fast, citing a clingy girlfriend. However, when its last line in the first verse declares, “I have no regrets at all,” it definitely means there are plenty.
“My Lucky Day” laments those optimistic feelings that help brighten your day when you’ve fallen in love. While fan favorite “Need You Around” extends the sentiment by confessing these feelings. Like most people, this was my gateway into the Smoking Popes, and the song has aged like wine. It’s still the sappy but sweet confession it was meant to be thirty years later. “Can’t Help the Teardrops (From Getting Cried)” is an about-face from “My Lucky Day.” Is this the consequence of making the confession in “Need You Around”? The record closes out with “Adena” and “On the Shoulder,” the latter being the longest track on the album. If you’ve heard the Smoking Popes’ next album, Destination Failure, it transitions greatly into its opening track.
For those revisiting the album since its release, this live session is an amazing way to document it. The original cover shows an out-of-shape man from the neck down holding a pose to show off his “muscles,” but the Live Session album shows an in-shape fighter with tape on his hands. The image is fitting. The recordings do not deviate too much from their originals, but these songs sound great. The only thing that sounds awkward is the two seconds of crowd applause that gets cut off, which makes me believe they did multiple takes of songs rather than play it all the way through. There’s no commentary on the song about to be played or banter between the band. It’s an interesting choice, but ultimately doesn’t affect the songs too much. I’ve always said that the Violent Femmes’ first record should be issued to teenagers as a way to navigate what it’s like being that age. Born to Quit should be required listening on the same level. The album is out now on Anxious and Angry Records.
Blacklist Royals are fuckin’ back! That’s right, you heard it here first. Well probably not first considering their 5 day tour out to play Punk in Drublic in Denver has already came and went. The plan was to have this out before or during that run, but shit got hectic, so it’s going live now. […]
Blacklist Royals are fuckin’ back! That’s right, you heard it here first. Well probably not first considering their 5 day tour out to play Punk in Drublic in Denver has already came and went. The plan was to have this out before or during that run, but shit got hectic, so it’s going live now. Luckily, Blacklist had all kinds of cool shit to talk about aside from hitting the road, including that new music is indeed on the way!
It was super awesome getting to sit down and get to know these dudes a little bit. Rob and I had hung out a handful of times, most recently at the world-renowned OG Basement for an intimate Trever Keith performance. Aside from that, I really didn’t know Rob, and I’d never met Nat. It was an amazing added bonus that Sim Williams was able to join the interview, having just flown in from California to start the tour a few days after this was recorded.
My overall takeaway from this interview was that these dudes are extremely grateful to still be doing this, and that they’ve still got a ton of crazy cool shit to put out there.
Songwriting was a primary subject of much of our conversation. Being that Nat and Rob are twins brings in an interesting dynamic that isn’t found much throughout music. Additionally, Sim’s songwriting path looks quite different, beginning only in 2015 with the composition of his solo acoustic material. We cover everything from influences to how songs begin. Although not much can be announced yet as far as specifics for new material, in Rob Rufus’s own words, “I think it’s some of the best shit I’ve ever written.“
Having looked up to the these guys for a long time as one of the bands on the short list of Nashville punk greats, coupled with hearing nonstop from buddies about how good these guys were, makes me as stoked as anybody to hear what’s set to be released sometime in the near future.
This tour was, in some ways, a trip down memory lane for the Blacklist Royals crew. Chocked full of cities that the Rufus twins and Williams hadn’t been to in years, plus Sioux City which was an entirely new venture for everybody, these guys had no shortage of stories from each city of this run. Additionally, a few bands hopped on these shows that previously shared the stage with BLR, or had grown up as fans. “Some of the places, you know, we haven’t been out in so long. We were trying to set up shows and some of the bands actually reached out as like fans of Blacklist Royals and stuff,” said Nat. “So, it’s kind of exciting just to, you know, get to play with people that dig our band. You know, just a good reminder that, like, you know, people remember you. It’s cool, you know, just to get to support other bands, to get to put them on the show.”
