-Hey guys! I just want to start off by saying thank you for having this chat with me. Seriously, this feels like a big deal for me and for this zine. So I’m honored. Introduce yourselves for the readers, please. BW: Thanks for having us! I’m Ben Walsh from the band Tigers Jaw. BC: I’m Brianna Collins from the band Tigers Jaw. -One thing that always stands out to me in your live performances is the chemistry between you. And it feels like a genuine friendship. So I always wondered, how long have you been friends? And when and how did you start playing music together? BW: Interestingly enough, those two sort of happened simultaneously. Brianna joined Tigers Jaw in 2007. We had lots of mutual friends and had been at the same shows a few times, but didn’t really start being friends until she joined. BC: Like Ben said, we had mutual friends but didn’t really know each other before I joined TJ, but I knew right away we’d be friends forever. -I know it’s already been awhile since the other three members left the band, but how different is it for you to now be a two-piece compared to the full band you used to be? Was it pretty strange at first? BW: Bands go through changes very frequently, which I think is the nature of pursuing something that is creative and difficult to sustain. The test for us through times of change is “does this feel natural, is this creatively fulfilling, does this feel like Tigers Jaw?” – and it does. Personally, my writing process has remained the same throughout the band’s career, we still perform live as a full band, and we still make decisions the same way. Brianna and I are always on the same page creatively and as friends, so that makes it easier to navigate strange times. -Of course you’ve got your highly anticipated new record, ‘spin’, coming out on May 19th. It’ll be the first release with this lineup. What were some of the differences in writing this record compared to the old ones? Any challenges? I heard Brianna took up more of the songwriting duties than in the past. What has that been like for you? BW: A main difference was having way more time to record this album. We were able to track song-by-song instead of recording by instrument. This enabled us to really focus in on each song and tailor the tones and performances specifically to the song. I’d say the biggest challenge for me was that I set a personal goal to have 10 songs that I felt strongly about
completely done prior to starting the recording process. This was more than I’ve written for any other record, and I really had to challenge myself to dig deep and generate more lyrical material. BC: I think the biggest challenge for me was the songwriting process in general. Before this record I had never written a full song, but I knew that I wanted to really try and see what I could come up with — especially since Tigers Jaw has always had two primary songwriters. I learned so much from Ben about writing, from ways to demo to ways to exercise your brain for lyrics. In the end I discovered that it’s something that I really love to do, so I’m excited that it’s something I get to continue doing! -You’ve tackled some pretty cool and some pretty heavy themes in your music before, so what themes can we expect to hear you explore on ‘spin’? BC: A lot of my lyrics focused on the positive relationships in my life, like how important it is to support your friends when they need you or what it’s like to feel overwhelmingly in love. The lyrics of “Brass Ring” focus more on the frustration of working hard and still not feeling like you’re getting the end result you “deserve”, and how feeling sorry for yourself doesn’t make the situation any better. BW: For me, a lot of my lyrics were about mental health and relationships. It’s important for me to be a support system to the people I’m close with, but often I’ll refuse to take my own advice, or let my own mental wellness take the backseat. Another thing is just getting older, and taking risks such as pursuing music over a more stable, secure lifestyle, and trying to feel confident in moving forward on that path. -’spin’ and the last record, ‘Charmer’, were both produced by Will Yip, who’s basically got legendary status at this point. What’s it like working with him? He seems like a great person in addition to being a great producer. BW: Will is one of our closest friends, and someone who we trust completely, not just as a producer, but as a reliable, good person. He is easy to work with because he is always down to explore any idea, no matter how weird or small in the scheme of a record. He always makes you feel like your idea is worth taking the time to explore, and that type of encouragement is so valuable in the studio. Also, no matter how hard he works or how busy he is, he always keeps a very positive mental attitude. -Will said you’re on his “Mount Rushmore” of bands in the punk/emo/DIY scene. How does that make you feel? Who would be on your “Mount Rushmores”? BW: I felt great about that. It’s a funny thing to visualize, but it makes sense. It’s like a tribute to the people or bands you see as visionaries or trailblazers, essential to the development of a particular scene. We are flattered he thinks of us that way. We definitely see Title Fight and the Menzingers as contemporaries who belong on our Mount Rushmore. Okay Paddy and the Swims are two Scranton bands that were around when we started Tigers Jaw that were very influential for us, so we’d have them on there too. -Moving from Run For Cover Records to Black Cement Records seems to have been a natural next step for you. How exciting is it to be the first release on this new label?
