House Boat Captain: An interview with Grath Madden

If 30 is the new 16, Grath Madden may be the poster child for his generation. The 33 year old perpetually under or un-employed temp worker with a bachelors degree that took him nowhere, passes his time smoking pot, reading comic books, and watching too much television. And much like the protagonists in his comic book collection, Grath has an alter ego of sorts. Moonlighting by playing in punk rock bands, or at least when he feels like it, he has written, sang, and played guitar on one of the best albums of 2011, but that’s not gonna help him one iota when he ends up in line to collect unemployment.

While he may be low man on the totem pole at his workplace, there's a subgroup of a subgroup of a subgroup that sees Grath Madden as somewhat legendary. He cut his chops fronting The Steinways, a hugely influential and revered part of New York's 2000s pop punk scene. After The Steinways imploded, Grath went from writing short cutesy Steinways songs without choruses or refrains, to short self-loathing songs for his new band House Boat (also without choruses and refrains).

Rounded out by legendary punk drummer Mikey Erg, former Off With Their Heads guitarist Zack Gontard, and Grath’s former Steinways band mate Azeem Sajid on bass, House Boat has carved their name among the list of best new punk rock bands going today. I spoke to Grath about his bands, his life and The Biggest Loser Australia.

D: Where are you originally from?

G: Born and raised in Baltimore.

D: Aren't the Madden brothers from Good Charlotte from that area? Do you have the misfortune of being related to them?

G: Haha, yeah, I think they are from somewhere in Maryland, thankfully no relation.

D: From reading the autobiographies of Robin Quivers and John Waters, I've got the idea that Baltimore was a seedy place for a kid to grow up in. Was that your experience?

G: I moved to Parkville, Maryland when I was 12, so my first hand shady Baltimore experience is pretty minimal. I never really looked at it as any shadier or sketchier than anywhere else. I mean, there are some awful, awful neighborhoods that I wouldn’t feel at all safe in, but I spent most of my time growing up sheltered in Catholic schools and all-boys private schools, surrounded by rich white pieces of shit.

D: I take it you must have hated Catholic school. Did you get in to trouble a lot for having a smart mouth?

G: Catholic school was way better than what came after. At least there were girls in Catholic school. I was a pretty enormous nerd, so I didn’t really start to get lippy with teachers until I was like 17 or so. But by that point, yeah, I was pretty fucking obnoxious. I got a detention for “casting a spell” on my English teacher.

D: Did you go to college, and if so what did you major in?

G: I went to Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY. Majored in film. Now I’m a temp receptionist. I wonder if I made the right decision?

D: Did you work at all in any position of the film/television/commercial industry?

G: I did some production assistant work when I first moved to New York, and I hated it more than anything else I’ve ever done ever. It’s amazing to me how much bullshit people will put up with just so they can “work on a movie/TV show.”

Honestly, I didn’t really stick around long enough to deal with anything other than nothing to do and really shitty hours. But the tone for that shit is set right off the bat, “You are working on a television show, and you should feel HONORED to give up 16 hours of your day!” The magic of being a part of a British dating show wore off in about 4 minutes.

D: When did you first move to New York?

G: I moved back to Baltimore when I got out of college, then a room in an apartment full of friends of mine opened up in Queens about a year later, so I jumped on it. I really didn’t have a reason for coming here, but most of my college friends were here, and I was really into what was going on pop punk wise in New York/New Jersey (bands like The Ergs!, The Unlovables, Dirt Bike Annie, etc.), at the time.

D: Do you remember the first time you saw The Ergs! and met Mikey?

G: I either met Mikey at an Ergs! show in Kutztown, PA, or a Dirt Bike Annie show at North Six in Brooklyn. I can’t really remember which came first. The first time I saw The Ergs! was at that Kutztown show. I got their first 7” in the mail on my 21st birthday, and it was pretty much the most exciting thing I’d heard in a couple of years, so a few weeks later, I found myself driving through Pennsylvania to see them.

The first time I really remember hanging out with Mike was at a big show Eric Peabody put on a few months later. After smoking a billion joints with members of Dirt Bike Annie, I stayed up way too late nerding out on pop punk records with Eric and Mikey. I was like, “this fucker’s a bigger pop punk nerd than I am!” I’d always been pretty isolated, punk rock wise, so it was awesome to finally meet some folks around my age who were just as geeky about this shit.

D: How did you first meet the other members of The Steinways?

G: When I moved up to Queens, I knew that Jon Whoa Oh (founder of Whoa Oh Records) and Chris Grivet were nerdy pop punk dudes that lived in the neighborhood, so it wasn’t long before they were showing me around and taking me to Queers shows and what not. Michelle responded to a “hey, join my band” thing that I put up on a message board, and I was like “Whoa! A cute girl!” So yeah, she was immediately in.

The band was originally me on guitar, Grivet on drums, Michelle on guitar and Jon on bass. That was probably the line up for about a year, and man were we shitty. Something needed to change. Jon had the misfortune of not being a drummer or a really cute girl. Michelle switched to bass, and Azeem joined in 2005 or maybe the end of 2004. He had been in The Widows, who played their first ever show at The Steinways first ever show.


D: Were The Steinways the first band you were in?

G: I played in a band called The Kevins right before college in Baltimore and a band called Steve McQueen while I was in college. Neither were really “real” bands, more assemblages of friends who I’d begged to play music with me. Neither band recorded anything, and between the two, we probably played like 12 shows.

D: Was the first tour you did with The Steinways what you'd expected it to be?

G: The first one was great. We went with The Unlovables, Zack Gontard from Off With Their Heads filled in on guitar for them, it was a fun bunch of folks to be out with. The four of us that would eventually form House Boat spent most of the tour together in the “smoking car,” so that was cool.

D: You've said most of the low points of The Steinways revolved around alcohol. Can you elaborate at all?

G: Haha, did I say that? It’s 40,000% true. If you’ve seen The Steinways or House Boat or whatever bullshit I’ve done, you know that I like to talk on stage. That plus a massive amount of alcohol can lead to mistakes. I’ve said a lot of dumb stuff, and every once in a while I say some dumb stuff that makes someone upset.

D: Anything you'd care to repeat?

G: Not really!

D: When I was doing some research before this interview, I found The Steinways have a page on vh1.com of all places. It says you played a basement in Chicago where members of Screeching Weasel used to live. What's the story behind this?

G: I forget how it got set up, but the Chicago stop on The Unlovables/Steinways tour was Jughead’s basement. I think Dan Vapid was living there at the time too. It was pretty fun; we barbecued and hung out watching “Some Kind Of Monster” in the living room and then played a show that night. I forget if The Methadones played, but Even In Blackouts definitely did. There are clips on youtube of The Unlovables and us from that show.

D: What was everyone's opinion on Some Kind of Monster?

G: Well, it’s more or less the best movie of all time, so we’re obviously all very fond of it. I highly recommend the deleted scene with Ja Rule to anyone who’s foolish enough to have not checked it out already.

D: Yes the recording of "We Did It Again"! I love how when they're recording it, Ja Rule (or someone in his posse) says it's gonna be the next "We Are The Champions" and talks about how he sees it getting played every time the Lakers win a title. Metallica bopping their heads to show they're down with the rap part is great too.

G: Yeah, it’s easily the best song I’ve ever heard in my entire life.


D: Back to the subject of Screeching Weasel, The Steinways were joined on stage by Ben Weasel in 2007, how did he become aware of the band and meet you guys?

G: I don’t really know how he came across us, but he just kind of contacted me one day and asked if we’d maybe want to play some songs with him at Insub Fest. I definitely had to read the e-mail like five times before I really understood that, yes, the dude from Screeching Weasel wants my really shitty band to play my favorite songs ever with him. That whole thing was really fun and really awesome for all four of us.

D: At that point did you really feel The Steinways were "really shitty"?

G: I don’t think there was a point at which I DIDN’T think The Steinways were really shitty. That probably had something to do with how shitty we were. I was definitely nervous about playing with Ben because I never thought the four of us were particularly good at playing our instruments together at the same time.

D: Have you talked to Ben since then? Is the artwork of the new House Boat album a slap at him?

G: I haven’t talked to Ben in a while. I think it’s a major bummer that there’s been so much bullshit, gossip and nonsense surrounding him over the past few years, but it sort of seems like that’s what he’s after to a certain degree. I would’ve loved to do some more stuff with him, but we approach music from way different angles, so anything we’d talked about at first fizzled pretty quickly. He’s one of my favorite songwriters of all time though, and that definitely hasn’t changed.

The album art definitely isn’t supposed to be a big “fuck you” to Ben or anything. It was kind of just a dumb idea that grew out of some drunken conversations at a show we played in Philly a couple of years ago. When we recorded the record and came up with the artwork, all that South by Southwest bullshit hadn’t happened yet, and there was way less “controversy” surrounding Ben. I feel like the cover seems more pointed now that that shit’s happened, but, yeah, it’s just a dumb joke.














D: So there were talks about doing a band or album with him?

G: We talked real briefly about maybe doing something together, but never to the point that we even really figured out what that thing would be. I’m probably not well suited to be working with anyone whose musical career is an actual career.

D: Since The Steinways breakup in 2009 how many one offs has the band reunited for?

G: We did a set at a show in New York a few years ago that was the original Steinways (me, Michelle, Chris and Jonnie Whoa Oh), but the only real “reunions” we’ve done were Insub Fest 2010 and last year’s Don Giovanni showcase. We’ve been asked to do a couple of other things, but the Don Giovanni show was a train wreck, and I don’t think any of us are super eager to revisit that. Then again, next year is the 10th anniversary of the band….

D: You mentioned earlier that you thought The Steinways were shitty; do you consider House Boat shitty?

G: Nope, not really. We’re not much of a live band, but that’s more due to the fact that we play together like three times a year and have had two full band practices over the course of our existence. But this is pretty much my ideal scenario, band wise. I like our records, and I couldn’t pick better guys to play with.

