Tuesday, December 22, 2020

GEOFF PALMER


 GEOFF PALMER

My first exposure to your music was via The Guts, which was an excellent band. But can you give us a proper musical history? How did it all begin, and what led you towards the path of being a songwriter?

 

The Useless Fucks was my first “real” band. I played drums, we pressed up a few 45’s that sold pretty well, made Tim Yohannan’s top 10 list in Maximumrocknroll, and did a bunch of touring. I would skip out on class from High School on Thursdays and Fridays to do long weekend runs and stuff like that. It was super fun! One day, I ran into Joe Queer at the Elvis Room (A coffee shop/show space in Portsmouth, NH), and he mentioned getting signed to Hopeless but had no band to record for the release. B-Face had just left, and Hugh was diagnosed with brain cancer.

I randomly said, “Well, I play bass, hit me up if you need somebody.” I didn’t play or own a bass at the time, but I knew I could probably do it, so why not try. A few weeks later, I got home from school, and my dad said some guy named Joe Queer called for you. Within a few months, I was in the studio recording as a bass player, with Mass Giorgini coaching me. We did the Everything’s OK ep, Punk Rock Confidential, and the Drunken Cholos album, plus I filled in for random shows and tours and all that. It was a great learning and networking experience. From that, I met JJ and all of the Nobodys (another Hopeless Records band). They had just finished up the XXX album and needed a 2nd guitar player for touring. I was asked and took the gig. I spent a year out in Colorado as a home base, but we were on the road pretty much the whole time. Then I came back to New Hampshire and started the Guts. After that, I started The Connection with my buddy Brad Marino. Around the same time as the Connection was getting rolling, Kurt Baker’s group The Leftovers broke up. Kurt wanted to put together a new band and I joined him forming the Kurt Baker band. We did a bunch of records and are still active, just released a new album this year! That brings us up to now with the solo records. I have also done a bunch of other projects and side-bands in-between or at the same time as the groups listed above. 


The Guts album Let It Go was a high point for pop-punk at the time of its release. The songwriting is stellar, the production superb. It's an all-around great album. Do you feel that it got the exposure it deserved? To me, it always seemed underrated.


Thanks for the high praise on the album. I am proud of "Let it Go." Everything came together at the right time and very quickly. The writing, recording, release, and everything in between went smooth. I think we had just enough experience at the time as a band to know what we wanted. I was keen to work with Rally Records. He set us up for a week in Wisconsin at Butch Vig's Smart Studios, with Justin Perkins running the board and Ben Weasel coming around to give additional input. My best buddy Kurt Baker and Andrew Rice from The Leftovers rode out in the van with us from New Hampshire, so the vibe from day one was totally on point. Nothing but fun! As far as exposure, I felt the record did very well for us.

When we would tour, people came out to the shows and knew the songs in the states and Europe, so it must have been working! At the time I wasn't looking at numbers, asking too many business questions, or watching how many units moved other than what we sold at shows. Later I did find out that something like 500 CDs got "lost" when the distro the label used closed down. In 2018 for the 10th anniversary, we did a limited vinyl pressing of 250 copies, and that sold-out super-fast. It's cool that people are still enjoying the album. Anyways, could it have done better? Yes, albums can always do better, but it did a lot for the band and me, and I would not change anything. 


There were other bands out at the time who had a similar flavor as The Guts. One that comes to mind is The Leftovers. Was there any camaraderie between the two bands? In particular, did you relate to Kurt Baker's approach to songwriting? Both bands played pop-punk, but in a more classic rock n' roll sense.


As I mentioned above, Kurt and Andrew came with us to record "Let it Go." Kurt is one of my best friends and pretty much family at this point. Jackie and I are friends with his parents and extended family, and our parents love Kurt too. Jackie's dad went to a Kurt show in Germany by himself. He texted us pictures, haha! The Guts played with The Leftovers all the time. One of the Leftovers first shows was with us, so, yeah, it's been a long time. Kurt and I have always hit it off with music (and pretty much everything else). We play in punk and pop-punk bands at times but listen to so much music from all corners of the world. A good song is a good song, and I don't care who wrote, who is performing it, or if it's "cool" or not to like. Suppose the song catches my ear, then for me, it's okay. It's hard not to pull in influences and styles when writing, and when you've got so many, it is bound to change your writing and sound over time. 


The Connection is an outstanding band and one that saw your songwriting renew its focus in a very impressive way. Did you have any prior experience writing material with such a timeless rock n' roll sound? How would you compare your experience being in The Connection to The Guts? Was it interesting to cross over into a totally different scene?

 

Again, thanks for the compliment! I know the bands are different, but the songs are the same when you boil it down. It's more the production and what you choose to do for textures within the songs. It's hard to say but something like that! When I'm writing, I don't say this is for this, and this is for that. I write and then use the songs that feel right for the project at the time. It was cool being in a setting that allowed some production ideas to work within the songs' writing and arrangements that would not have worked if The Guts did the same song. I'm very proud of all the work I've done with the Connection. It was great making those records, and they have all sold very well in the states and even more in Europe. I've always been a fan of power pop and garage rock, but there was no meeting or planning out the band. We wanted the band to be whatever the songs called for and not be in any box.