BW: We were very fortunate to have such a longstanding relationship with Run For Cover. They always respected our creative freedom and helped us facilitate what we wanted to do. In a similar way, Black Cement Records is also encouraging and supporting our creative processes. They have an immense respect for what we do, and they want to use their resources to help us reach more people with the same message and same music that we’d be making regardless of what label we’re working with. They want to tailor their system to us, not try to change us to fit the major label mold, and I think that’s really cool, and can lead to a lot of great opportunities for bands in our world. -Black Cement, being an imprint of Atlantic Records, feels huge from the outside looking in. How are you able to bridge the gap between your DIY roots and now being on or one step away from a major label? Explain the importance of keeping true to your DIY ethics. BW: If we didn’t feel completely comfortable with Black Cement, and their ethics and plans, we would not have made it past the first meeting, bottom line. We make a lot of decisions based on what feels right and feels natural. I’ll be the first to admit, we were skeptical about a label like this being a good fit, but time and time again, Black Cement proved me wrong. They are so respectful of what we have accomplished, and working with them we have the same creative freedom we’ve always had. BC: What I like the most about working with Black Cement is the amount of work that we still get to do on our own, and the amount of trust that they have in the way our band operates. -What was it like playing Billboard live? I thought your session was great. BC: Thanks! It was nerve-wracking but fun. We had only played Guardian live one other time, so it was fun to do that. The whole thing was a little crazy because we got to the office, set up, and within 15 minutes were broadcasting live, so it was all very fast.
-Is there a specific festival that would be a dream of yours to play? BC: I think FYF Festival would be so cool to play. The lineup is always amazing, and I love playing shows or festivals where there are bands that I want to see! BW: I always prefer club shows to festivals, but I always love the idea of doing some sort of festival on a cruise. I think that would be cool. -Speaking of playing live, I’m so glad to see you’re going back on tour! And this time out with Smidley, Conor Murphy of Foxing’s new project. How excited are you to hit the road again? And what can you tell us about your tourmates? BW: It feels like forever since we last toured. We are thrilled to tour again, and this time we get to play a bunch of new songs. Smidley is awesome. We’ve toured with Foxing before and Conor is a good friend of mine. I think the Smidley stuff is awesome, and I’m excited to see how it translates live. The other band is Saintseneca, an amazing band from Columbus that we’ve known for a long time, but never toured with before. We first met them years ago at an amazing DIY festival in Ohio called Berea Fest. BC: Like I said earlier about wanting to play shows where there are bands I want to see, that definitely is true about who we tour with! I can’t wait to see Saintseneca and Smidley play every night. -Going forward, what are your long-term goals as a band? BW: I’d love to make a viable career out of music. It’s very difficult to make a sustainable living doing this, but it’s the most fulfilling thing I can imagine doing. I want to tour more often and go to places we’ve never been, like Japan, New Zealand, South America and then states we haven’t been to, like Alaska and Hawaii. BC: I agree with Ben 100% — I want to play in Tigers Jaw as long as possible because it’s something that I really love doing. I also want to travel and play places that we’ve never been before. -Hayley Williams of Paramore is apparently a fan of yours! How did that come to be? Did you meet her while you were on tour with New Found Glory and Yellowcard? She’s a hero of mine so it’s cool to know that we have some of the same favorite bands. BC: We did meet her during that NFG/YC tour. She really is so down to earth and kind. She’s someone that I really look up to because of how hard her and her band have worked to get to where they are, and it’s amazing that on top of all of that she’s just a genuine and funny person too. BW: She was incredibly kind and a very normal awesome person to be around. It’s always great to meet someone you have a respect and admiration for, and they turn out to be a genuinely good and humble person. -The music video for ‘Guardian’ shows Ben playing drums in the studio! Very versatile of you, man. Do either of you have any other interesting talents?
