Ripley: I wrote this song to call out how toxic masculinity affects all genders. The constant pressure to fit some arbitrary standard set by the generation before creates men who are incapable of functioning in a healthy way and enables the trampling of the ability for women to be equals in our society. It's pervasive in our culture, and it needs to stop.
Chris- We had the music written before Jaeh left and were super excited to have Ripley put her own unique spin into it. Our songs never really had much of a political stance until. We all have strong feelings when it comes to these issues and it’s great to have someone in the band with the ability to communicate the way we feel lyrically that matches so well what we do sonically.
Scott: While it definitely has some connection with FL “Don’t Say Gay” Bill since it arguments gender normative power structures. The lyrics point more towards toxic masculinity. The idea that men need to be John Wayne or Gary Cooper-esque. Check out the book Jesus and John Wayne and you’ll see why Trump’s brand of false masculinity appealed to so many Americans. I’ve cried in front of my daughters, I’ve cried in front of students, and I don’t think there is anything less masculine than denying feelings.
Ripley: An orchestrated high speed car crash with blues notes
Mike- I think they all covered it.
- How would you describe your sound?
Chris- Loud and direct. A chainsaw with purpose
Scott - It’s like if you one day happen to wake up and find yourself in an existential quandary full of loathing and self-doubt and wracked with the pain and isolation of your pitiful meaningless existence where you can at least take a small bit of comfort in know that somewhere out there in this crazy mixed up universe of ours there is still a little thing called punk fucking rock.
Mike - we all have a common ground of influences and a lot of diversity among the group. We’ve never had a specific sound, except for short, loud, fast thrashy, hardcore punk.
Ripley: An orchestrated high speed car crash with blues notes
- What do you write about?
Ripley: Things that matter
Chris - I write what I feel. Lyrics have always been a struggle for me so I get everything out in riffs.
Scott: I play drums. Me go bang bang boom.
Mike - I mostly just bring the bass but I do write some lyrics which have been used. Most of my lyrical content is about mental health issues, personal experiences in life or social issues with the occasional horror themed song.
- What do you listen to when you are home?
Ripley: Shoegaze, Dreampop, Hardcore Punk, Jazz, Black Metal
Chris- a lot of blues, Howling Wolf and Muddy Waters. Some reggae or two tone when the mood hits.
Scott - Mostly 80’s hardcore/punk. You know back when all punk wasn’t hardcore, but all hardcore was punk and none of it was metal. If you know what I mean, then you know what I mean.
Mike - all over from the old punk/hardcore to old blues, to stuff like Wutang… but a lot of the Hardcore and metal stuff, that plays at Furnace Fest and This is Hardcore. I do enjoy swing, psychobilly and some Halsey if I’m being honest.
- Your favourite live performance so far?
Ripley: It’s a tie between Beach House and Gogol Bordello
Chris - My favorite band from my home town Thee Obscene had a reunion show over a decade ago, I was coming down from Acid and I had never seen them live. Amazing.
Scott - I’ve seen so many shows that it is hard to pinpoint a favorite. But The World/ Inferno Friendship Society whom I saw in January right before the world shut down to pandemic was the last show I’d see for well over a year, and the last time I would see them since Jack has passed away. The memory of that show and the feeling of belonging and thinking “yeah I got to work in the morning, yeah life can be hard, but there is no fucking place I’d rather be right now than here with glitter being blown in my face and circus style punk rock filling my ears” got me through the pandemic. His death was hard to hear about, but I took solace that I got to see him one last time.
Mike - it’s tough to pick one. Finally getting to see Converge with Full Of Hell for the first time recently was definitely one of them and catching Every Time I Die just before the breakup was amazing! Goddamn Gallows always kill it. And Sick Of It All.
- Tell us a funny story that happened in studio or on stage.
Ripley: Once when playing guitar in a previous band, I was jumping around and jumped backward off the stage, accidentally. I landed on my back on a couch seemingly randomly placed next to the stage, and continued playing.
Chris -
Scott - My old band played Berlin once, and while they were fixing a broken string, I stood on my drum stool and gave myself an atomic wedgie pulling my boxers up over my shoulders, so I looked like some fucked up wrestler. I also knocked out one of the lenses of my glasses on that tour and had to put duct tape over that part of my class. German people kept asking me if I was a pirate in their “funny” German sarcasm.
Mike - years ago in a different band we played this mini fest with a decent crowd. I used to do some lead vocals back then for the heavier songs we played. During a solo I jumped off the stage with intent to start a pit. Ran around and sorta trying to get people moving. Finished the song to no avail. We had 2 songs left in the set. I went back to bass not realizing my mic was so close to me at the time and told my singer something like “ let’s hurry up and get this shit over with” and I said something negative about the crowd… after realizing everyone heard me because they all walked up to the stage then started pits for the rest of our set. After the show I had people coming up to me praising me about it.
- Your favourite albums?
Ripley: Beach House: 7 and Bloom, Slowdive: Souvlaki, Slayer: Reign in Blood, Propaghandi: How to clean Everything, NOFX: War on Errorism and Wolves in Wolves’ Clothing, Strike Anywhere: Change is a Sound
Chris - Western Addiction’s “Cognacide” is almost perfect from start to end.
Scott - I always go back to Circle Jerks “Gig”. It was my first punk album when I had to return “Art of Rebellion” by Suicidal Tendencies to the store and the dude suggested I try the Circle Jerks instead. It confused the fuck out of me. The songs were short, kinda funny, had guitar leads, but no solos. I just didn’t get it, until I did. And I did.
Mike - Hatebreed: Perseverance
All Pigs Must Die: God is War
Converge: Axe to Fall
Sick Of It All : Scratch the Surface
Bad Religion: Suffer
Gutter Demons: Room 209
Night Birds: Born to die in Suburbia
Iron Reagan: Tyranny of Will
To name a few off the top of my head
But to name something recent, Scowl: How Flowers Grow
- A musician you would like to meet for a beer?
Ripley: Victoria Legrand
Chris - I don’t really drink except for when we play, but I’d love to smoke a joint with B - Real
Scott - I’d actually love to sit down with Kent Stax, the original drummer from Scream before Dave Grohl. I first saw him play in a band called The Suspects when I was like 16 and my high school band played with them at the Music Store in Chantilly, VA. Over the years, I saw him play in The Spitfires United and Alleged Bricks, and he’s always been one of the best drummers I’ve ever seen and a dope dude. He’s ill with cancer right now, and I don’t think in all the years I’ve known him if I’ve ever really flat out told him what an inspiration he was to me. So yeah. I’d like to have a beer with him.
Mike- Nate Newton, Joe Hardcore,, Greg Graffin, Tony Forresta, Jamie Jasta, would definitely be some names on that list.
- What would you ask for backstage, if you were the most important band on earth?
Chris - a couple joints and a bottle of jager and I’m good.
Scott - Sushi and beer
Mike - whiskey and Street tacos… and 47 football helmets full of cottage cheese
Ripley: Hunahpu Stout
- What are your plans for the near future?
Chris - wipe, flush, and wash my hands.
Ripley: Short east coast tour
Scott - playing as many shows as I possibly can before old age catches up with me and robs me of my ability to play harder, faster and louder.
Mike - same as what Scott said but creating new experiences and meeting new people with this tour we have coming up. Getting to open for bands we love has always been a great part of everything as well. But also writing and recording more.
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