I was hanging out with Brad Marino, listening to records, drinking beers, and playing guitars. We started passing around song ideas and decided to start a band. We both played in punk bands before, but again, we liked all kinds of music, so the 60's style garage rock with a more Ramones style backbeat came naturally. As far as crossing over into a new scene, I was not worried. I knew that The Connection would not be something of interest for some of the Guts' fans, and that is ok. Being in a band and a songwriter, I get excited to be in new territory, meet new people and play new places. Not that it's better or worse, it's the growth of your circle of friends and experiences that I value the most. 


How did you first come into contact with Steve Van Zandt? What has it been like knowing that a member of the E-Street band is a huge fan of your music? Must be pretty damn cool! Did you ever talk to him about punk music?


Funny story, we almost missed our opportunity to get in front of Steven and The Underground Garage team. A music scout who worked for them sourcing new bands for the station wrote to us about the track "Seven Nights to Rock". I forget the full details. Brad would probably remember, but something like the email went into the junk folder or looked like spam, but for some reason, Brad saw it and was like, oh wow, this person is legit. He called me, and I went down to the post office that same day to send them the CD. A few weeks later, we found out we got picked as "Coolest Song in the World". We both had already been a big fan of the station but never thought our band would be on there. Having tracks on Sirius XM is fantastic for bands. It totally changed everything almost immediately. It's such a large audience that loves this type of music and is hungry for new artists. We started getting so many orders for CD's, the vinyl we had pressed ourselves, and digital tracks. It was pretty crazy. Then labels started asking to release stuff, and booking shows became much easier too. We got to go to Steven's office a few times and hang with him. He's such a friendly and kind gentleman along with everybody who works at the station. He loves punk and totally gets what we had been doing. We still get played, and both of our solo stuff gets played too. I'm so grateful for everything they have done for us and so many other bands! I should mention that the Kurt Baker band that I'm a member of dropped a new album named "After Party," on Steven's label called Wicked Cool Records. 


Brad Marino is a guy I've known for a long time (since the Rydells days) and also someone you've collaborated with a lot. It seems likely that you also had a big influence on him becoming the multi-instrumentalist hit-maker that I know and love today. How did you guys meet and how has that relationship served both of you in terms of musical inspiration and growth?


Yeah, The Rydells, a great band, played around the same small scene The Guts did in New Hampshire. Actually, The Rydells, The Guts, and The Leftovers all played a show together once. I'm pretty sure. I knew the band but did not personally know them at the time. My girlfriend Jackie knew Brad from high school. We all happened to be living in Portsmouth, NH, and one night ended up being at the same bar, so we all sat together. That is when Brad and I officially met. We kept in touch and started hanging more at our places, listening to records, and shortly after started the Connection. Brad had been singing in a band called Way to Go, and I liked his voice. It seemed to fit well for the songs we had been writing, and the vibe the Connection was turning into. I encouraged him to be the singer, but he had already been singing. As far as songwriting, I think we both pushed each other to a new level, and our ideas meshed well together. We would both have songs or parts of songs, and helped each other finish them up. 


Your solo material is outstanding, just like the rest. When you struck out on your own to record your own solo records, what goals did you have in mind? Are those recordings more special to you by virtue of you being in total control of the product? Do you find that your success as a solo artist is comparable to your experience playing in successful bands?

 

The records say my name, but I don’t look at them as solo records. I mean, yes, they are solo records, but it’s more like I form a bunch of bands. I have so many super talented friends working with me on them, from the production, song arrangements, performing to some co-writing. I get a batch of songs, three to four written, then get a group of friends together and book a session. I like doing it this way because it makes the batch of songs slightly different each time. I enjoy the chemistry of working with other people and want to keep the atmosphere open and comfortable for people to suggest ideas if they have any. As far as goals, I honestly didn’t have any when I started other than to record some songs for fun. I like to keep busy, and music is my preferred outlet. The goals now, basically the same but with a bit more focus. I do want to build a solid band to be ready to do some touring for the next album. Comparing the success of solo records to any of the records I’ve done with bands is hard. I’m proud of all the work I’ve done, and I judge the overall success in my happiness. Of course, it’s nice getting royalty checks, but any income generated from music goes into an account and right back out to fund the next project. 


What have been your highest highs and lowest lows as a musician?

 

Let's see. I try not to get bummed out about stuff. Sometimes things suck, but later, when you look back, it isn't a big deal. I like to keep my sights on the next project and not dwell on "how it could have been". Once something is recorded, then it's set and done. With that said, low points are probably the few times when I couldn't find people on the same page to play with somewhat locally to wherever I was living. It makes it hard to keep things moving when you can't connect on the sound with people. Highs are still hearing my tunes on the radio, and seeing my records in stores, never gets old. I remember being a little kid and thinking how cool it would be to have an album in a store, haha! It's the little things in life! 


What is your theory on the "magic" of songwriting creativity? Where does your inspiration come from, and how are you best able to channel that inspiration?