D: Why use Zack, a guitar player from Minnesota, for a band from New York?

G: The whole point of House Boat, for me, was getting to play music with whomever I wanted to, and those people happened to be Mikey, Zack and Azeem. When the band started, Zack was more or less always on tour and Mikey was also living in Minnesota. I definitely never planned on us recording and playing as often as we have. I’m pretty happy with how it’s all worked out. Zack’s actually in Florida now, and Mikey floats back and forth between Jersey and Queens, so we’re actually geographically closer than we ever have been.


D: Do you know why Zack left Off With Their Heads?

G: I don’t really want to speak for him, but I can definitely say him leaving that band was amicable, un-dramatic and all that good stuff. I think he just wanted to not tour all the time and do more normal person stuff. He’s in school in Florida at the moment.

D: So if you could have the lifestyle of someone who squeaks by from constantly touring instead of working conventional jobs would you take it?

G: Nope. I kind of hate touring. Well, that’s not totally true, but I get really antsy and not stoked to be on the road after a week or so. I think doing it every night for a couple of months would suck all the fun out of it for me. Doing a week or so at a time once every year or so is pretty ideal for me.

D: A lot of House Boat songs deal with underemployment. Do you ever consider going back to school and getting a better degree?

G: I’ve been temping for like 8 years at this point. I’m either that or unemployed. At the moment, I work as a receptionist at a lab in Brooklyn. Come June, I will most likely not be working as a receptionist at a lab in Brooklyn.

That said, if I thought it made sense to go back and get a graduate degree in something, I would, but I’m pretty sure they don’t have masters programs for comic book reading, weed smoking or pop punk songwriting.

D: Do you write all of the House Boat lyrics?

G: For the most part, yeah. Other than like three lines, Azeem wrote all the lyrics for the ones he sings lead on.

D: House Boat’s lyrics often paint a narrative of depression and self-loathing. Do you write from an autobiographical perspective or from someone else's point of view?

G: I’m pretty self-obsessed, so they’re definitely all about me. I get pretty sad sometimes! The songs are where the bad feelings go. When you write a shitty song about how shitty you feel it makes you feel better. I think there are maybe two or three Steinways songs that are written from someone else’s point of view, but for the most part, I can’t write shit unless it’s about me, I’d guess that at least 90% of my songs start with the word “I.” Or at least an implied “I.”

D: What are the two or three songs you wrote from someone else's perspective?

G: Off the top of my head, “Diogo A Go Go” and “It All Went Wrong” by The Steinways are both supposed to be other people talking, but could just as easily be me.

D: A couple songs on the new House Boat album stick out as sounding different from anything you've previously done. They're actually the first and last tracks. The riff used throughout "Who Let The Dogs Out" (which I think is the best song off the album, despite the name) sounds like something meant to be played with a sitar. How did you come up with this and musically what is it exactly that gives it that sound?

Secondly, "Bug Out" seems almost too heartfelt to be written by you, I think it's a beautiful song, but there seems to be none of the irony or self-depreciation you usually use. Was this song written sincerely or is it tongue in cheek? I noticed the lyrics to Teenage Bottle Rocket's "Skate or Die" are in its place in the album's liner notes.

G: I wrote most of “Who Let The Dogs Out” while I was standing on the train platform waiting to go home one night. The riffy shit just kind of came up when I went home and started messing with it on garageband. It’s not really supposed to sound “different.” I mean it’s basically just “I Work On The 13th Floor” with a slightly modified riff and melody. But, yeah, I like that one too, so thanks!

“Bug Out” is a super sad song I wrote when I was desperate to get back together with a girl. I never really planned on using it for a record, but when we were putting songs together for this last full length, it seemed like it really fit and would be a nice closer.

D: Why do you rarely title your songs after lyrics in them?

G: If I wasn’t in my bands, and I picked up one of my bands’ records, I’d be like “Who the fuck does this guy think he is?” That said, I almost never give a song a title just because I think, “Oh, this is hilarious.” I don’t have a lot of songs with repetitive choruses, so it’s generally kind of hard to pick out a “refrain” to use as a title. If a title seems to not make any sense, odds are it’s just an inside joke between me and myself.

D: Have you really watched The Biggest Loser Australia as your song title suggests?

G: You better fucking believe I have, three seasons of that shit no less! One season of that show is literally about 80 episodes long, which is fucking nuts, so it’s on 4-6 times a week. I don’t know what’s wrong with Australians. I don’t know what’s wrong with me either. I actually resisted the temptation to start watching this season, so maybe I’m getting better.

D: How did you even become aware of the show? Any other shows of that vein that you've wasted too much time on?

G: I think the Amazing Race Asia was the first non-American reality show I accidentally stumbled upon. I was probably torrent searching the regular Amazing Race and that shit popped up. I’ve seen Biggest Loser Australia, MasterChef Australia, Junior MasterChef Australia, The Apprentice UK, The Junior Apprentice UK, The Apprentice New Zealand, Beauty and the Geek Australia, Amazing Race Asia, Biggest Loser UK, etc, etc, etc. Though many years later, I’m finally getting tired of all that shit. I haven’t watched any foreign reality television yet this year, and I may not at all. Though I will say that both Junior Apprentice UK (recently renamed “Young Apprentice”) and Junior MasterChef are fucking brilliant, and I will watch the shit out of both as soon as they’re back on.

D: Back to music, what does the future hold for you?

G: There will definitely be some more House Boat stuff this year. We have an EP of sorts coming out in a couple of months, and we’ve also got a song on that comp Larry Livermore put together for Adeline Records. We’re looking to record for a split that I’m really excited about in July. I won’t say who the band is, and it’s not like it’s someone that’s going to make people lose their minds or anything, but I really hope it works out. Past that, I’ve been trying to get a couple of non-House Boat things off the ground, one which involves all people I’ve played music with before and one that involved no people I’ve played music with before. Either those two things will happen, or I’ll just say fuck it and do another Barrakuda McMurder thing.

D: What is the lineup for Barrakuda McMurder?

G: Barrakuda McMurder is me and whoever else is around. So far “members” have included me, Chris Pierce, Matt Lame, Azeem, Chelsea Lacatena and Chris Grivet.

The stuff on the first Barrakuda McMurder 7” and the stuff on the first House Boat LP was all written at more or less the same time. At that point, House Boat didn’t exist, and it was looking like The Steinways would do a third LP. I wanted to record with other folks, so I just took 6 songs from what I had and went and recorded them with Chris Pierce playing drums and me playing more or less everything else. I definitely wish I’d saved a song or two from that for the first House Boat record.

Since then, the only other thing “we’ve” done is a free release that was just me and Azeem playing everything. Those songs were definitely more “throwaways” that House Boat was never going to record.

D: Alright one last question, and I want you to answer seriously, where do you see yourself in life in 2019 when you turn 40 years old?

G: I have no idea. I'd like to think that I won't still be splitting my time between temping and pining over unattainable women, but I think my discography might disagree with me. I'd settle for working someplace I don't totally hate, dating somebody I totally like and making records a couple of times a year with my friends. That's pretty much the sum of my life's ambitions at this point.

This Is Norway: An interview with Rene Og Sa Videre (Baesj 74)

I first encountered Rene Og Sa Videre, and his musical project, “Baesj 74”, a few years back via the Knock Knock Records message board. Most of the people online seemed to think that a person claiming to be from Norway, who idolized Blink-182, and produced (or lack there of) weird minimalist songs, consisting of Norwegian accented vocals, choppy guitar, and pots and pans for drums, was a fake persona. But as time went on Rene produced too much circumstantial evidence against being an America playing pretend behind a keyboard, and was indeed a Norwegian creating what I would best describe as outsider music that combines elements of punk, noise, and acoustic folk, under the moniker Baesj 74.

I initially contacted him when Screeching Weasel announced the tracklisting for their last album “First World Manifesto”, with the idea that he write and record songs off of the same titles, before hearing the original versions, and release his version of the album the same day. Rene nixed the idea, but later agreed to do the same concept for the songs of bands playing the 2011 Insubordination Fest, in an effort to release a free album that would be found via a url listed in the Insubordination Fest Zine (look for it at the at the end of the interview).

After combing through song titles we settled on ten songs, “Black Friday” (originally by Iron Chic), “Brain Scrambling Device” (originally by Kepi Ghoulie), “Feels Like Dying” (originally by The Jetty Boys), “French Perfume” (originally by New Creases), “Navigation Point” (originally by The Dopamines), “Pentagrams” (originally by The Copyrights), “Regan McNeil” (originally by Emily’s Army), “Tour Boyfriends” (originally by Karmella’s Game), “Punk Rock Boy” (originally by The Potatomen), and “Robot Girl” (originally by The Quarantines), with the latter two song titles being combined into “Punk Rock Boy, Robot Girl”.

As warped fate would have it, a lot of the album, including songs like Black Friday and Feels Like Dying, was recorded on Friday July 22, during the terrorist attacks on Norway. Parts of the recordings came out very dark, and it was split into two versions. I called one “The Black Friday EP”, which I remixed (in true poor production Baesj 74 spirit), and cut up not to include some of the less serious songs. The other was called “The White Thursday EP” which is the original version Rene recorded.

The following is the interview I did with Rene after the EPs were finished:

D: What does Baesj 74 mean?

R: Shit 74. It actually is a pretty embarrassing name. I think a lot of people remember it though.

D: Does the number 74 have any significance?

R: No, but I don't think Bæsj 75 would have sounded as good.

D: Have their ever been other members besides you?

R: It's always been a one-man project. Though on one song called "Different Frame" I have guest performers.

D: Were you ever in a band?

R: I'm in a band, but we don't practice much and we haven’t written many songs.

D: They don’t play Baesj 74 songs?

R: We have tried playing some, but we haven't practiced since 2008.

D: Wow you weren’t kidding you don’t practice much. Are the others still aware you consider the band active?