BW: Thanks! When Tigers Jaw started in 2005, I was primarily the drummer, so it was nice to revive that role. I don’t think I really have any noteworthy nonmusic related talents. I’m exceptionally mediocre at sports and I can’t draw or anything like that. I do make a good chocolate chip cake. BC: I've done all of the artwork for our full length records, which I guess could be interesting! I try to use a different medium for each record. -That video also show Brianna wearing a “Mother Of Dragons” sweatshirt! That’s awesome! Who are your favorite Game Of Thrones characters? Who are your least favorite? BW: Truth be told, I’ve never watched GOT. BC: I cannot believe Ben has never watched GOT, especially because of how much I talk about it. My favorite characters are definitely Arya and Daenerys, but I also love Jon Snow even if he knows nothing. I definitely came to love Sansa as a character during the last season, and as much as I want to hate Cersei, I can’t. Her character definitely has a lot of depth. My least favorite characters are Ramsay, Joffrey, and Littlefinger. -Another TV show that I always associate with your music is Twin Peaks. I know you’re pretty huge fans and I was wondering if you’re as excited as I am for the revival/new season coming up. BW: I’m very excited for it. I have no clue what to expect but I have enough faith in the legacy and specific weirdness of Twin Peaks that this revival will be a respectful continuation. BC: I can’t wait! We are going to be on tour when it premieres, gotta get a Showtime subscription. -Okay guys, this has been really good to talk to you. But I'll let you go now. Thanks for everything. Long live Tigers Jaw. <3 ■
-Hey Rick! This is cool, man. I’m glad I finally (kind of) worked up the nerve to ask you to do an interview after name dropping you about a hundred times in past issues. I’ll probably keep doing that in the future. Hope you’re cool with that, haha! I don't believe you actually name dropped me a hundred times. But if that is the case thanks! I am not that cool. -So I guess we should just start off talking Mustard Plug, yeah? The band formed in ‘91 and you joined in a little later, so I’ve always wondered how that happened. Were you a big fan before you were an official member? I joined quite a bit later. I think I joined in 2005? I am terrible with with exact dates that I start doing stuff though… it is pretty hard to be from the area we are in (West Michigan) and not be. My old band Wack Trucks used to play with them a bunch and I just became friendly with them. I remember at one point playing a show with their old bass player and he said “Hey I am going to quit and join Uncle Kracker’s band. If you would be interested I would put in a good word.” Then Kevin Nunn from North Lincoln (and tons of other bands) was doing merch for them and pretty much said the same thing. I didn't really try out or anything. Colin just asked me outside the DAAC one night and I said “Sure.” -Fast forward a couple years. Now you guys have taken over the world and all that and are still going strong. How’s it feel having the 20 year anniversary of Evildoers Beware approaching? You’re playing the album in full at the anniversary show in June, right? It’s cool! I went to the record release show at the Kalamazoo State Theater. I also bought that record on cassette from their record release party at Vinyl Solution. So that record holds a pretty solid place in my heart. If things are going the way they look like they are going we will be playing that at a couple of festivals as well as the shows in June. -But before that, you’ll be up in Montreal for Pouzza Fest! You’ve played there before right? What’s your experience been like playing that fest? I had a terrible time playing that fest the last time we played Pouzza. It has nothing to do with the festival though. Basically there is nowhere to park a van and trailer in Montreal. When asked where we should park we were told one thing and then the city said that it wasn't going to happen. Everyone in my band had left the venue except me. I had angry police yelling at me to move our van. I then spent a good chunk of 2 hours trying to find my band mates in Montreal with no cell phone (I’m cheap and didn't turn it on to save money)