Oh boy, I don't think I'll go as far as calling it magic, maybe more something like setting yourself up to be lucky? I don't know! If you have a knack for something and do it enough, the odds are in your favor that you will have a quality product at some point, right? For every song I bring to the table, I have two or three I don't, they are probably similar, and I might keep a bit of each one: product testing, prototype, or a warm-up exercise for writing, whatever you want to call it. I tend to write in the morning (it's 5:45 am right now). I get up, make a coffee, check on my lazy dog Waylon (he's not a morning guy), and then head down to my music office studio room in the basement to play guitar or listen to some tunes before I head upstairs to my other office for my real job. The inspiration comes from all over the place, and it could be a funny line somebody said in a movie, book, or from a conversation I had. I keep a notepad with stuff like that. Inspiration also builds from listening to records and not writing for a while. Sounds and ideas build up in my head, and then a cool riff or lyric idea pops out one morning. That is my basic process, no rules or laws, and I'm not upset when I don't have any ideas or only bad ideas and stupid songs. No stress, it's all for fun. 


Who are your favorite pop-punk songwriters? 

 

Specifically, in the pop-punk world, and to be honest, I’m a bit lost as far as what is and isn’t pop-punk nowadays, but historically, Blag Dahlia, Bill Stevenson (and all the ALL and Descendents guys), Dan Vapid, Dee Dee Ramone, Paul Westerberg, Ben Weasel, Bob Dylan, Rancid, The Briefs, Joe King, Fat Mike, Dr. Frank, Jimmy Vapid, Billie Joe, Kim Shattuck, ya know, probably the same as most of the people reading your interviews. 

As far as songwriters for newer pop-punk, Ryan Young (Off with Their Heads), I’m not sure who writes in The Menzingers, but they have some great tunes, the new Machine Gun Kelly album is killer, Lucy Ellis, Kurt Baker, Wyatt Funderburk, Pavid Vermin (Glenn Robinson), Phoebe Bridgers, Death by Unga Bunga, White Reaper, the band MOM has some sick tracks, I could go on, but that is a few from the top of my head. 


How did you end up working with Ben Weasel on your cover of Love Love Love? That is a great cover!

 

I met Ben on tour with the Queers. We went to his condo in Chicago. He made us tea and gave me a sealed copy of the SW Ramones LP. Then the Guts played in Wisconsin a few years later, Ben had moved there, and he came out to the show to hang out with us. We loosely kept in touch, then the whole Insubordination Fest with us backing him up happened, which was super fun. When we signed with Rally records to record “Let it Go” in Madison, Wisconsin, at Butch Vig’s studio, we had Justin Perkins engineering, so at this point, we all knew Ben, and he lived like 10 minutes from the studio, we asked him to come down. He came down almost every day. Somehow, we talked about Love Love Love and said, hey, let’s record it! Then the Guts and The Leftovers opened for Ben at Reggie’s in Chicago. Good times, Ben was always super friendly and helpful. 


What are your future goals for your own music and beyond? What can we expect in the future? 

 

I just finished recording a new "solo" LP that will be out in 2021 on Stardumb records! I'm pumped about it. My buddy Zack who I've been playing with for a long time in many groups over the years (GU group, the Connection, Kurt Baker Band, solo stuff), worked on pretty much the whole thing with me. Mike Kennerty mixed it, and Dave Minehan recorded it. We had a great team! And as always, I've got a few other projects cooking for the new year. I'll mention one of them, a new band with some friends from around town called KEWPID. We will announce the band and release a single in Feb., so stay tuned for that. 


We will see what happens with live music in 2021, but I would like to do some touring for my solo stuff and with the Kurt Baker Band if it's safe. It would be awesome to support the albums and reconnect with so many friends I haven't seen in a few years worldwide. That's a big part of why I love being on the road. I love playing, but I also highly value the friendships I've made and enjoy hanging out and seeing new sights.


Sunday, December 20, 2020

AFTER SCHOOL SPECIAL


 AFTER SCHOOL SPECIAL

Interview with Charles Bunce and Ted Hunter

  In this hour-long conversation, I meet Charles and Ted for the first time (virtually) and discuss all things After School Special, including our respective friendships with David Jones and thoughts on his life and death. Thank you to Charles and Ted for being so gracious and for allocating time to ruminate on memories, pop punk, and our dear friend David.

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

GOIN' PLACES

 


GOIN' PLACES

First of all, congratulations on your newly released single and upcoming releases with Mom's Basement Records. It seems the stars are aligning! What enabled you guys to be so productive lately? And what have you been up all these years since the release of your last album Relationship Sneakers?

 

Frank:  "Thanks!  We are really excited to be releasing new music...not just with the amazing Mom's Basement Records, but also Kazu at Waterslide and Henry at Memorable But Not Honorable Tapes.  Everyone working on this upcoming EP and album seems to be on the same page and hopefully that will result in our music getting heard by a bunch of new listeners.  Patience and planning has allowed this recent surge of productivity.  After we released the Relationship Sneakers album in 2012, we were pretty quiet for about 4 years.  Then we randomly got an email from The Huntingtons (who we are friends with) asking us to play a show with them here in NYC. “

 

Victor:   “We have been talking about recording a new album for a while but it took us playing a show for us to realize how much we missed playing and recording.”