R: Yeah.

D: When was your last show?

R: We haven't even played shows.

D: What do you use to record Baesj74 songs?

R: I use pro-tools and a soundcard on most of the songs. Sometimes I just make an EP on the laptop mic and ironically they usually sound better.

D: Didn’t you once use pots and pans for drums?

R: I mostly use candy and cookie boxes and I still do even on the new song “Navigation Point”. I got he candy box when I was four years old and started beating on it so it's always been kind of a nostalgic thing.

D: Is there any artist you could compare your music to? I feel like your sort of doing a Wesley Willis thing, in that it’s uncharted territory.

R: I don't think there is much I usually compare myself to, I'm not very good at recording so that and the fact that I use the unusual percussion makes it sound weird. I do enjoy what I've heard of Wesley Willis.

D: Do you have a page where all your stuff can be downloaded?

R: Not all of it, but I think the best stuff is on the Baesj 74 myspace and bandcamp pages.

D: Has anyone ever offered to put out a physical copy of your stuff?

R: I haven't got actual offers, but people have mentioned it ever since 2004, I don't think they are being 100% serious.

D: Was your new song “Black Friday”, or the tone of it, based on the Norwegian terrorist attacks?

R: When I saw the title, I googled it and found out it meant Friday the 13th, and could also mean Fridays that are related to tragedies. I found examples so the song had each verse about different days known as "Black Friday", each seen from the point of view of someone experiencing it. It was recorded a few hours before the terrorist attack. Having recorded it did creep me out afterwards, and a part of me wanted to delete it, but I think the message in the song is stronger than ever.

D: Was it recorded before the tragedy, or just written beforehand?

R: It was written and recorded before the tragedy.

D: Wow. What about the other songs, were they written and recorded before it took place?

R: I was recording "Feels Like Dying" when I heard about the bomb and I wasn't sure about how serious it was. I just kept recording the songs and I felt like I was in a state of denial, and when I heard about the shootings I went into a shock and stopped recording. and saved the rest for later. I felt weird about finishing the two last songs the next day, which were “French Perfume” and “Navigation Point” as the themes were light-hearted.

D: I think the recordings as a whole mark a turning point for you, like when your favorite band Blink-182 did their self-titled album; it was darker and more mature.

R: I tried to write a lot of acoustic tracks as I've always felt that I sounded more mature doing them. I think the lyrics go from serious (“Black Friday”) to not that serious (“Tour Boyfriends”). Your mix of navigation point actually reminded me of the style of Blink’s self-titled album

D: Yeah, Navigation Point was sort of like the Blink-182 song “Violence”, with the drum beat at least. And Black Friday, thematically, reminded me of The Clash song “Straight to Hell” in the way it interweaves all those historical moments. One of them in your song was about the Nazi attack on Norway during WWII right?

R: What I gathered from it was it was an attack from the allies on German boats, but they missed and hit Norwegian boats, and the Germans could continue to move their attacks. The narrator in the song is someone who has lost his boat and understands that the Germans should be fought, but the fact that they missed, and boats are sinking, and people getting hurt, just showed the meaningless of war.

D: Content wise that’s a lot different from what was being sung about on the past Baesj 74 songs, how do you think people will react to this?

R: The song “.... And The Tale Continues” from my EP "The Masterpeas" is a similar song, but it's not based on real events. I've always had some serious songs and some not so serious songs. I think I’m most known for the not so serious ones so it might surprise people.

D: Any other comments on your new recordings?

R: I'd just like to say I wonder if the bands that have the same titles will check out the song and how they will feel about them.

D: Well next year I’ll try to get them to write songs based on your titles.

D: Do you vote Labour party (the party targeted in the terror attacks)?

R: I did vote for them in the last election. I'm kind of all over the place politically, I've always felt centrist (though other places might consider a Norwegian centrist very leftist), but to me it was more important to not get a conservative government.

D: Is it a parliamentary system?

R: Yeah, there’s a seven party parliament. Technically it's a monarchy, but the King is more for tradition, similar to how it is in Britain.

D: What do you think about Glenn beck's comments?

R: His recent comments?

D: Yeah, about the kids killed in the Labour Party being like the Hitler Youth.

R: I read an article about it. I wouldn't even expect someone like him to say that, it's a pretty disgusting thing.

D: Yeah Glenn Beck’s an irrationally paranoid person, he’s actually a former addict, and it’s pretty clear he’s burnt out. He’s been parading as a newsman, but even Fox News seems to have gotten sick of his act. Do people like that exist in Norway?

R: Not one that is famous or that appears regularly, but there are definitely people that share his opinions who write in newspapers and blogs.

D: But they don’t get the platform of a major TV or radio station?

R: Definitely not. They would probably get to speak, but I don't think TV or radio channels would hire them or want anything to do with them.

D: Are most of the channels owned by the same parent companies like they are in America, or is the media more diverse?

R: Well we don't have that many TV channels. While a lot of them are owned by the same company, some are sent from other countries and are owned by companies in those countries, however the biggest ones are owned by the state, similar to PBS in America, but from what I understand way bigger. A lot of people are against paying extra taxes for it, but I think it's good to have a commercial free alternative.

D: Other than what just happened is there much depression over there? It’s always ranked at the top of the happiest countries.

R: Well I think seeing a psychiatrist is more taboo in Norway. I think that we’re a spoiled country that in many ways suffers from boredom. We make lots of money on oil, but there isn't much going on.

D: But the government is giving the people a lot right? Like education, health care, etc…

R; Yeah, the problems we are facing with all those are lines to get into them, but I'm glad that we get that. I've never been into any kind of national pride, but I think the way that the leaders have dealt with what happened on Friday has been good, and I agree a lot with the "Norwegian ideals" related to the case and how people are handling it.

D: How long is the wait for those services?

R: I'm not sure on the exact statistics, but there is a lot of critique especially when it comes to old people. Society has gotten healthier so people live longer, and old age is increasing. I'm sure it’s similar in most countries.

D: Yeah that’s true here as well. Is there much poverty in Norway?

R: It might be a guess, but I'd say less than in other countries. I don't think there are a lot of filthy rich people here, and there aren't as many under the poverty line. Norway isn’t considered the richest country, but I think its number one in how good people have it.

D: What’s is your impression of America?

R: 90% of interesting things are from America: rock n roll music, movies, food and drinks, it makes me want to visit and I think if I did it would be a good trip. I also like the "rags to riches" idea and a lot of the values when it comes to freedom, but there are a lot of political aspects I disagree with. I do think a lot of Europeans have an unhealthy view and wrong stereotypes of Americans.

D: What sort of stereotypes?

Q: I think a lot of Europeans think Americans are rednecks who know nothing about the rest of the world, which is ironic because I don't think Europeans know much about the rest of the world either.

D: Do they differentiate between the North and South?

R: Some stereotype everyone; others view the southern states differently from the northern. Yet they still watch movies from America and listen to music from there.

D: Will you ever come over to America?

R: I've always wanted to, it'd be a trip that would take lots of planning though and I don't think I have time now, as I am still a student. I'd like to experience first hand how it's like and how the people are like, I have met a lot of Americans in Norway.

D: What parts of the country would you want to see?

R: I'd like to see New York, even though I've heard a lot about their pizza lately that I've found weird. I'd also like to see the Midwest, places like Minnesota where there are a lot of Norwegian-Americans, the southern states where rock n roll first started, and California.

D: What part of New York pizza is weird?

R: It seems to be less common to put on toppings other than cheese and sauce on the pizza.

D: I guess the whole idea is that the slice should be long and thinly crusted so you can taste the cheese and sauce, but you can still get toppings on it. Do you like Chicago style pizza better?

R: I haven't had it. I've had Pizza Hut and I like that style of pizza the best, but I love all pizza. I just find it weird to not have toppings on it. The fact that it's a concept with crust, cheese and sauce and you can put about anything on it has always been my favorite part of pizza. The fact that a lot of Americans and Germans don't like ketchup on hot dogs is also something that I've found weird

D: I think that’s a Midwest thing. The Chicago style hotdog is sort of weird.

R: I first heard about it on Weasel Radio.

D: Yeah it’s a regional thing. Do you think the Northeast or Midwest has better punk bands?

R: Musically, I think that there have been a lot of good bands lately from all around the world. When it comes to pop punk I've always enjoyed the 90's style the best, but I also do enjoy a lot of the newer styles. I think that when there is so many bands few stick, but I think The Steinways and The Ergs! have stood out as the best bands of the last ten years, so I'll have to say the Northeast. Though I still think the best bands from the U.S. have come from California.

D: Is it common for Norwegians to speak English well?

R: It's pretty common to at least know a normal amount of English. We start learning English at age six or seven. There's a theory that countries like Norway and Sweden that never had a plan to become a leading empire, don't find it insulting to have English as a common world language.

D: Ok final question and I’ll let you go, do they show the Maury Povich and Steve Wilkos shows in Norway?

R: I don't think so; I haven't seen them at least. They might air on satellite channels.

D: Ok thanks for your time.


The Black Friday EP can be downloaded at http://www.mediafire.com/#uplbc81jzxk34,1


The White Thursday EP can be downloaded at http://www.mediafire.com/#27lf2w4724v52,1

Okay, Enough Reminiscing II: Video interview with Mikey Erg

As a companion piece to the transcribed interview below, I've uploaded the video interview with Mikey Erg. Enjoy!

Okay, Enough Reminiscing: An interview with Mikey Erg

For those of you living under a rock, The Ergs! were one of the most influential punk bands of the last decade. Hailing from New Jersey and fronted by lead vocalist/drummer Mikey Erg, the band kicked around from 2000-2008 before the three members called it quits and went on to other projects.

Mikey currently plays drums for Star Fucking Hipsters, Ensign, House Boat, and a slew of other bands, as well as being a solo artist, which was the hat he was wearing when he played a bill at New Hampshire Punkhouse “Slaughter House 5”. The show also featured Hunchback and Black Wine, both bands consisting of the other former Ergs! members. The following interview took place afterwards:

D: Thanks Mike for taking the time for this.