“[We’ve played with] one of the bands. Bruiser Queen, from St. Louis, is playing two of the shows. They’re great, they’re a two-piece. And Nato Coles is playing the Minneapolis show, he was in a band called The Used Kids back in the day. He’s been in a bunch of, like, Fest bands. But he’s a fucking killer,” said Nat. “Honestly, even getting the opportunity to play as Blacklist and make music again, kind of getting to even reform the band with like, the dream team is so awesome.“
Lots of new stuff is to come, but no details or set release date for any new music is public yet. Keep an eye out for any announcements from these dudes. In the meantime, check out some BLR favorites that I’ve attached below, along with the complete transcript of our chat. Cheers!
Dying Scene (Nathan Kernell NastyNate): I’ll try not to keep you guys here too long, I just – I appreciate you coming out and talking, dudes. So like, where did this tour kind of come from? Are you doing any new music or anything?
Rob Rufus (RR): Yeah, we’re recording right now, actually, a new release. So it all really – it was, like, reverse engineered kind of. You know, Blacklist was pretty much inactive, and then Nat and I were working on that band with [Fat] Mike. But Blacklist, we got asked to play the Punk in Drublic, and we were like, fuck, if we’re going to play that, we need to tour just to get our sea legs back.
That’s the Denver one, right?
RR: Yeah, and so then we booked the tour ourselves because we just haven’t been doing shit and don’t really know anyone anymore. A label that can’t be named, they’re going to do a release for us. So we were like, well, fuck, we got to, like, write some fucking songs. We thought it would be done by now, but…
You’re doing that here in Nashville?
Yeah, we did it at Matt Drastic’s place.
Hell yeah dude, I actually booked my band with him in September. I love that dude, man, he’s such a nice guy.
He’s the best, dude. And so we recorded there, and Sim’s recording in there. It’s good shit, like, it’s the best shit we’ve written in years, it’s more punk rock. You know, so, uh, it’s been – it’s been exciting to be there. It’s been fun to get back out there.
Well, I’m stoked to see you guys start playing again. If I’m not mistaken, was Fest 19 the last time you guys played?
Nat Rufus (NR): Yeah.
What was it before that?
RR: Fest… something else *laughs*, like, a different Fest. Maybe, like, three or four years before that.
So how did – how did you [Sim] kind of get involved with all this, because I’m familiar with your solo stuff. How did you kind of get mixed in?
Sim Williams (SW): I met these guys in 2011, I was in a band called The Exposed. I was playing guitar. And we met these guys in 2011, we’ve just been friends since. I did that tour with Blacklist, that Guttermouth tour, I did merch so I’m kind of used to working with these guys. We’ve remained in contact pretty steadily over the years. So they asked me to join, and I just jumped at the chance, really.
RR: We’ve always wanted to work with you.
Well it’s really cool getting to chat, I’ve loved your solo stuff for, I want to say, maybe the last three years.
NR: His last record’s the shit.
So the Punk in Drublic thing, are there any bands on there you haven’t played with, that you’re, like, super stoked to play with or anybody you’re super pumped about?
I love those dudes. Have you played with, like, Suicidal?
RR: No, and that’s, like – we’re not playing the same day, but I’m very excited to see them.
Yeah, I saw them, they were at Muddy Roots last year. Mike Muir, he’s aged a bit, but he hasn’t lost anything, he still has the energy. But then he’s brought in like, Ben Weinman on guitar, and Grayson Nekrutman, one of the top drummers under 25 in the world. And then Tye Trujillo, Robert’s son, on bass. He might be one of the most impressive musicians I’ve ever seen live, it was unbelievable.
NR: Yeah, I remember shaving my friend’s head at, like, 15 listening to Suicidal Tendencies, shaving it into a fucking mohawk listening to them. It’s going to be cool. I mean, the funny thing is when you’re young, you can’t think that you’re going to be playing with them one day. But now you grow up, you’re like, I can’t fucking believe it.
I’ve always known who they were, but I’ve kind of come around on them recently, started respecting the fuck out of those guys.
NR: I was the same way with them, actually. I mean, I knew Code Blue, but then I kind of got into them later. We actually – the key player from TSOL (Greg Kuehn) has played on both our full-length records. And he played on our first self-released seven-inch too.
So are there any dates on this tour you guys are particularly excited about, like cities you haven’t hit or anything?