 

Frank:  “After that show in 2016 we continued to play live from time to time”

 

Richie: "We talked about recording a 3rd album for a while.  I spent a lot of time from 2016 to 2018 gathering and finishing older song ideas while also coming up with newer songs.  We learned and recorded all of this material in 2019 as a full band.  For me, songwriting is fun and satisfying.  The end goal and vision of having a finished album with new material - hopefully on a label - is what motivated me to be so productive.  The songwriting, learning, and recording processes were long - but worth it.  I would rather spend a long time producing quality material than just putting out a lot of rapid filler junk."

 

You guys have been around for a long time, but haven't sought the spotlight despite being a great band with great songs. Has your approach to Goin' Places been to treat it more as a hobby? It seems that you guys have all of the ingredients to have pushed it further but were content not to.

 

Richie: "In the year 2000, the band started as a joke, but quickly became more meaningful.  Since 2001, we never intended to treat Goin' Places as a hobby.  We are grateful for all the opportunities we have had so far and always hope to grow this band - no matter how long it takes."

 

Frank:  "When we did our first album we were definitely hoping to make the band more than a hobby.  We had some great opportunities for exposure and distribution with Coldfront Records which, in retrospect, maybe we didn't take full advantage of.  We were a lot younger and we did the best we could though.  After that initial push, we let "real life" take over and since that time we have continued to do the band whenever it works for us.  That's not to say that we don't take it seriously or put a lot of work into it though."  

 

Victor:  “We absolutely want the band to succeed but as Frank said "real life" started to happen to all of us.  We still enjoy playing and we would love to have people listen to and enjoy new music from us.”

 

Speaking of the songs, my understanding is that you all have a role as songwriters in the band? How does that work out? And what are your individual musical backgrounds that inform the songwriting? Goin' Places has a very cohesive sound which is impressive if there are three cooks in the kitchen.

 

Richie: "If we have the material, we show it to each other - whether it's complete or not.  If we all like it, then we use it.  If the material isn't quality, we either try to improve it or just don't use it at all.  This filtering helps keep our material the best it can be.  For my musical background, I grew up with a piano in my house - both my father and mother play.  I learned to play the piano by attempting to imitate them.  I learned the basics of sheet music from my parents, school music classes, and playing the clarinet in my elementary / junior high school bands.  I started playing guitar in high school.  I quickly started writing songs after I learned to play the guitar."

 

Victor:  “We have all contributed to the writing process throughout the years.  If anyone comes up with an idea for a song we all want to listen to it and work on it the best we can.  For our new album Richie wrote all of the songs."

 

Frank:  "Throughout the history of the band we have all played a role in songwriting, though it has changed pretty drastically from album to album.  The first album was a real group effort.  A lot of the songs were written at practices with all 3 of us throwing in ideas.  For Relationship Sneakers we moved into a phase where Richie and Victor were writing fully formed songs on their own and then bringing them to the band.  I wrote one song myself and helped out Richie with some lyrics.  Richie wrote the entire new album, Save The World, by himself, save for one set of lyrics which I contributed.  None of these changes over the years were planned out...it's just how things have progressed."

 

Songwriting wise, it seems you guys favor concise and catchy structures which I strongly relate to. Do you each have specific influences or templates you have referred to in the past to arrive at this sound? I hear a bit of MTX, some Mutant Pop vibes, and a lot of classic aesthetics in your sound.

 

Richie: "My two biggest influences for songwriting are Green Day and The Beatles.  For Green Day, I'm talking early Green Day - 39/Smooth, Kerplunk, Dookie, and Insomniac.  For The Beatles - everything they have done is an influence.  I learned a lot about songwriting from these two bands - common chord progressions, harmonies, and how important of a role the melody is in a song (the vocals). 

 

Victor:  “When it comes to song structure I don't have a specific style I choose to write in.  I have taken inspiration from pop-punk bands such as MTX, heavy bands such as Bad Religion, and the basic rock and roll progressions from the 1950's and 1960's”

 

 Another feature of Goin' Places that stands out is your total lack of pretentiousness. There's a very humble quality in the way you present which suggests that you guys aren't willing to take yourselves too seriously even though you clearly put a lot of thought and effort into your songs and recordings. What do you think accounts for this? Is it intentional?

 

Richie: "We all love to laugh.  We are good at maintaining a balance of business and fun.  We are very organized and always make sure a project is complete - but we also will participate in some crazy antics along the way.  In addition to our music, we have developed a fictional "Goin' Places Universe" which features extremely exaggerated versions of ourselves and other fictional characters.  This has shown up over the years in home-made movies, home-made comics, and even during our live performances, radio shows, and podcasts.  Sometimes it's difficult to tell which version of Goin' Places will show up - the real life Goin' Places or the fictional Goin' Places - but either way it will be fun." 

 

Frank: "I guess we have always wanted to just let the music speak for itself.  If a song is catchy, it will get stuck in your head...plain and simple.  We never put much thought into how we present ourselves as individuals.  For instance, when we were doing Girl Songwriting 101, Brett at Coldfront had asked us to do a photo shoot where we were all wearing white t shirts and blue jeans and sitting around eating pizza or something.  He wanted to go for the whole "group" or "band" look, but that has never been us.  My favorite band of all time is the Ramones, so I definitely don't have a problem with bands being concerned with their image, but it just never would have worked for us.  Richie and Victor will spend hours focusing on getting a harmony just right, but we probably won't spend more than 10 minutes on a band photo shoot."