M: Of course.

D: The last time I interviewed you The Ergs! had just broken up, and you said Psyched To Die was gonna be your main band, then a few months from that you moved to Minnesota.

M: (Laughs) that’s true.

D: During your set today you said that was a mistake. What was wrong?

M: It happens all the time where you think “this is where I need to be, this is what I need to do” and then it turns out it’s not what you need to do … don’t move anywhere for a girl.

D: (Laughs) was there a plan to start a band out there?

M: The plan was kind of like to not do bands for a while, to chill for a bit. But then it’s me, so I just was like “I can’t do that”. I immediately started a few bands.

D: What were the ones you started?

M: Well I started playing with The Slow Death. I started playing with Nato from Used Kids and Modern Machines, we started a band but then I stopped playing with them and started playing with The God Damn Doo Wop Band. I just started playing with any band that would have me out there (laughs). It became exactly what it was on the East Coast, but I can’t not play music.

D: Would you say you have a nomadic lifestyle?

M: At this point, yeah.

D: Where’s home, New Jersey?

M: Yeah I keep my stuff at my mom’s house and it’s just kind of like a storage.

D: How often do you stay there? Ever?

M: 2-3 weeks at a time, maybe 2-3 times a year, never all that much. She doesn’t mind and it’s not really like I’m living at home. All my stuff is there so it’s not like I have to pay for a storage space.

D: Exactly you’re saving money. So when was the last time you had a day job, you know a 9-5?

M: I worked for my dad for most of my life. He owned a recording studio and I worked there until that went under, which was the same year The Ergs! broke up.

D: Right when the recession started, right?

M: Yeah all that shit just happened at the same time. I was living at the studio, so I lost my job, my house, and my band (laughs). Everything just happened at the same time. It was late 2008, and then 2009 on I’ve just kind of been doing this touring thing.

D: Did you ever go to college?

M: I didn’t. I wanted to go to recording college, and my dad, owning a recording studio, kind of gave me shit about it. He was like “I can teach you everything you need to know”, and now I really wish I went to recording college because I would know a lot more then I learned being at my dad’s place.

D: At this point would you ever considering going back to school?

M: I think about it a lot. I mean I’m at the point where I can tour all year and that’s cool. But at certain points it would be nice to have a home base. I’m not there yet but pretty soon I’ll probably get there and go back to learning something.

D: But for punk rock you’ve sort of made it so to speak, you know? I mean so many people would love to have that sort of lifestyle.

M: Yeah, I’m very lucky to have made the connections I made, and to have done the things I’ve done. To be able to, with a bunch of different bands, tour most of the year, it’s good. I’m not making a crazy living, but I’m living and that’s awesome.

D: When you went to the Bay Area to record with Star Fucking Hipsters, I guess that was when you played Gilman with Mike Dirnt’s band. Who else was there? Fat Mike and Jello Biafra?

M: In the course of a week we recorded in Fat Mike’s studio so I met him, and then Mike Dirnt got us on a show with his other band The Frustrators. Then the next night we played at a club called The Parkside, and Jello was there because Jello put out the second Hipsters record. So in the course of a week I met Fat Mike, Mike Dirnt, and Jello Biafra.

Jello Biafra came up to me and said “Did you really only have one practice with the band?” and I said “yeah we practiced today for like 40 minutes” and he said “that’s the best drumming I’ve seen for any of Sturgeon’s bands ever.” I was like, “well you’re bullshitting me but that’s awesome!”

D: (Laughs)

M: I went up to him and introduced myself, I’m a huge fan, and he knew who I was from seeing me on stage. It was really weird and surreal, I wasn’t prepared for it.

D: I read an interview with Sturgeon where he said he didn’t vote. Do you know if that’s still true?

M: I don’t know. I don’t know much about him personally.

D: I know Jello, on his spoken word albums, has whole tracks about why he didn’t vote for years, and then why he was so gung-ho with the Punk Voter stuff and trying to get kids registered.

M: Sturgeon’s very political so it seems he would’ve done that, but I could see people being lazy and not registering.

D: What he was saying was no candidate really represents his views.

M: That totally could be true because his views are all over the place (laughs).

D: Right, though the whole argument that Biafra makes is that it’s not really the big races like Senate, or President, or what not, that matter, but the ballot questions. Here in Massachusetts… oh wait this is New Hampshire… where we live in Massachusetts, there’s always stuff you get to vote on directly. There’s some cool ones recently like banning dog racing, and there’s always Republican groups trying to get rid of taxes for all these state institutes that need it, and it’s quite fun to vote those down.

M: Yeah definitely. From what I know he’s all over the place, I don’t know where he actually is on any of that stuff.

D: Are those guys all vegetarians?

M: Yes.

D: You’re a big fast food junkie, right?

M: (Laughs) I am.

D: So wasn’t there some compromise they had with you?

M: Sturgeon’s very anti-corporate, so there was a lot of “These fast food restaurants are good because they do this for their employees…these restaurants are bad because they do this…” There was a lot of that, so I had to compromise and sneak things (laughs). He doesn’t drink Coke products, he doesn’t go to McDonalds, and that’s fine. It’s just, sometimes you’re at a rest stop and the only fucking thing there is McDonalds, so I eat McDonalds if that’s the case. I’ve gotten in trouble for that a couple times.

D: What’s funny is the first time I knew those guys were into you was when I saw them play, and one of the guys had an Ergs! Shirt on.

M: Yeah the guitar player Frank.

D: Yeah the guy from Ensign. I guess that was also in another photo of them they used for publicity, but then in the same picture one of them is holding a can of Coors, I think it was Nico, Sturgeon must have not liked that.

M: I mean we’ll drink Pabst. It’s more “if you can help it, don’t”. “If you can help it, don’t go to fucking McDonalds”, or “don’t do this”, or “don’t do that”. “Don’t go to Walmart, don’t go to whatever”, but if McDonalds is the only thing around that’s what I’m gonna eat because I’m starving.

D: Why did Nico leave the band? It seems like she just quit suddenly.

M: It’s not my place to say. She was there one day, and then one day I woke up in the hotel room and she wasn’t there anymore. I don’t really know what happened.

D: The new girl in the band, what band did she come from?

M: She’s in a band called "Chump Change” from the Bay Area.

D: So she moved out east?

M: No she’s still in the Bay Area. Our guitar player Frank moved out to the Bay Area too, so we’re kind of a bi-coastal thing at this point.

D: So you just meet up when you tour?

M: Yeah. Because the Nico stuff happened in Denver, and then we were going to the west coast, we played a few shows without her, and then we met up with Kelsey (the new singer). She flew up to Portland and we had a couple practices, and we toured down the west coast and then went to Australia. She just kind of jumped in because she was recommended by a friend of ours.

D: Which one of them is gonna be on the new record?

M: I haven’t heard any of the record. I believe they kept some of Nico’s stuff. We re-recorded all of Nico’s stuff before we left the studio. Sturgeon went back with Kelsey and a few other people, but I think there’s some Nico stuff, and I think there’s some Kelsey stuff. But I don’t know, I haven’t heard any of it.

D: Did you write any of the songs?

M: Me, Frank, and Sturgeon ended up basically writing the record. Sturgeon and Frank had stuff, and I contributed drum parts and stuff like that. There are a couple songs that we jammed in practice. There’s a song called “From The Dumpster To The Grave”, which is the title track for the record, Frank had a riff and I started playing, and Sturgeon started playing, and we put the whole thing together in half an hour. That song we’re all super proud of. It was the three of us “writing” but “writing” in a very loose term.

D: Is it gonna be more ska based?

M: Yeah, most of the record from what I gather. There’s a couple pop punk songs, and a bunch of ska punk.

D: Yeah I remember him saying when they played in Cambridge, “We have a new album coming out and it’s gonna be called Ska Fucking Hipsters!”

M: Yeah and that was forgotten by the time that we started working together. Then I, coming in as an outsider, was like “Ska Fucking Hipsters, it actually kind of became that.” He was like “Yeah, I guess we planned on that for a minute and then we forgot about that. Then with the lineup change this shit happened”. I came in and we were writing ska songs, which for me is awesome because I’ve never been in a ska band, and I’ve always liked that kind of music.

D: Were you in Star Fucking Hipsters with Frank, before you joined him in Ensign?

M: Yeah. I played the last Measure [sa] show, and I was walking offstage and the bass player from Ensign was like “Hey I need to talk to you! We need a drummer for these next few shows, can you do it?” I was like “I don’t really have a lot of time but give me the dates”. It turned out that the dates were in the places that I didn’t have anything to do. So I learned all their songs, and played a couple of shows, then we’re going to Europe for two weeks.

D: No plans to record with them or anything?

M: No, not for me, just because I’m so busy. I literally just had those couple weeks open, so I was like “yeah I can do this”.

D: You just mentioned The Measure [sa], when I talked to their frontwoman Lauren, she was saying how great of a basement scene New Jersey has. Can you talk about your experience with that?

M: I missed a lot of the Bouncing Souls stuff, a lot of the Lifetime stuff, a lot of that stuff that was happening in the mid to late 90s, I missed all of that. I was going to shows in New York City, bigger shows because I was into bigger bands like the Teen Idols or Chixdiggit!, the bands that would play the mid-sized 300-500 to maybe 750 capacity places. I wasn’t into the basement scene at all. I was aware of it, I knew about all of it, but I never went to New Brunswick alone to go see a basement show.

Then The Ergs! started, and one of the first shows we ever played was a basement show in New Brunswick, and I was like “Oh cool we’re playing a basement in New Brunswick”. It just kind of built up to the point where people were crediting us for starting this new revolution of basement shows in New Brunswick. Thursday, and Bouncing Souls, and Lifetime had all left, and we were the next thing, which I didn’t think of it as that. We were just playing shows at houses that would let us play. But I didn’t get to see any of the cool Thursday/Lifetime/Bouncing Souls house shows.