RR: I’m excited to go back to Chicago for sure, Chicago’s going to be awesome. I’m excited to go to St. Louis because of the casinos. Last time we played there, we were robbed.
My band actually didn’t get robbed there, we got robbed in Memphis our last time, and it was like the dude we were playing with. Are you playing any new cities for you Sim, coming out from the West Coast?
SW: We’ve all done, like, walks all across a lot of these places. What’s the one we haven’t been to? There is one, Sioux City. Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever been.
NR: Kansas City, we haven’t been in a long time. Last time we were there, there was, like, a riot going on on the block of the club.
Have you had good luck there?
NR: Besides that? *laughs* Not really.
RR: I actually really like it. I will say, the first time we were ever there, the first time we did Warped Tour, and we drove up and we’re broke as fuck, we didn’t have money for a hotel. So we just parked in like, the luggage thing of a hotel, and we’ll just say we’re in a band, and maybe somebody will let us stay. And they did, we all got places to crash. People are cool, man, like, every once in a while… And Minneapolis, I’m excited to go there.
NR: It’s kind of cool. Some of the places, you know, we haven’t been out in so long. We were trying to set up shows and some of the bands actually reached out as like fans of Blacklist Royals and stuff. So, it’s kind of exciting just to, you know, get to play with people that dig our band. You know, just a good reminder that, like, you know, people remember you. It’s cool, you know, just to get to support other bands, to get to put them on the show.
So, I know, like, you guys have been fairly active recently with doing Bad Signs. Are you guys still doing that?
RR: No, not really, sadly. You know, Bad Signs was such a great band, I’m pretty bummed that it’s not really a thing anymore. But probably the greatest thing that came from it is, like, pretty recently, actually during the writer’s strike in L.A. I was, like, out in L.A. and I was having dinner with my manager and we were talking about Die Young with Me. It had spit around a couple places to maybe do a movie and then I would write the script for it. And it had, like, been a finalist for this big thing and I’m, like, now it’s going to get big. Then the writer’s strike happened, and nobody’s allowed to even look at any script. But they were allowed to look at stage plays. And, like, somebody at the agency was, like, Die Young with Me would be a great musical. And I say yes to everything, so I was, like, “yeah, it would, let’s fucking do it.” So now it’s moving forward as an actual thing. And Bad Signs was such a theatrical thing, we demoed some songs for it and they fucking loved it, some big playwrights that are in the production of this thing. So yeah, Bad Signs isn’t really a thing, but maybe one day, who knows?
So then, Sim, are you just hopping on for this tour, or is it a permanent thing?
SW: I’ll stick around as long as they’ll let me.
Well I guess a better question is, do you have guys have plans for after this tour and this Punk in Drublic thing?
RR: So we’re putting a new release out. And upon that, then we plan to take another trip around the sun. It’ll be whatever the market dictates. Like, I mean, I know when the record comes out, we’ll probably get a chance to go back to Europe, which would be fucking amazing. I mean, that’s when you gotta just let Jesus take the wheel, so to speak *laughs*.
NR: I’ll say it this way, we like to play, we want to play.
Well, do me a favor and play a Nashville show so I can see you guys.
NR: You know, we were going to play a Nashville show, but, like Rob said, we were flying by the seat of our pants and booking the shows ourselves. It just, we couldn’t get the day lined up. We were going to do a show in October, actually.
Do you guys enjoy kind of doing it yourselves a little more, like, with booking shows?
NR: Not at all *laughs*.
RR: No, fuck that shit.
SW: I mean, it’s a little easier for me sometimes being a solo guy. See, sometimes it’s easier, but a lot of times it’s fucking harder just because you have to deal with everything yourself. I like when you, like, inquire about a good show, like a good opening slot, and you get it. That’s cool, there is that rush when you get it worked out. Or, like, when sometimes you book a show, and something happens, and it gets canceled, and you have to re-book somewhere, that can be stressful.
RR: Back in the day, we toured once a year, all over the country. So now we were, like, fuck, we’ve got to do some shows before we get up in front of all those fucking people, I was afraid that I didn’t know how to do it anymore, because I was fucking doing that shit on, like, MySpace and Facebook, book your own life. Now I’m, like, I don’t know how to even get in touch with fucking people, you know. But luckily we still maintained a lot of relationships with people, so I was happy that I could still do it.