 

Victor:  “I agree that we do not take ourselves too serious when it comes to our impact in the scene but we absolutely take the music seriously.  When we record we can sometimes take hours recording one harmony or many variations of a track until we find the one that sounds the best.  We do it for fun and we hope that our hard work in recording speaks for itself.”

 

Lyrically your songs seem to keep the subject matter light and fun. Romance, relationships, heartbreak, rock n' roll - all fairly universal themes. There's not a lot of angst or negativity in your songs. Do you set out to right more "fun" songs instead of venting or expressing serious/strong sentiments in your music? Are each of you fairly balanced, mellow individuals?

 

Richie: "Our first album, 'Girl Songwriting 101', is definitely a lyrical outlier.  When the lyrics were written for that album, they were all meant to be a joke.  Our 2nd album, 'Relationship Sneakers', is the start of our true style of lyrics.  While the music is very poppy and uplifting, a lot of the lyrics are about mistakes, hopelessness, failure, and lessons learned.  I wouldn't consider these 'fun' songs - but they are helpful for expression and personal growth.  Our upcoming album, "Save The World" continues this style of lyrics at an even deeper level.

 

Frank: "After that initial batch of songs, we started getting in to some more serious songwriting, but still with a sense of humor and always lots of melody.  I think sometimes those qualities disguise what a song is really about.  For example, a song like Relationship Sneakers is a straight up bubblegum song with admittedly funny lyrics, but the message of the song is to be yourself and stand your ground.  Another one of our songs, Running Out Of Time, has been described by Richie as very poppy and happy, with lyrics that are pure misery.  People might be surprised by some of the lyric content on the new album.  It's got some humorous stuff for sure, but also plenty of songs that hit a little deeper."

 

Victor:  “This new album is more reflective and has more feeling than the prior albums.”

 

What were the circumstances that led to you linking up with Mom's Basement Records? John Proffitt, Jr. is a connoisseur of pop punk so it must be pretty cool to work with him. He's also known for releasing high-quality records, so that's awesome too. 

 

Frank:  "When we started looking for a home for the new album Mom' Basement was basically a dream label.  Then after John heard it and said he was interested we were thrilled.  He was upfront and said he wanted to do the album, but had a lot on his plate so it would be close to a year before he could get to it.  It was a no brainer for us.  We were happy to wait because there wasn't anywhere else we would rather be.  It also worked out great when John said he wanted to do a 7 inch before the album, because we had recorded several extra songs which needed a home.  Both John and Tricia at MBR have been great to work with.  Honest people who care about what they are doing….can’t ask for anything else."

 

Where do you guys see yourselves within the context of the current pop punk scene, and how has the scene changed from your perspectives since the release of your first album Girl Songwriting 101?

 

Richie: "I see Goin' Places as a persistent band that keeps going and going.  While our live show presence has been very local, we have a larger global presence on the internet and social media.  We have a lot of online material available.  Our bandcamp site https://goinplaces.bandcamp.com/ has a lot of music and bonus content.  Our YouTube site https://www.youtube.com/user/GoinPlacesMusic has a large amount of music videos and live performances.  We have an online, 24-7, free radio station (https://goinplacesradio.com).  We even have a video game smartphone app called "Goin' Places Catch" in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.  To summarize, I see Goin' Places as the tech-savvy band of the pop-punk scene.  The pop-punk scene has changed in that it is less popular and more underground - but there are still a lot of people who love it and keep it alive.  I've seen how styles of music shift in popularity throughout the years.  While at the moment, the scene is smaller, I truly believe it will rise again soon - with rock n roll leading the way."

 

Frank:  "Honestly, I don't know where I see Goin' Places currently.  I guess the reaction to the new EP and album will let us know where we stand.  So far people seem to like the first single, so that's a good sign.  As far as how the pop punk scene has changed over the past 20 years, I think it's gotten way smaller obviously.  But the people that are currently into this music seem to be more passionate about it than ever."

 

Victor:  “The scene that we knew is long gone.  We rely on fans to listen to us and spread the word through blogs such as this and through word of mouth.  When we started digital music was just starting out.  More people bought CD's than any other form of music.  Now the tides had shifted and digital platforms such as The Dummy Room and other YouTube channels control what content fellow punk rock lovers see and hear.”

  

Hailing from Staten Island, I must now ask you a series of New York-related questions. First of all, did you guys feel like you were part of the big pop punk boom in NYC in the 2000's? There seemed to be a huge resurgence of bands and the PPMB was populated by more than a few New Yorkers in the know.

 

Frank:  "Absolutely not.  That NYC scene in the early 2000s was incredible, but we were not a part of it at all.  I read the PPMB every day, but it always felt like the Cool Kids club to me.  It was a cool site to use to find out about new releases or upcoming shows though."