D: I don’t think you missed much with Thursday.

M: I agree.

D: (Laughs)

M: But with the Souls and Lifetime there was obviously a fucking thing going on that I didn’t know about. I saw Thursday play when Discount played their last show in New Brunswick, it was their last tour, and Thursday opened. I’d never heard anything like that and I wasn’t into it, I was just like, “I don’t get what’s going on here, this guy’s really putting it out there”. Later it got to where I could understand what he was doing, but at that point I was still young, I was in high school so I was probably 18. But everybody around me was totally all for it, and I’m like “I’m not in my element right now”. Then two years later, they were the biggest thing in the world.

D: Are a lot of those basements still around?

M: There are the legendary “This was the Lifetime basement” or “This was the Bouncing Souls basement” ones. I don’t think we ever played any of those places, but every time a new crop of college kids came through they were like “Oh we have a basement. Lets’ do shows!” The house that we always played was at the end of Hamilton Street. It was dubbed “The Parlor” after a Hunchback song. The Ergs! and Hunchback played there all the time, that was our home base. That was when the two of us were the New Brunswick thing of that later period. Fid from The Measure [sa], who was there from the Bouncing Souls/Lifetine days, said that was when it got good again, “When you guys came through, and you guys started going on tour, and you brought bands back”.

Apparently the Screaming Females were influenced by us, and they got it going again after us. It goes in cycles; if it’s true we were a part of that thing I’m glad that that happened.

D: How does it compare to places like here? Have you played any other houses in New England?

M: Yeah. We played… (thinking)….

D: The Ant Cellar in Lowell? Or any of the places in Boston?

M: The Used Kids played a basement in Boston, it might have still been when we were the Modern Machines. I know we played a basement in Boston, we’ve played basements in Philly, but this is great. I always heard about Slaughter House 5. I’d never played here until The Dopamines played outside of here and then someone wrote me an email, “Do you wanna do a solo show in our basement?” Absolutely. I walked down here and there were already tons of people down here waiting for me to start. That was the second solo show I’d ever played in my life and I was like “Wow people wanna hear this? That’s cool.” I played here later again with House Boat, and then played solo. This is just such a cool place. The Ergs! played venues in New Hampshire and Boston, and so forth, but we never played basement shows here.

D: These places are always better than the venues.

M: Yeah, if The Ergs! could have done it any other way we would have had our last show at one. I mean we played a “secret” show as our last basement show, but for our last show we wanted as many people that could’ve made it. People were flying out and shit, so we had it at a venue.

D: That must have been pretty flattering though, hearing people are coming in from out of the way.

M: It was, but honestly for me I remember the basement show more. I mean the last show was the last show and it was fucking awesome. The fact was Lemuria just happened to be in town and they needed a show, so we booked them a show, and we’re like “Okay it’s two days before our last show, we’re just gonna play it, we’re not gonna announce it”. But people kind of knew. It was at The Parlor, at the place we’d always played for years, we just got up and played, and it was so magical. Tonight was the first time I’d seen Hunchback in a basement since that show. Tonight for me, that was my perfect Hunchback show, I can’t even describe how amazing that felt.

D: Yeah, it was cool that the three of you were all here with different bands.

M: Yeah I’m glad too that we all could be here. I wish Night Birds could play, but it was so fucking rad to see that and not know if that’s gonna happen again. Just to see that and have that in my mind and in my heart, that’s what I wanted to see, and it’s fucking awesome.

D: There was that secret show and the official last one, then you did that cancer benefit last year, and didn’t you play someone’s wedding?

M: Yeah we’d already agreed to that before we’d decided that we were breaking up, so we did all the last show shit, and the guy wrote us, “So I guess you won’t be playing our wedding”, and we were like “No we said we were gonna do it, we’ll do it”. Our last show was our last show, this was as invited guests. We practiced a couple times for it, we played, and it was fun, it was great. It was really fun but it was an invited crowd, and people got video of it so if anybody didn’t get to see it they can see it on youtube or whatever.

Even the cancer benefit was just that we wanted to help out. We practiced for a few days and were like “It still sounds alright, and we’re not fucking things up by doing this.” We did it, and we honestly played like an hour and forty-five minutes or something, we played a long set. I don’t think it’s ever gonna happen again, well I don’t know if it’s ever gonna happen again, never say never, but we were kind of playing as if that was the last time it’s ever gonna happen. But it was good to do it and we helped immensely, more than I’d ever thought that any band I would’ve been in could have helped monetarily.

D: Was it that you helped in paying for the medical bills?

M: Yeah basically it was raising money for the medical bills.

D: Were you able to cover it?

M: Well it’s cancer, so you never know when it’s gonna stop, but we raised a lot of money, way more than I ever would have thought. It was really nice to be able to do that.

D: I’ve always wondered this, how many artists do you have in your itunes library?

M: That’s a good question. It’s in the thousands (laughs).

D: What would you guess five thousand? Or closer to three or two thousand?

M: I don’t even know, I never even thought to look actually. Probably in the two to three thousand range.

D: What album would people be most surprised to learn that you own?

M: That’s the thing with me; I like so much dumb shit. I mean there’s Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart, which is a classic record, but it’s an unlistenable record to a lot of people. There’s so many weird records that I like.

D: Do you have Kriss Kross or something like that?

M: Certainly when I was 12 years old I was listening to Kriss Kross, but I was also listening to Nevermind. Surprising in that way? I have the Right Said Fred record.

D: (Laughs) how are the songs besides “I’m Too Sexy”?

M: There’s I’m Too Sexy, and then there’s “Don’t Talk, Just Kiss”, then I don’t remember any of the rest of them.

One of the ones that always sticks out in my mind as a weird record that came out when I was young: Duran Duran’s Big Thing. It wasn’t like a big hit Duran Duran album, it wasn’t Rio, it was like their ’87 record. It’s a fucking great record. Then they came back with Duran Duran’s self titled album, that was with “Ordinary World”, in their early 90s hit period. But there was a record right in the middle of that called Big Thing, and I love that record.

D: Then you obviously got the Neurotic Outsiders album that the Duran Duran guy did with Steve Jones.

M: Yes! That was Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols, and the guys from Guns N’ Roses.

D: Duff and Matt.

M: It was the perfect melding of dumb shit that I liked throughout my life.

D: (Laughs)

M: It’s a shitty record. It’s not a good record, but “Nasty Ho” when you’re 12 years old is kind of a funny song.

I went and saw All once when I was in high school, I might have been out of high school actually, it might have been 2000 or 2001. This band opened up called Wretch Like Me, and they covered Nasty Ho. I was watching it and Stephen Egerton came out and played it with them. That was like the one song I knew from that band, and I was just rocking out. I was like “We should cover this song, it’s cool. Stephen Egerton from the Descendents knows it, so it’s cool.” So we covered it just because we thought it was funny.

Jeff and I both had that record, we were both into that band. Jeff’s younger than I am, but we both discovered it at the same ages. We decided to cover it, but it’s a dumb, fucking stupid, song.

D: It’s a fun song.

M: It’s a sexist piece of shit song, but it was funny at the time (laughs).

D: Did ABC No Rio ban you guys because you played that?

M: They banned us, and I assumed it was because of that. We had our lyrics printed on our website, and that’s the most sexist The Ergs! ever got besides “I love you, you’re cute” (laughs). Nasty Ho might have been the only sexist thing I ever sang.

D: And you never wrote that, Steve Jones wrote that.

M: But we got banned from ABC No Rio, and I was like “Was it because of Nasty Ho?” That’s the only thing I could think of that would’ve been a problem in our catalog. At that point, Dorkrock wasn’t out, The Ben Kweller EP wasn’t out, it was just our demos and seven inch. Nasty Ho came free with a seven inch. That’s the only song I can think of that has anything that could be misconstrued as sexist, which it is sexist, I’m not saying that we were right in covering it, but we were stupid fucking 20 year olds when we recorded it. I wanted to leave it off of Hindsight is 20/20, but it was out and we might as well put it on there.

D: There are some stuff missing from Hindsight, like That’s it Bye, I don’t know if that came out afterwards.

M: It came out afterwards. Anything that came out after was left off, but there will be a Hindsight 2.

D: Is that what it’s gonna be called?

M: I believe it’s gonna be Hindsight is 20/20 Volume 2: Okay Enough Reminiscing. It’s gonna be all Dirty Work references. It’ll be everything commercially released that’s not on Hindsight. The goal is, if you have Dorkrock, Upstairs/Downstairs, Ben Kweller EP, Jersey Best Prancers, and then the two singles collections, you’ll have everything we ever recorded.

D: I’m gonna go off topic, but you mentioned Dirty Work, are you an Artie Lange fan?

M: Oh yeah, absolutely.

D: Did you hear he was back on the radio for the first time in years?

M: I didn’t hear that. Not on Howard Stern right?

D: No.

M: Because I’ve been listening to Stern, I’m a huge fucking Stern fan.

D: He guest hosted one of those sports shows.

M: Like the Norm show?

DL No it was with Nick DiPalo, the comedian from Boston. It was The Tony Bruno Show.

M: I love Nick DiPalo too. I love that he’s Mr. Boston, he’s so fucking funny. I loved that he played a Boston cop in Beer League. It’s so great, that was the perfect role for him.

D: He hosted a radio show again. I’ll send you the link, they have a podcast version of it.

M: I’d love to hear it. Howard doesn’t want Artie on; he wants to make sure that he’s okay, because that’s gnarly shit that happened to him [Artie relapsed on heroin and tried to stab himself to death]. Howard doesn’t want anything to do with bringing him back at a time when he doesn’t need to be back in the spotlight. I think that Howard feels pretty responsible for the bullshit that happened with Artie, even though if you’re that fucked up, you’re that fucked up. Nothing’s gonna change it unless something drastic happens.