So the new Blacklist stuff, without going into a ton of detail, tell me a bit about that.
NR: I mean, the Blacklist Royal stuff is all original Blacklist Royals, like, nothing from any previous bands. The Blacklist thing’s about half done, we haven’t finished tracking quite yet. We’ve been trying to get it all wrapped up before this tour, that’s why nothing’s announced yet or anything. We’re gonna announce the label soon.
Are those songs that you guys have written recently, or have you got any older stuff on there?
NR: Yeah, all these songs are new. Well, you know, it is actually funny, most of the songs are new. One of them, I probably wrote… man, I don’t even know, when we really quit doing stuff.
RR: Yeah, we had a bunch of songs written, but shit kinda got fucked up, and we kinda, put it on pause.
Sim, any plans coming up for the Exposed?
SW: We haven’t done anything since 2013, but we are talking. We’re doing something soon, probably even later this year or early next year. We’re writing; it’s tough because we’re all in different countries, but our drummer’s just moved back to Seattle. We’re all from the UK, but our singer lives in Australia, I live in California, our drummer moved back to the UK, but now he’s back in Seattle. We never fell out of contact or anything.
So, do you have anything planned solo coming up?
SW: Yeah, I’ve just started recording a new EP, it’s gonna be a little bit more mellow, a little more just like acoustic-based which is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I got the first track of that back the other day, just like a rough mix, so hopefully by probably August, have something out, or like by September. I’ll probably just do some small West Coast shows too.
RR: I do wanna say this, the cool thing about just the Blacklist thing and the Exposed, like I would call Blacklist our main band that we had, even when they kind of quit being active, we all stayed super active in music. Like still writing and playing and shit. So I feel like we’re all at the top of our game in that way. Now I think it’s some of the best shit I’ve ever written.
So Rob, are you kind of the primary writer for Blacklist?
RR: Nah, nah. I write the singles *laughs*.
NR: On the new stuff so far it’s been pretty 50-50. He did write the single on the new stuff.
RR: But me writing a single, my voice is fucked up, I can’t really sing, and I can’t really play guitar either. So it’s like Nat transposing with his twin thing my crazy fucking rough ideas, he somehow understands it. We’re really lucky.
I always like asking, what are some local bands you guys are into? And same for you, Sim, out in California. Are there any local bands that alot of guys may not know about?
SW: There’s a few solo artists that I listen to.
I’ve gotten really into the Americana solo thing, like the punk guys doing the solo thing, whether it’s country or whatever. I don’t know if you know Northcote, I really love Matt’s stuff.
RR: His record’s sitting on my player now, the one before Hope is Made of Steel.
Hope is Made of Steel is one of my favorite records of all time.
SW: John Moreland, I listen to a lot of John. As far as solo artists go, I’ve played with some really, I mean I’ve played with Chuck Ragan, Austin Lucas, even Johnny Two Bags, guys like that. I’ve been lucky enough to play with those people, but in regards to unknown artists, actually my friend Michael Peters, one of the Bakersfield guys I recorded with, he’s releasing a record that I actually sung harmonies on a few of those songs. He’s got a song out now called Black Cloud and it’s Michael Peters and the Monsters, I’d recommend that if anyone likes that legit country. He’s got that legit Johnny Cash sound.
RR: That band Black Venus, they’re fuckin’ badass. And Americana stuff like Emily Nenni and Teddy and the Rough Riders. But the best motherfucker, Jeff Sheppard. He’s legit punk as fuck, he’s just such a fuckin’ sick songwriter and performer. Once he breaks, he’s gonna pop off. If I go out to shit though, if I’ve taken an edible especially, I’ll find a new young artist. I’m grateful that I’m not like resentful of younger bands, like I would think I would be because I’m a resentful fuck *laughs*.
It’s interesting, the few shows I’ve seen you guys at, it seems like some of your influences are less like “punk” guys, it seems like it’s a lot of genres outside of punk.
