ANDY SOCIAL

ANDY SOCIAL

How were you first exposed to rock music? What was your first favorite band? How were you initially exposed to punk, and when did you become a "pop punker"?

I was exposed to heavy metal and hardcore metal at an early age because my oldest brother was a metalhead but naturally I was repelled by it because thats all I would ever hear blasting loudly from his room. My mom would play oldies from the 50s and 60s in the car when I would go with her on grocery shopping trips. I used to take the trips often just to listen to the radio with her. I was initially drawn to punk rock by my friend from high school, Timmy. He played in the punk rock-est local band in south Jersey ever at the time. The band was Black Friday...and is where I met my current Sheckies drummer, King. Timmy exposed me to Minor Threat, Black Flag, and The Meatmen. Listening to the Dr. Demento radio show also exposed me to bands like Descendents, Dead Milkmen, Ramones, and Devo. Also my middle brother would bring home records from his college radio station that they wouldn't play on the radio. Among them were local Philly band Lovegutter and Dead Kennedys Bedtime for Democracy. Those 2 albums really got me interested in playing guitar and singing in a punk band... also being absolutely alone and having no friends.

You seem like someone who's always had a creative side. When did you first express your creativity through songwriting? Was The Sheckies your first band? How did you approach writing songs in the beginning, and who were you sharing your earliest songs with for feedback?

I was creative at the tender age of 3 and 4. Me and my middle bro would tape record ourselves (with an actual tape recorder which was normal tech back in those days) telling funny stories and singing original comedy compositions. 

My first music project was with my middle brother called The Groovers. We did electronic keyboard parodies and original compositions in the vein of Devo. My first punk band was with my buddy Jim Wagner in 1995 and was called Abnormal Adolescents. Every show we dressed up in insane outfits and played punk that sounded like a blend of Dead Kennedys, Nirvana, and Black Flag. It was great fun.

I wrote my first lyrical content back then...usually politically charged but soon after I realized I'm just not the political punk type. I would write songs about being a loser and hating teenage life with my buddy Jim Wagner for a longtime until he unfortunately began to experience a brain disorder.

When did you begin to develop confidence as a songwriter and find a sound that you felt was your own? How would you describe your own style of songwriting?

The day I first listened to The Queers "I Hate Everything" with Wagner - that's when it all really clicked. I'll never forget it, I said,"Wags! We need to start writing songs like this!" And since that day, everything just seemed to fall into place confidence-wise and I really began developing my own style based on that punk rock blueprint: write fun, write snotty, write dumb. Its who we were.

You've always had a good ear for harmonies and added guitar parts. Are these things that you typically write beforehand or in the studio? How has your experience recording in studios sharpened your songwriting? Which aspects of the recording process do you enjoy the most? The least?

Most of the time I have the sounds and main backgrounds and singing already in my head but for sure I've done tons of work last minute in the studio.

I think I've learned a good deal about the mixing process and what should or shouldn't be turned up or down in a final mix. I hate recording in the studio mostly because for me its stressful trying to get everything done in the allotted amount of time, but I do like studio scenarios that are laid back like recording in a buddy's house like Marky Kobane's, Ryan Keenan's, and even the old recordings at Phil's in South Jersey were always a blast.

Many of your songs have a strong doo-wop feel - are there any particular doo-wop songs or artists that you were inspired by? Do you feel that your kind of pop punk songwriting owes a lot to the doo-wop chord progression and overall style? 

Sure. I love Bill Haley and His Comets, The Chantels, The Shirelles, Buddy Holly, Beach Boys, Ritchie Valens, The Four Seasons, just to name a few. Yes, we owe a lot to rock n'roll and pop punk of the past. The progressions I love best are the tried and true progressions, especially songs like "Donna" by Ritchie Valens.

You've got a deep background in other hobbies such as films and video games. Do these hobbies inform and inspire your songwriting? Do you often write songs based on personal experiences? Does the act of writing a song provide a kind of therapy for you?

Yes, I am a nerd when I'm not on stage. I'm usually content just staying home and playing classic video games or watching old horror movies. I sometimes write songs about movies or video games, but not too often actually. Songs I write are usually true accounts of actual things going on in my life, or they are capturing and describing a feeling I'm having at the moment.

What was your motivation to form Andy Social and the Antidotes? How did you determine what the sound would be, and how would you describe the Antidotes sound compared to Sheckies? Obviously there are similarities, but to my ears the Antidotes feels more like a nod to classic traditional pop punk whereas The Sheckies have their own distinct flavor (a raunchier one at times).

Well, The Antidotes were formed when my best drummer buddy, King(Sheckies Drummer) and I had a falling out and weren't friends at the time. Hey, it happens to the best if us. But during the advent of the Antidotes King and I became friends again. But we were still solid in the Antidotes, so in a move that suprised even me I kept and tried to manage both bands. It's very tough to do so. I've tried and we have had some great times and shows but at the moment I'm concentrating mostly on The Sheckies.

I always thought That The Antidotes would tackle some more serious subject matter and focus more on taking our time on the music - more leads and such. The Sheckies meanwhile had more of that "I don't care" attitude and of course that dopey aspect.