D: That show, for all the talk that it’s sexist or whatever, there’s been a lot of cool punk bands on it, like the Joey and Marky Ramone fight.

M: Stern rules, and anything that Richard Christy [drummer turned Stern show writer] does, Richard Christy is a drumming idol to me. Ever since I found out about him I was listening to him. He can fucking play the drums. I’ll never play like that.

D: If you had to name one drummer as your favorite, do you have one?

M: Bill Stevenson is obviously a huge influence, but from here, some New Hampshire/Maine/Boston pride, Chris Pierce from Sinkhole. Him and Duncan from Snuff, they’re the two people that made me realize I could play drums and sing at the same time, and they’re both incredible drummers, I owe a lot to both of them.

Chris Pierce happened to move to New Brunswick. The Ergs! half hazardly wrote to him, “Hey would you wanna record this dumb band we have?” And we recorded some shit with him, what ended up being Thrash Compactor, a couple comp tracks, and the country seven inch. We just went in and recorded a bunch of dumb shit with him, just to see if it sounded good, and it sounded great, so we went and did almost everything else we ever did with him. He’s a huge influence on me, and it was really hard to play and sing in front of him.

D: Could you name a favorite artist? Do you have one or would there just be too many?

M: Of all time? It’s tough.

D: What about five of them?

M: My favorite band in the world is probably XTC, because they’re so weird. They’re weird and poppy, the perfect mix of weird Beatle-esque pop and weird funky/new wavey kind of shit. Andy Partridge is a huge lyrical influence on me, in the same way that John Lennon and The Beatles are.

The Beatles were probably my first favorite band of all time. Apparently my first words were “yeah, yeah, yeah” from what my mom tells me. In the early 80s she would bring out her Beatles records. I always loved John Lennon’s wordplay, I always tried to copy that. Andy partridge had that too, and Elvis Costello was kind of influenced by John Lennon in that respect.

So Elvis Costello, John Lennon, The Beatles, XTC, and I love Joe Jackson. He’s in the same kind of vein of angry young man turned punk for a few years and then ventured out into other things. I like that you get into it from the punk thing, because that’s what you can understand, and then you realize you can expand upon that.

So those are probably my five favorites, The Beatles are probably number one, because that’s my first favorite bands. Not that I’m anywhere near as good as Elvis Costello, or The Beatles, or XTC, but those are my three favorite songwriting influences.

D: Do you listen to The Adam Carolla Podcast at all?

M: I have.

D: He’s always saying his favorite artists are Elvis Costello, and who’s the other guy you just mentioned?

M: Joe Jackson?

D: Yeah, Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, The Pretenders, and some other guy I can’t remember.

M: Yeah, The Pretenders are awesome, Chrissie Hynde is great. That’s rad. I didn’t know that.

If I had three bands I’d say everybody should listen to it’d be XTC, Elvis Costello and The Attractions, and The Beatles. Then you go into other genres like punk: Black Flag, The Minutemen, there’s a ton of fucking bands out there that are worth listening to.

D: What about albums?

M: Well Minutemen’s Double Nickels On The Dime, that taught me you didn’t have to stick to a formula, your formula was you could be all over the place for eighty minutes and be awesome. XTC did those records too, they did English Settlement which is eighty minutes of every fucking thing you can throw at an audience. Then The Beatles did The White Album which was one of the first double albums ever, anything you could throw at anybody. They were like “Fuck it, we’re The Beatles! Listen to all this shit, fuck you!”

That’s kind of what The Ergs! did as a whole because we were all super influenced by everybody. On Upstairs/Downstairs we were like “Here’s a few pop punk songs, here’s a slow song, here’s a song that kind of sounds like Fugazi, here’s a song that kind of sounds like Johnny Cash, here’s a song that kind of sounds like this, here’s a song that’s eighteen minutes of noise.” We kind of tried to throw everything at the audience, I don’t know if it worked or not.

"If It’s Not Political, You’re Playing Speed Pop": An interview with Steve Patton of the Have Nots

Boston ska-punks the Have Nots, have a new album titled "Proud" coming out May 3rd on Paper + Plastick Records. I had the opportunity to talk with drummer Steve Patton in the following interview:

D: When was the band started and was it always the four of you?

S: We started in 2006, but I’d consider the real start of the band like 2008. That was when we got our shit together and started recording and touring and such. It’s always been the four of us, fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it).

D: Is there a primary songwriter or does everyone write together?

S: Jon and Matt write the songs for the most part. Jameson and I help with the arrangements and tell them when the songs aren’t good.

D: Are you all originally from the Boston area?

S: Matt, Jameson and I all grew up in suburban Boston in the towns of Lincoln and Sudbury. Jon grew up in upstate New York. I'm not quite sure how he ended up here, probably something to do with bike messaging.

D: Why was your first release a full length instead of an EP?

S: Well we released a four song demo early on, so I guess we kind of looked at that like an EP. We just had a lot of songs written and were chomping at the bit to put out a record. It’s a good thing we did, knowing how long it takes us to do things, if we’d only put out an EP we’d probably still only have five songs out in the masses.

D: Is this demo available anywhere?

S: I'm honestly not sure. You might be able to find it somewhere if you look around a bit.

D: Did you guys release "Serf City USA" yourselves before Paper + Plastick picked it up, or were you with a different label? I remember there was a gap in time between when it came out and when you signed with them.

S: Yeah we fucked around with this other label for a little while but that wound up being a huge pain in the ass, so we wound up borrowing some money and putting the record out ourselves before Paper + Plastick signed us.

D: You released that album as a free mp3 download (in addition to physical formats), any plans to do this with "Proud", or maybe just an EP/Single or outtakes?

S: I think we might need people to pay for this one. Turns out being in a band is real expensive these days, what with gas prices and all. We might try to think up something creative though.

You can download one track, “Louisville Slugger” for free now at havenots.bandcamp.com. We might have some bsides and such up for free download soon.

D: I really liked Louisville Slugger when you were playing it live over the paste year. What's funny is I thought the lyrics were "I got a Louisville Slugger bat to the heart" and it was some unrequited love song; I'm not sure if it had all those upstrokes in it, especially at the end, and I told you it sounded like a Green Day or Screeching Weasel-esque pop punk song. Then I hear the recorded version and I sort of sour on the actual lyrics because they seem to be advocating violence against violence, and the band issues a statement against that notion. Finally everything comes full circle because on the bands twitter you re-tweet a joke about the song being written about Ben Weasel.

S: Haha yeah, I asked Jon to write that blog because I think the lyrics are really interesting, but it's not a pro violence song. I think we all find the Ben Weasel saga to be pretty fucked up.

Will the other songs on the record be more diverse than Serf City was, or are most of the songs based off that original sound?

S: I’d say the record is more diverse overall, while still retaining that Have Nots catchy ska influenced punk rock sound that you’ve come to know and love. There are some slower numbers, some faster numbers and some in between numbers. We fucked around with acoustic guitars, organs, pianos, harmonicas, and background vocals a bit more this time around. But, at the end of the day, it’s still pretty much good old fashioned catchy punk rock.

D: How did you get Stephen Egerton from the Descendents to work on the album?

S: He’s a good buddy of Vinnie Fiorello (founder of Paper + Plastick Records), and Vinnie recommended him to us. He mixed and mastered the album and did a swell job.

D: How did Vinnie originally find out about you guys? Had you already toured outside the Northeast at that point?

S: Yeah we’d toured the whole country a couple times before we started talking to Vinnie. We have some mutual friends, I think it was Stephen Foote from Big D & The Kids Table that played our stuff for Vinnie originally. At first I heard that he didn’t like the record very much, but then we started talking, and it turns out he did like the record quite a bit, he had to listen to it on shuffle before he “got it.”

D: One song from that album, "Used To Be", seems to suggest that once someone gets inside the political system they can't effectively change it, do you agree with that point of view?

S: To a certain degree, yeah. The system has a way of corrupting people to the point where nothing ever really gets done. But then again, I’m sure some people can avoid that and do good things within the system.

D: I ask because I'm actually working at a city hall now. I think it's more that the political system attracts a lot of people that, when it comes down to it, were never really all that idealistic. More often than not office holders come from a background as lawyers or businessman, and they won't want a staff who strays too hugely from their way of thinking.

S: Yeah the song inspired by a lawyer type guy that made a comment on a Clash shirt that Jon was wearing while delivering packages downtown one day.

D: A lot of the songs on the first album seem to focus on political and societal issues. Why do these appeal to the band?

S: I’m not sure. Jon once said that if you play punk rock and it’s not political, you’re playing speed pop, and Matt once said that political songs were way more interesting than his own life. I think we wound up catching heat for both of those comments, so maybe the better answer would be that it’s important to stick up for the folks in our society that don’t necessarily have a voice.

The new record is a bit less political though, we’re getting soft in our old age.

D: I know your kidding, but how old actually are you guys?

S: Mid twenties for the most part, Jon's a bit older.

D: Has anyone gotten the knuckle tattoo from the Serf City album cover?

S: Nah. The other guys all have various other Have Nots tattoos though. I’m the only one with no tattoos. I’m trying not to conform. It’s punk rock to not have tattoos now.

D: That's the gist of what Billy Zoom of X said 30 years ago in The Decline of Western Civilization.

S: That's funny. I'm only like 20% serious. Really I just can't think of a sweet tattoo to get. But, it was interesting being I think the only guy, out of probably 20 people on the tour last month, with no tattoos.

D: It seems like you've been touring constantly for the past year. From reading "Get in the Van" and other things of that ilk, I get the impression that constantly being in small circles with other band members can sour friendships. Do you think this is the case and have you guys experienced it at all?

S: Being on tour probably drives everyone a little crazy after awhile, sharing the same hotel room and van and just spending all of your time together everyday. Everyone has their moments on tour when they’re not at their best or happiest or whatever, so you just have to give them space and let them work through it, and be there when you can.