 

Richie: "I don't feel like we were ever part of a NYC pop-punk boom in the 2000's.  We tried to be a part of the scene, but I always felt we were outsiders.  I don't have very fond memories of the Pop Punk Message Board.  The best thing I can say is that it partially inspired the lyrics to "This Song Is Not About A Girl" (which was written in the 2000's)"

 

Frank:  “That’s kind of been a recurring theme with us over the years…even within our small hometown scene.  Richie wrote a great song called “Nobody Gives A Shit About Us” which was on our 2nd album and tells that tale of being part of a scene which is a popularity contest.”

 

Do you guys have a favorite New York pop punk band from past or present? My vote is probably split between Egghead and Kung-Fu Monkeys. 

 

Frank:  "I love KFM, but I'd probably have to go with The Unlovables as my fav NYC pop punk band.  Have to mention The Ergs! too, even though they are NJ boys, but they were a big part of the scene."

 

Richie: "My favorite New York pop punk band is "The Amber Jets" (formerly known as "Darien").  They have great songs and an incredible live energy."

 

Staten Island is also infamously known as "Shaolin" and home of the immortal Wu-Tang Clan. Are you guys into them? I'm a huge Wu fan, so I'd be interested to know how much of a presence they had locally outside of the core hip-hop scene. Any favorite Wu releases or members?

 

Frank:  "I love 36 Chambers.  After that I'm mostly a singles guy.  They are really big here though.  The pride of Staten Island I guess you could say.  A few years ago I was walking out of the supermarket and I could have sworn that Method Man walked right past me into the store.  Now, I'm not even sure if he still lives here, but I still regret not going back in to see if it was really him.  Would have loved to get a photo with him in the peanut butter aisle, holding jars of Skippy, Jif and Peter Pan."

 

Richie: "I never got into the Wu-Tang Clan - but I respect them and the success they've achieved.  It was pretty awesome to see Method Man as a special guest, playing himself, in 'Luke Cage'.  Method Man happened to be in a store while it was being robbed - both the villains and Luke Cage were star-struck during the robbery - hysterical."

 

What's next for Goin' Places? Do you find it's easier to be more productive as a band in this current era of plentiful tools and technology? What's your approach to being a band in 2020?

 

Richie: "Definitely.  Goin' Places will always stay updated with the latest tech.  Not only has technology expanded our internet presence, but it also has played a large part in our recording process.  Our upcoming album, "Save The World", was produced digitally at our home studio (Good Good Studios) with the latest tech tools in digital recording.  Personally, I will always want to write more music.  So far, this whole 3rd album experience has been a great one and is definitely motivation to start preparing for a 4th album."

 

Frank:  "Depending on when you read this, we either are about to release or just released an EP called "Better Things To Do".  Then in early 2021 we have our new album called "Save The World" coming out.  Tough to say what will happen after that.  When we did the 2nd album we all said "let's not wait another 10 years between albums", but you know how that ended up."

 

Victor:  We are excited that our EP and our album will be coming out soon.  I hope that they are well received and we get some interest that can compel us to maybe play a few shows to promote the album.  As of right now the whole world is on hold but I would love to see fans in a club singing to our songs again.  There is no better feeling than having others singing along to something that we wrote. After that, who knows what the future holds for GP.  I guess we will have to see what 2021 brings.

Friday, December 11, 2020

THE ANTI-BODIES

 


THE ANTI-BODIES
Interview with Gb Alyn

My memory is a bit hazy around when we first came into contact, but I definitely recall hearing The Anti-Bodies for the first time and being struck by how good it sounded. I wondered how you guys weren't already a household name? Can you give us a bit of history on the band?

I believe we first came into contact in 2017. 
Shortly after, we released The Anti-Bodies/ Grim Deeds "Unholy Union" split together on Outloud! Records.

We started in 2011-ish, as a two piece cover band. 
We'd (myself and Jez A. Disaster) would go to open mic night and perform Misfits and oldies tunes for about four to five heavily intoxicated, friendly strangers who'd encourage us to keep at it.
We eventually became a four piece (sometimes five piece) playing originals and the occasional cover.
We recorded our self titled full length album in 2012-2013, which didn't really get noticed until around 2016-ish, right after we became a two piece again.
We started to appear on various punk rock compilations and Matt Bennett (Vocalist/bassist of The Moans) released our album on Outloud! Records.
Kevin Aper's (Vocalist/guitarist of The Apers and vocalist of Insanity Alert) label "Monster Zero Records" also sold our album.
We recorded a couple more singles as a two piece. 
Soon after, Jez became a MUMMY and I'm currently on lead vocals.

Buffalo, New York brings to mind good music for sure, but I can't think of many melodic punk bands from there. What's the music scene like where you live? Do you feel connected to it?

In all honesty, I don't really know too much about the current music scene in Buffalo. 

The Anti-Bodies draw from a lot of cool influences, everything from The Misfits and The Lillingtons to more metallic influences, especially production-wise. How did you settle upon this particular musical aesthetic? What inspires you to keep it sci-fi and horror-themed?

Everything that comes out is just what feels the most natural. Same with the sci-fi and horror theme. Just seems like alot of fun to try and capture that feeling of being a kid, having a sleep over with your friends, watching scary movies and creating your own world of imagination to play in. 

Your songwriting is very impressive to me, and always has been. What's your songwriting background - how did you start and how did you develop your own style? Do you have a normal process for creating songs, and if so please describe?