It seems that you live in a town that provides little inspiration and lacks a scene of any kind. You've also worked in kitchens doing what I consider to be very thankless work for as long as I've known you. How would you describe your lifestyle in Cape May, New Jersey? Has living there provided any kind of extra motivation for what you do creatively?

Oh yes, living in South Jersey which for some is a beautiful vacation haven can be a nightmare for locals. While most people are on summer vacation, we South Jersey folk serve the vacationers by working slave labor hours. So the quaint and beautiful vacay spot that I live in? Yea, I don't get to enjoy the beach or anything else. I'm working 50 or 60 hours a week! Then when it's cold as shit and we're out of work because the vacationers have gone home, I'm living off of unemployment. That's when it's tour time so it's a bit tough for us to even tour let alone enjoy life in South Jersey. But the thing South Jersey did for me was it showed me how to rely on myself to make my own fun, and in the form of starting a band. Enough said.

In the pop punk scene your songs are well-known, and there has even been a Sheckies tribute album. But, you've also faced a fair amount of negative criticism and even controversy surrounding your bands. What do you think accounts for this? Do you feel that the music itself is what people take issue with, or lyrics? Or something else? My take on it is that people seem to take offense to your sense of humor and not realize your true intentions.

I'll have to agree with you on this one, Grim. I blame it on the current trend of new generation of PC/Safespace punks that I just don't get. They're no fun at all. No one's gonna tell me what to say or not to say. Fuck that shit.

Your weight and health are issues that you've spoken about publicly, and are frankly issues that concern me as your friend. To what extent have you been successful in taking steps to improve your health? How has your life been impacted by your obesity, and what challenges has it posed for your musical activities?

Well on one hand the obesity made The Sheckies who we are - that dopey fat Jersey pop punk band. But on the other hand, yes - normal everyday activities such as walking can be difficult while on tour. It can be a bummer. Touring is a very physical thing. But I always seem to survive my tours, haha. I know I have mentioned taking breaks in music to focus on health - I tried it but fuck that. I found I can't live without music so I scrapped that idea. I can lose weight and play music if I want to. I just gotta focus more on eating less and when I'm hungry instead of when I'm not. After all, I am a food addict. I love the act of eating. I'm an emotional eater. Thats the aspect I plan to work on.

Do you feel that you've been properly acknowledged as a songwriter? I often worry that not enough people have taken the time to listen to your compositions and realize your talent. Do you feel underrated as a songwriter? Who are some songwriters who you admire? 

Sure, sometimes I feel like the underdog of the underdogs. But I also know I love doing it. And that's why I do it - for the love, and for meeting those who dig it, relating with them and making more friends! I live and learn about life through music. Now you understand why I cant live without it! People like you are the ones that keep my dream and fantasy of playing rock n'roll alive. I thank you for that! Others that inspire me are Danny Vapid, Kody Lillington, and even ol' Joe Queer. Amazing singers and songwriters all of them. But I don't just embrace the bigwigs, I get inspiration from smaller acts that just deserve more! Jagger Holly, The Scutches, Braceface, The Putz, The Jasons, The Kobanes, Dee Cracks, Teenage Bubblegums, and Flamingo Nosebleed all are hardworking and talented artists! Give 'em a listen!

What are some of your "bucket list" goals as a musician? What have been your proudest accomplishments as a musician so far? Do you have a favorite song that you've written? 

I definitely want to play Japan and Europe. Some of my proudest moments were getting to play with almost all of my heroes like Sloppy Seconds, The Queers, The Apers, and The Muffs to name a few. Recording The song "I Need Xanax" at the famous and now defunct Electric Cave in New Hampshire with Joe Queer and Jim Teirney was a definite high for me. Recording a song that Sheckie fans love the most at a place with so much pop punk history makes me smile! After all, The Electric Cave was basically the hangout for Joe, Wimpy,  Geoff Useless and all of the New Hampshire pop punk scene. And one of my favorite albums was also recorded there. - The Nobodys Short Songs for Short Attention Spans.

What has inspired you to stick to writing very straight-forward and traditional pop punk, knowing that many people feel the style has lost its relevance? Do you still think "Ramonescore" will be a thing in the next 10-20 years?

It's just the style I love writing the most! I love the underdog in all things - music, movies, art, video games, literature - it's a way of life. And in a way Ramonescore fits my toy shelf collector/ADHD mentality if that makes any sense.

Reflecting on what you've accomplished in music, how do you feel about your catalog of songs and the experiences you've accumulated on the road and in the studio? What advice could you offer to someone who's also passionate about music and songwriting?

Stay in school kids...haha just kidding. I hated school!

I think our catalog of songs - though maybe not the best sound quality - has a bit catchiness to them. I mean Kody Lillington once told me he bought my album and enjoyed my voice and songwriting, so I can't be all bad. No?

As for my road experiences, I'm proud of all of them. Living on the road is tough anyway you slice it. The people I've met there are people I've considered my special brothers in arms. They're the kindest and most generous people I'd ever meet. I've learned a lot about myself and life through their kindness and traveling. 

The advice I can give is this: If you want to start a band and travel, be sure you love what you do. If you don't, you're in a world of pain. If you're doing it for the fame or money (which is usually an empty road and the chances are nil for either in this biz), you're in it for the wrong reasons. You must sacrifice everything to do it.  After all, as AC/DC said, "It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock n'roll"!