D: You've been fortunate to go on tour with a lot of big name punk and ska bands. At this point who are the dream bands that you'd like to go on tour with?

S: Flogging Molly, Streetlight Manifesto and Tom Petty are my top three.

D:I would have never guessed Tom Petty.

S: We're huge Tom Petty supporters. That's a bit of a pipe dream. Flogging Molly or Streetlight could probably actually happen.

D: When you went to the U.K. what was the punk scene there like? What are some European bands people should check out?

S: We played some shows with this band Random Hand that’s pretty awesome, also check out the Sonic Boom Six. It’s like the mid nineties over there, people still go to punk rock shows, it’s crazy.

D: That's interesting, did that seem to be the case all across the region or just certain cities? Also was a lot of the draw to American bands coming over, or were their local bands, mostly unknown here, who are drawing everyone in?

S: I mean the shows were still kind of hit or miss, because it was our first tour over there. But, in general, there's a wider audience for our type of music in Europe than in the states right now. It was pretty all over the place. We played some headlining shows that were well attended, and did some shows with this Random Hand that did well. There were some local bands that drew a lot of kids too.

D: How receptive have American audiences been outside of the Boston area?

S: For the most part, very receptive. There was one night on this past tour with Street Dogs where a fight almost broke about because some jokester in the audience was telling the Street Dogs to “go back to Boston.” Lenny Lashley wound up chasing the dude around the parking lot with a flashlight, it was pretty funny. But the vast majority of crowds we’ve played to at least pretend to like us.

D: Have you heard of the Connecticut punk band The Havnotz? If so do you know which of you came first, and would you ever do a show or split with them?

S: I'm not sure which band came first, but we have played together before. I think we had a rift one time because our manager told them to change their name. I felt bad about that, I hope they don't hate us still.

Measuring Sexism & Homophobia in Punk: An Interview with Lauren Denitzio of The Measure [sa]

Earlier this year Lauren Denitzio of the band The Measure [sa] wrote an article on sexism in punk rock titled "You Know What Makes Me Feel Unsafe?". Since then there has been much discussion over the articles content, including this interview with her published yesterday at punknews.org. During the same time period as that, Lauren talked to me in an interview which she indicated she was far happier with (I suggest you read both to get the fullest perspective). I've separated it into two parts, one dealing with questions related to her article on sexism and one dealing with questions related to music.

D: In your column you identify yourself as "queer" yet there is little mention of homophobia and instead a focus on sexism. Is this because you feel homophobia is not as prevalent a problem within the punk scene?

L: I was asked to write a piece on sexism, so I kept that as my focus. I mentioned queer as identifying my perspective and experiences. I think issues of homophobia can be handled with the same mode of thinking that I'm trying to talk about regarding sexism.

D: What things would you say make an LGBT person uncomfortable at a show, that the perpetrator might not even realize?

L: For me, I think those things are probably much more relatable in everyday life, not just a punk show. Like, when someone assumes you're straight, and addresses you as such. Or when people who I think should know better use dyke or fag in a derogatory way. It's the kinds of things that are insensitive to someone else's experiences or lifestyle, making light of things you shouldn't be. Not like I don't have a sense of humor, and my bandmates in The Measure crack jokes sometimes about my identifying as queer, kind of as a way to out me to people, but those are people who know me really well, who I can talk to if something goes too far or if I'm not comfortable with a comment. I think my point of just being accountable for our words and actions can alleviate a lot of tension if someone feels alienated in a certain way.

D: There's always been a debate on what makes a band or person punk, and if there's a certain criteria. The same could probably be said for feminist. How would you define feminism? Can someone like Sarah Palin be a feminist?

L: It's been said that feminism is "the radical notion that women are people," and I think my feminism falls into that definition. I think it's also about identifying patriarchy in a variety of forms and combating that in our communities, punk or otherwise. As far as someone like Sarah Palin being a feminist, I think that anyone who would limit a woman's power over her own body has some major issues to work out, one of which being whether or not they should be calling themselves a feminist.

D: Do you see a problem with bands like The Mr. T Experience who write all their songs about women but never put them in a role other than love interest?

L: I don't think that's a problem. That's what kind of band they choose to be. If a band is constantly demeaning of women in general, that's one thing, but I don't see anything inherently wrong with a pop punk band writing a lot of love songs about girls. I do that too!

D: One of the most discussed statements was that it makes you feel unsafe "when you take your shirt off at a show". Is this directed at men in the pit, to those on stage, to women (I assume not, but noticed you never specified the gender of the person in the article), or all of the above?

L: That one specifically is directed at men in the crowd and on stage. I think for a lot of women it can be triggering and a very visible statement of strength and power within a group. Even if it's just sorta hot in a room, and a guy doesn't think he's being threatening, some women definitely see it that way and don't want to be a part of that. It's really as simple as that and something to think about when "dudes are being dudes" or whatever. While dudes taking their shirts off isn't necessarily triggering for me personally, it makes me uncomfortable in the sense that "yep, I'm not part of your club. why am I here again? do you even care that I'm here or want me here?"

D: In regards to performers, a lot of people make the counter argument that they're moving around and sweating. I know in the early days of Black Flag, Henry Rollins started performing in just shorts because his sweat would soak through his clothes and he would immediately have to wash them in a bathroom sink.

L: I've played plenty of shows where I've completely sweated through ever piece of clothing I have on. Except I don't have the privilege of being able to take my shirt off without being ogled or getting comments about it. So I've opted to keep my shirt on. I deal with it. If you're a guy playing a show where women are present and you want to make sure they all feel welcome, I'd advise keeping your shirt on. If you don't care, that's your own issue and obviously I can't do anything to stop you. If you do care though, and want to complain about it, you can cry me a river.

Also, I've had it happen that a guy who sometimes takes his shirt off opted to keep his shirt on while playing a show at my house, knowing how I feel about the issue. As far as I can tell, it wasn't a big deal at all, which is kind of my point. If you're aware that certain things would make a space safer for people there, be a respectful human being about it. It's that easy. It's those sorts of actions that make me really proud of a lot of people I know.

D: In regards to women performing without a shirt, I know there's been some instances of punk musicians doing that, be it for shock value, the idea that it's an equality means, or saying something like "this is my sexuality, deal with it." How would you respond to these situations?

L: Someone like Kathleen Hanna taking her shirt off and having "slut" written across her chest is making people uncomfortable in having to deal with both the female body as powerful and the issue of slut shaming. That's FAR different than a guy trying to act tough, taking his shirt off, and doing something that is potentially triggering for someone like say a sexual assault or abuse survivor - of which, I can guarantee you, there will probably be one in the room when women are present at a show. If there's an example of a cis-man taking his shirt off at a show as a way to combat discrimination, sexism, etc. I'd really love to see it.

D: I guess one could try and make the argument that someone like Damien from Fucked Up combats any sort of body image taboos when he performs shirtless in the same way that a woman like Beth Ditto does. Obviously it isn't as taboo for a guy to be fat, but maybe that's because it's sort of been accepted through things like this.

L: I see what you're getting at with this, but Beth Ditto doesn't have to perform in next to nothing in order to be combating those taboos. I don't think Damien does either. I also don't think the discussion of his weight when he takes his shirt off on stage is anywhere near as big of a deal in our world as if Beth Ditto performs in revealing clothes. That's a shitty double standard, but it's there. I guess I just think you can't take male privilege out of that situation, even though I'm all for combating fat-phobia in whatever way we can.

D: Do you feel that there needs to be a balance however between not singling out and making fun of people who are overweight, but at the same time not glamorizing an unhealthy life style? I feel like glamorizing being overweight like Beth does is in some regards similar to what some bands like NOFX do in glamorizing their overuse of drugs and alcohol.

L: I know Beth Ditto is really open about promoting a healthy body image and being proud of whatever body type or size you happen to be. I think that's wonderful and I don't think that concept in any way promotes an unhealthy lifestyle. I think equating being fat with being unhealthy is pretty offensive, honestly, because that's just not correct. I'm really glad there's a lady like Beth out there kicking ass and pushing the boundaries of what the media puts out there in terms of both music and body image. I'm a big fan of her band Gossip and just her in general. I've been pretty skinny my entire life, and while I've certainly had body image issues, it's in a totally different way. I can't speak to those issues in the way that she can. I think the thing is that the notion of loving whatever body type you were born with is really important and it's none of my business if someone is medically healthy or not.

I wish my friends would all stop smoking and that some of them would take it down a notch with the drugs and alcohol (I've written songs about it!), but that's their choice, not mine. I think unless you constantly go around criticizing people for those things, commenting on someones weight as a health issue is inappropriate. Odds are Joe Strummer didn't eat enough kale but I still fucking love The Clash.

D: Also couldn't the act of a female performer writing "slut" across her chest also potentially trigger a level of uncomfortableness within women in the audience, regardless of the artistic intention?

L: I'm sure it could, but it's not coming paired with a physical threat. I think there's a much better chance of that action helping someone feel empowered than alienated or unsafe.

D: Another thing you note as creating an unsafe environment is using the word "bitch". Is there an artistic context where this could be okay lyrically? For example Patti Smith has the song Rock N Roll Nigger, in which she aligns herself as the same type of outsider persona as people who have been labeled by society as "niggers". Couldn't the same be done in regards to sexist rhetoric?

L: I think combating the use of a word through lyrics is different than someone using it in their every-day language, as part of their normal vocabulary. I think you can reclaim words, for sure (see: Bitch Magazine, The Dyke March, etc.) but that's not the same thing as using those words in a derogatory way and thinking that it's not a big deal. Words have context and history to them and I'd rather not perpetuate the use of words that are demeaning to women.

D: You alluded that having "women-only spaces" would be a productive thing. By this do you mean venues?

L: I was talking more about events or meetings. The feminist collective I'm a part of, For The Birds, is a women identified only group. One reason for this is to maintain a safe space for everyone to feel supported and able to express themselves, which wouldn't happen if there were male identified people in the room. I'm not sure if there are women-only venues but if there were, I'd certainly go!