Ever since I was a kid, I was always reading and trying to come up with my own stories. So when I eventually got into music, of course I wanted to write my own songs. 
I remember having a "Green Day notebook" in middle school. id write all their lyrics in it with a green marker(until my teacher told me I was wasting my time.) I was obessessed with lyric sheets for some reason. I'd often make a lyric sheet full of songs for a band that didn't actually exist. In highschool, I started my first band and we were heavily influenced by The Ramones. I started to develop my own style just by trying to write songs that I wanted to hear more of. Simplistic but hopefully interesting enough to want to sing along to. I don't have any specific process for creating songs. I'd say its very random. 

Another feature of The Anti-Bodies I appreciate a lot is your commitment to releasing songs and albums with killer artwork. It seems like you're in contact with a lot of great comic-style artists. Was this something you had in mind from the beginning?

I think it was always in the back of my mind. Being a huge comic book fan and art lover, once I realized it was a possibility to connect with these super talented artists, I had to go for it. I nerd out when I get to see their take on something I love.

Production-wise, your sound incorporates some of the heavier elements of Graves-era Misfits and even some nods to heavy metal, especially the kick drum patterns and chunky guitar tone. You've even got some pretty wlid solos in some songs. Are you a fan of metal? What inspires you to incorporate these elements into your sound?

Oh yea, totally love metal. Whatever the song calls for, we'll definitely throw it in. That's really what it comes down to. 

The Anti-Bodies are a fairly mysterious band, and I have only seen a few rare clips of live shows. Do you consider yourself to be as much a live band as a recording project? To what extent would you be touring if you could? Do you enjoy recording more than live shows?

It's currently just a recording project. I personally love the recording process and working alongside Doug white at Watchmen Studios. It's a very smooth, fun and creative experience.
It's hard to really say which i enjoy more. The live era was so short lived that its hard to remember what its like to be on stage.   
If we had the right line up then I'd definitely be open to live shows, touring, etc...  

Where do you think you fit in terms of the scene and punk community? You seem to sort of straddle the line between pop punk and horror punk, much like my pals in The Jasons. From what Jason V has told me, they are definitely two distinct scenes with very different sensibilities and sources of drama! What has your experience been like so far with respect to being included and "accepted" in the weird world of punk music?

I'd have no clue where we fit! I think both pop punkers and horror punkers could appreciate what we do.
So far, its mostly been positive feedback. There was a comment I read on YouTube once that said "I'd rather pour hot diarrhea into my ears then to listen to this band." So, it can get weird (or gross) out there for sure.
Latley, it seems like the band is getting alot of straight up horror/sci fi movie fanatics (who might not even know about pop punk/horror punk etc..)interested in the band. Making alot of cool friends and connections, that's for sure. 

Besides cultivating a very impressive bandcamp page (with tons of cool songs and cover designs) and releasing an album on OUTLOUD! Records, I don't recall seeing much merch or promo stuff for The Anti-Bodies. What's your attitude towards promoting your band and spreading the word? To me you guys seem underrated.

We are currently updating our merch section now. It'd be a crime not to get these talented artists to do up some shirt designs. Thank you for saying we seem underrated. We try our best to promote!

What's next for The Anti-Bodies, and what are your ideal goals for the band? And finally, what are your favorite horror films of all time? 

Would really love to get into writing theme songs for cartoons, movies etc..

Favorite horror films-
The Monster Squad
Evil Dead 2
Tales from the Parkside: The Movie
The Gate
I feel like House 2 will be on my favorites list (but I fell asleep during it)

Saturday, November 7, 2020

DAN HOYT

 

DAN HOYT

The State Streeters are a relatively new band, but you personally have roots in the Boise, ID punk scene dating back to the 90's. Can you tell us about that history?

It was definitely a great experience playing in punk bands in the 90’s here in Boise. It was a small scene but there was a really great DIY spirit and a lot of dedicated people that made stuff happen. Brent, the drummer for the State Streeters being one of them. Most everyone knew each other and played in multiple bands. You could play three degrees of separation through band members. Like so and so plays bass in my band but also play guitar in some other band and the singer for that band plays drums in my other band. At one point I played guitar in one band, (questionable) drums in another band and bass and vocals in a third band. There were a lot of really talented musicians. 


You also spent a long time in San Francisco, which is where we met. You and I linked up and formed The Sprains, which was a great experience. What are your fondest memories from that time?


Oh man, I am pretty fond of all the Sprains memories. It was really a great group of guys having a blast playing punk rock in a fun city. It was a great time in my life. 


Some highlights include:


We played a show at El Rio in SF that really stands out to me. There was a great crown of friends, we were really tight and our witty banter was on (at least i think it was). 


Band practice in Lower Haight was always a blast. A meal from a variety of Lower Haight institutions, beer, snacks, punk rock and numerous lame and questionable jokes. What’s not to like?


You left San Francisco and moved to Australia for quite some time, returning to the USA with your family and settling near where your punk history began. What was the experience like in Australia, and what were you up to musically at that time?

I lived in Australia for almost eight years and it was great. My wife is Australian, which is why I moved there. I am actually a dual citizen now! For the first year we lived in a very remote region of the Northern Territory. Think Crocodile Dundee and you’re not too far off. It’s a magical place full of adventure and was a truly amazing experience living there. I didn’t find a lot of music happening there and I didn’t bring much gear with me so I really only played acoustic then. 