RR: Yeah, for sure. I mean I love all kinds. Like I know everybody will say that, but I have like best fuckin’ record collection. I feel like everybody our age that was into our genre of punk that’s a musician, especially a songwriter, they get into their late 20’s or mid 20’s and discover Bruce Springsteen and Steve Earle. Like I was always, I’ve been a huge fan of Springsteen since high school, but it was really when we moved here and we saw Steve Earle play some protest that we were opened up to all these other great bands. I started appreciating the song for the songwriting more than just the direction.
That’s something I’ve struggled with and I’m starting to come around on. I’ve always been all punk, but now I’m starting to finally appreciate good songwriting. Like, I don’t care about the genre, it’s the songwriting. Are you guys kind of the same way?
SW: I didn’t grow up necessarily as a songwriter, I grew up more as a guitar player, so I only really started writing songs when I started doing the solo thing in like 2015. With writing, I think when you hear things, it’s kind of like seeing things through a different lens.
That’s super interesting that your music career was that far along before you started writing. How difficult was it for you, when you started writing? Did it come pretty easily being around it that long?
SW: I’m surprised actually, I wrote the first EP pretty fucking quick and it’s not terrible, I was surprised really. And also I think I’ve been around it enough, Tony, the singer of our old band and songwriter, was a very good writer, a really really good songwriter. I think I learned a lot from him, what not to do. So in regards to genre, it’s more about the song and just how well it comes across, it can be a big, theatrical stage song or it can be just one guy with an acoustic guitar, like John Moreland. He’s my favorite songwriter and singer and it’s just him with an acoustic guitar.
RR: That’s actually an addendum to what I said earlier, I don’t give a shit about the genre, but if it’s boring, if it’s pop, get the fuck out.
SW: There still has to be a hook. There are some really good writers out there, some people that write really in depth songs that you can tell they put a lot of thought into it, but you still need to have the hook, you still need to have the melody.
NR: It’s so crazy, I just thought that seemed insane, but it’s almost like an author. You don’t think it’s crazy when somebody’s 40 and they go and write a novel and then they’re the shit. I just assume you’ve been like me and writing shitty songs since you were 15. But it does make sense, you start off good, you’ve got that passion.
So one of my go-to questions I always like asking too is like, what do you guys start with? Do you start with lyrical melodies or start with music?
RR: For me, I usually start with, not always a chorus, but like for instance, I like to go to bookstores, especially back in the day. And just look at the books, look at the book titles, maybe flip through and read the back of them, I’ll get stuck on like a turn of phrase. I had one of these songs written for the musical, and maybe 10 years ago I was reading like a Time Magazine or something like they fucked up and were sending me. There was this story about some shit going on in Africa and this general writer was quoted on the bottom of the thing and said “the heart is a drum that beats louder than death”. I was god damn, it’s fucking poetry, especially in the context of this terrible shit that was going on. And then like 10 years later we started working on songs for the musical and I was like that’s the song. And sometimes I’ll talk out a funny take on an idea. Like I wanted to write a song about ableism and I’d love to do it like the “KKK Took my Baby Away.“
NR: I like to start with titles these days. That was interesting because in Bad Signs, the nature of it was more kind of theatrical so I would start with titles and like themes.
So the fuckin’ tour. How pumped are you guys?
NR: When we got on the Punk in Drublic show, I was like, I want to do two fucking weeks. But then it was so soon, like, oh, we’re gonna get, like, five shows. I mean, honestly, it’s fine. But honestly, it’s gonna be a fucking blast. Five shows is more than enough.
Are you playing with any bands you’ve played with before, not on Punk in Drublic?
NR: One of the bands, Bruiser Queen, from St. Louis, is playing two of the shows. They’re great, they’re a two-piece. And Nato Coles is playing the Minneapolis show, he was in a band called The Used Kids back in the day. He’s been in a bunch of, like, fest bands. But he’s a fucking killer.
Sweet! Well I wish you dudes the best of luck, I just really appreciate you guys sitting down with me. It’s cool getting to meet all you guys.
NR: We appreciate you dude. Honestly, even getting the opportunity to play as Blacklist and make music again, kind of getting to even reform the band with like, the dream team is so awesome.