D: Is there an online directive where people could find communities like this? Do they exist as a subculture of the punk scene, or are all sorts of woman from different communities involved?

L: Well, for starters, you can find out more about For The Birds at forthebirdscollective.org. If you're in the New York City area, we table our distro and organize a lot of events. We're not solely "punks" but the group did grow out of that subculture, for sure. As for other female-only groups, I'm not sure of an online directory (though that would rule), but there are things like Ladyfest organized in all different cities (one is coming up in April in Amherst, Massachusetts) and C.L.I.T Fest in D.C. this summer, which to my knowledge are organized only by women. Even something like the Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls that are all over the country, and I think are even in other countries, is trying to maintain a safer space by making it girls-only.

This is far from a new concept (see: Wellesley/Smith Univeristy, Riot Grrrl chapters, etc.) but I think punks and other politically radical folks can take those ideas to strengthen a female and/or overtly feminist presence in their scene. Anyone can start these sorts of groups in their community if they feel it's necessary and the right step for them. I don't see that as just being a "punk" thing. For the Birds just put out a zine called "So You Want To Start a Feminist Collective..." as an answer to a lot of the questions we were getting about organizing. It addresses a lot of issues around DIY organizing, communicating, addressing white privilege within feminism, the logistics of starting a collective, etc. Though we do choose to be female-identified only to preserve a safer space, not everyone needs that depending on the goals of their collective. There are a lot of links in the resources section of the For The Birds site, though that's by no means everything that's out there.

D: How would you respond to someone saying that woman-only spaces is discriminatory, not to just all men, but more specifically gay men or transgendered people who may be experiencing the same sort of unease as a sexual minority within the subculture.

L: I think it's all about why a certain space is trying to accomplish. I know a lot of women-only groups are trans inclusive, which I fully support. Since I was really talking about events/groups rather than venues, I think it's important to create safer spaces for everyone, such as having LGBT events. I can acknowledge that I have certain privileges that would make me unwelcome in spaces that are trying to be safer for certain people. I think when folks aren't comfortable with acknowledging their own privilege, you see them getting defensive about being excluded.

I've had men say to me that women-only spaces aren't productive or solving the problem and it's really offensive to me that they can't just back off for one second and see that sometimes women might need a space without them in it. I think while it's important to work against sexism with all genders, and to not isolate yourself, it's also important for men to just let go of the power for a moment. Learn to be a good ally.

D: Do you see a differing level of sexism within the subgroups of punk?

L: I think it really varies from place to place. I wouldn't make generalizations like that cause I think it's really different depending on where you are more than the genre itself. The level of sexism was much different between the hardcore shows I used to go to in high school and the hardcore shows I might go to now, just based on location and the people going to shows.

D: For better or for worse?

L: Definitely for the better. Even just the fact that while I was in high school I can't think of more than two girls who were in local bands that I'd seen. Now I can't even count all the women I know who are doing things like that. It's awesome. I think even just that fact has facilitated talking about sexism in a much bigger way and has made it possible for me to feel like women are a really vital part of the scene instead of just a side note.

D: Do you feel your statements about what makes women uncomfortable, speak for a majority of the females who go to shows?"

L: I wasn't trying to speak for everyone, or be some kind of representative. But I think just from the support I've seen since writing that piece, a lot of women-identified folks, and men as well, agree with me and have seen those things happen at shows. I think it speaks for a majority of the women I associate with, though obviously that's not everyone.

D: Finally, do you have any comments on the Ben Weasel incident? Since it happened I've been hearing people say that it is inherently sexist to criticize him, not for punching someone in particular, but for punching a woman, as that inherently implies a weaker status to women. What would you say to these people?

L: Not punching a woman isn't about her automatically being weaker, it's about not perpetuating the oppressive thought that you can just beat women to make them shut up. It's not that people think a woman can't defend herself, (which, unfortunately, many people still do) it's that men have traditionally had the power to just slap women into submission without having to face much in the way of repercussions from society. "Feel threatened by a woman? Violence is the answer." THAT'S what's fucked up. It's a social norm that's pandemic and his actions fall into that category. This may be a whole other discussion, but the concept of not hitting someone who is "weaker" is also problematic because even if a woman was able to fight back in such a situation, I wouldn't make the assumption that she's weaker if she chooses to NOT fight back. I think we'd all be better off if the use of violence wasn't the qualifier for being the stronger party. That's not a new concept.

Regardless of gender, hitting someone in the crowd isn't something I'd ever condone, but gender does make a difference here. I think when you hear the misogynist things he was saying to her before, and then see him taking out that anger physically, it says a lot about him. It says something that makes me personally not want to support him or a band that he's in anymore.

Part II:

D: As a kid what music inspired you to start playing guitar?

L: It's weird, it was a mix of Ani Difranco/Dar Williams/Indigo Girls and louder stuff I was listening to like Rancid and The Clash. I learned how to sing and play at the same time by learning a lot of folk stuff and it was definitely the singer-songwriter element that got me into playing guitar. Even the punk stuff I learned, the whole point was so I could play and sing along. I don't think it was till I started listening to Billy Bragg that I really wanted to play electric guitar or be in a band though. The whole protest singer notion had a big impact on me from the start, so connecting that with punk made a lot of sense to me.

D: Was The Measure [sa] the first band you were in?

L: Yup. I did the whole singer-songwriter "thing" for kind of a long time, just writing songs by myself, but I had never written anything with a band before The Measure. I was 20 when we started the band.

D: When and why was the band formed?

L: The band was formed in the summer of 2004 just for fun by myself, Mike Regrets and Fid. We just wanted to write some songs together because Mike and I had a similar punk/folk taste in music and Fid wanted to play drums in a band. We thought it would end when I went back to school in the fall, or when Mike was thinking of moving away, but that didn't happen...and here we are!

*What does the sa in The Measure [sa] stand for? Is it supposed to be in ()'s or []'s?

L: It's supposed to be [sa]. It stands for Strictly Analog as a way to distinguish ourselves from another band called The Measure that existed a while ago. It's based on something Fid used to say, based on him refusing to get a cell phone and also our love of records. We've put everything out on vinyl first and record analog, so there's that too.

D: Other than you and Fid it seems like there's been various members coming and going. Why has this been the case?

L: Since Mike Regrets left the band, it's been Fid and I writing the songs primarily. I think we have the most investment in it and any turnover has really just been that people have other commitments/priorities than being in a somewhat regularly touring band.

D: All of the artwork for the bands releases incorporate images made over newspaper articles. Who's idea was this? Is there a conscious effort to include specific news stories on specific releases?

L: It's based on drawings I was doing when we started the band, and the newspaper/dictionary pages still happen in a lot of my other drawing stuff. It was Fid's idea to use that style thematically with our records and the whole "cover stars" thing is a Smiths reference. The newspaper articles aren't significant though, unfortunately. Sorry, that's not very exciting!

D: Another thing I've noticed about your discography is the amount of splits and EPs recorded vs. full lengths. Was the attitude of the band that as soon as songs were written they should be recorded and released, that full lengths had to be of the utmost quality, or did labels just prefer these types of releases?

L: I think for a long time we just wrote a ton of songs and when a band would ask to do a split, we always had new songs to record. We recorded the Songs About People... EP as a middle ground between the 7"s and a next LP, kind of a stepping stone to a full-length. I think we just took the opportunities that came along to release the songs we were writing. Then at a certain point we knew we should put the effort into a coherent full-length. It certainly took us long enough, but we did it!

D: Who wrote the songs "Workage" and "Dullards and Dreadful Prose" that The Measure and The Ergs! both recorded versions of on the splits you did?

L: We wrote "Workage" and The Ergs wrote "Dullard and Dreadful Prose"

D: Your song "Hello Bastards" was on the "Please Don't Hang Out in Front Of The House" comp. Being from New Jersey can you talk about the basement/house scene that led to that comp? How does it compare to other regions that the band went to?

L: I think people should or have written books on this topic. In short, New Brunswick has had a lot of basements that would have shows, sometimes to the point of there being multiple similar shows on the same night. There's always been the opportunity for new bands to play house shows on a pretty regular basis, far before we ever started. So many "bigger" bands have come out of that scene but I think the best part are the bands that I got to see all the time that I LOVE but you'll never hear on the radio or see playing huge venues. It's just been a really supportive place for people to just start bands with their friends and always have shows to go to. I can't talk about right now specifically, as I haven't been going to shows there as much as I used to, but basements are a big part of the scene there. I think there are a lot of towns with really exciting scenes and all-ages spaces going on but I think New Brunswick will always feel a bit more cohesive to me. I think it's different if you're living in a town that has house shows but then also has a few bars for shows or bigger venues to go to. New Brunswick doesn't really have that anymore, aside from the Court Tavern which mostly doesn't have all-ages shows. So house shows have been sort of the life of the scene for a while, which I thinks make them feel more important/significant.

D: You announced that the band was breaking up because your heart wasn't in the project anymore. Are you tired of playing music, playing this type of music, or just feel like you need a change of scenery from the group?

L: I'm definitely not tired of playing music, or that type of music. But we've been a band for over six years now and it was a period where a lot changed in my life. I think needing a change of scenery is a nice way of putting it. I've started playing more shows with my other band Worriers, so it'll be nice to see where that goes, and I've been playing some solo shows too. Those things are where my focus is right now, musically anyway.

D: The bands last show is scheduled to be this October at The Fest in Gainesville. Will there be a final tour leading up to this?

L: Nope, unfortunately. We're playing May 7th in Brooklyn and May 8th in New Brunswick. Then the show at the Fest, and that'll be it!

D: If you get approached with opportunities to do other shows before Gainesville would you take any of them up?

L: I wouldn't rule it out, but because of our schedules and at least my having to fly to Gainesville, it's pretty unlikely.