The rest of my time in Australia was spent in the federal capital, Canberra. There isn’t a great deal of night life or music scene there, or at least I never really plugged myself into it if there was. It’s only about a three hour drive from Sydney so most touring bands skip Canberra.During that time I really dove into the acoustic and learned a lot of finger picking and worked on my voice.


While there I also took a bit of a dive into Australian hip hop. There are some great artists there that are damn clever. Seth Sentury being my favorite. 

Now that you've been back in Boise for a while, have you noticed a lot of changes in the music scene? How about the city in general?


The scene and the city are definitely much larger than when I left. Boise itself if much cooler than when I left with a lot more fun bars, restaurants and river fun. If it was still the same city I probably wouldn’t have moved back. We only moved back about a year and a half ago and the first eight months were largely focused on the transition. It was easy moving to Australia as I was just a dude with a guitar. It’s much more intense moving overseas with a family. Trying to find jobs, cars, new bank, transferring and exchanging money, new phones, housing and million other things is quite a lot to take on. We were just getting settled into our new lives when Covid hit so unfortunately I haven’t gotten a chance to jump back into the music scene. Like many others I am definitely looking forward to live music again. 


You've been a songwriter as long as I've known you, and you write great songs. What's your approach with The State Streeters? It seems to me a meat-and-potatoes pop punk kind of thing, which is very satisfying.


With the State Streeters I am writing a bit more stripped down version of my normal style. I am also trying to focus more on lyrical content and actual ideas behind the songs rather than words that just fit the melody. I’ve never been a current events type of writer or have never gotten too personal with my lyrics, which is definitely a difference with the State Streeters. I suppose the current climate of the the modern world is somewhat responsible for that. But don’t worry, there are some backlogged songs from a previous era in the pipeline about zombies and other silly things. 


As a guitarist I know you came up in an era of big riffs - we both share an appreciation for thrash and other styles of metal/hard rock. Do you approach songwriting with a riffy mindset instinctually? How do you fit in your riffs in the context of simpler pop punk structures?


My writing approach has definitely changed over the years. I used to focus more on the riffs and try to build songs around them. When I go back and listed to old stuff you can probably tell that’s what I was doing. Now I focus more on the song as a whole and add riffs in places after the structure of the song is complete. Kind of like back up vocals in a way. Unfortunately some of my favourite riffs I have written have ended up orphaned as I can’t seem to find a place for them. Anybody want to adopt some abandoned riffs?


How has it been trying to start a band while raising two young children and transitioning back into life in Idaho? I imagine there are many challenges and limited time to spare.


There is definitely a deficiency of time with two young kids and adult life in general. I am thankful I have a dedicated music space in the house to play music. My kids love coming down to the basement and getting crazy while I play loud(ish) music. It’s probably the only time I don’t tell them to stop screaming! And with all of their energy it’s the closest thing I can get to a live show at the moment. A keen ear can probably detect some faint kid noise in the background of some songs. 


Your dad and brother are both great musicians - do you have a chance to talk music or jam with them very much now that you're all back in Idaho? Was it cool to grow up with a dad who rocks?


I didn’t realize it at the time but it was great growing up with guitars all around me. I think seeing my Dad play all the time made it seem much more attainable to learn. It wasn’t such a mystery as it might have been. My Dad and I talk music and gear often. He doesn’t skimp on gear either so it’s fun to go over an play around on his stuff. I have played a bit with my Dad, but it’s one of those thing where there just isn’t as much time as I’d like. 


My brother doesn’t play much anymore which is shame because he’s one of the best bass players i’ve ever encountered. We still chat about music though. 


What's your take on the punk scene these days - do you follow any newer bands or labels? Got any recent favorites?


You mean besides The Gungans?


In all seriousness I have listened to a great deal of your work and get most of my new band listening from your posts. One of my favorites is the band Vista Blue. I love their baseball themed songs as I’m a baseball fan. Their stuff is so catchy and clever. I admit it’s a pretty specific target audience but pop punk and baseball is sure to be a winner with me.  


One of my other current favorited is the Subjunctives, which is a dude from the Seattle band Sicko. Does it count as listening to new bands if they’re made of people from old bands?


These days with the ability to record and release music so easily there is more content than ever so there is a ton of good stuff out there. Unfortunate there is also a lot of stuff to sift through to find the specific bands and songs that resonate with you. 


What's the game plan for The State Streeters? If you could ideally meet any band goals, what would they be?


The State Streeters really started out because I was recording some songs I had laying around and wanted them to have real drums. I thought many times in the past about reaching out to Brent for some drum tracks but I really only had seen him twice in the last 20 years. Once I was back in Boise I finally contacted him and luckily he was into it. I am very fortunate because he is a seriously awesome drummer and really brings the songs to life.

 

I have a lot of songs in a few different styles so we plan to have some different themed releases ranging from Power Metal(ish) to indie rock (if that’s still a term). Ideally we just want to record a few albums and make them available to anyone who might enjoy it. Also once things are back to normal we'd love to get out and play some shows!