and no Canadian currency… it was also in the middle of a crazy town. Luckily it worked out in the end and our show was rad. I did get to see the Hold Steady for free which is always a plus. -Your solo project, Rick Johnson Rock And Roll Machine, is goofy as heck. In a good way though! What influences the music you make under that name? When my old band Wack Trucks was breaking up I didn't want to stop playing music. I also didn't want to deal with other people for a while. I like keyboards and synthesizers. I owned a ton of keyboards and synths so why not try and do a project using those by myself. I had seen Atom And His Package a couple of times and he made it work and it was always interesting. I figured if I took what I was doing in my band and just applied it to a solo thing people would probably dig it. After I played my first show I realized I have to go full out because watching a dude sing by himself on stage with a backing track is pretty fucking boring. Which ultimately took its toll on my body and that is pretty much the easy explanation why I stopped doing it full time. The long explanation involves people in banana suits and random one man bands lighting their genitals on fire… you don’t want to go there. -What do you think about prison? Personally, I hate it and think it sucks. Like, I guess I’ve never been there, but still. Have you ever seen the movie Pootie Tang? That’s a Pootie Tang quote… I have never been to prison either. I assume the statement is accurate. -Back in the day, you were part of the band Bomb The Music Industry! with punk-rock god Jeff Rosenstock. How did you guys link up together? Think there will every be a reunion? Even for just one show? I played a couple of solo shows with the Arrogant Sons Of Bitches. The first show I saw Jeff walk into the building with a guitar around his neck wearing a suit jacket and a baseball hat that said “fuck you.” My immediate thought was this guys is a fucking idiot. Then I pretty much spent the entire night
avoiding him. ASOB played and were pretty amazing, specifically Jeff was electrifying. After that we hit it off. The next show a couple of days later we were best friends… we just stayed in touch. At that time I had a tape label and was going to release a concept record that Jeff had for BTMI. That never happened but we ended up doing a split 7” together and booked a tour to support it. Everyone in his band either quit or said they couldn't do that tour because of jobs and life. Jeff was going to cancel the tour… I remember him calling me to tell me this and I had just placed a huge shirt order for the tour… I basically conned him into sticking with the tour and just doing a battle-set where both of us would play each others songs to an iPod. This worked extremely well for the tour and it was a pretty big success for Jeff. This led to a couple of other tours with them...one being in the UK which was pretty bonkers. I did sound and recorded the last shows. (Everyday I work on stuff I look at the files hopefully someday it will come out. Jeff is so busy and there is weird technical shit we have to fix with the shows… another long story with that.) The way those shows ended was pretty magical and the perfect way to end something. You can never say never but I would assume there won’t be any more shows for them.
-If this interview doesn’t suck, will you put in a good word for me with Jeff so I can interview him too someday? Just get a hold of him. Jeff is one of the nicest people I know and a total sweetheart. I am sure regardless if you name drop me or if I put in a good word he would love to do an interview with you. -So the latest band of yours (that I know about) is Sharkanoid with Dan Potthast of MU330 fame and just being Dan Potthast. What’s it like playing alongside such a powerful performer like Dan? Seriously, I seen Sharkanoid and MU330 and both times I thought his head was going to explode. It was awesome. Dan is great! It is pretty wild being in a band with him as I am a pretty big MU330 fan. Just Dan’s voice alone is pretty amazing let alone his guitar playing and he is a pretty bonkers songwriter. I assume you saw our first show then? Sharknoid is weird because the only constant is Dan and I so every show our backing band is just random friends we have. Glad we were alright! -Do you have a new album planned? With any of the bands? I’ll take any details you can offer. New Sharkanoid album is like 90% recorded. Pretty stoked on it. Our backing band is Ted Moll the drummer from MU330 and Ben Ryznar the guitarist for Wack Trucks so it is like our two other bands coming together. Right now we just need to do a couple of more overdubs. It is hard for us to finish stuff quickly. since we both don't live in the same town and are on tour most of the year. Gonna try and finish it up this summer. There is a new Rick Johnson Rock And Roll Machine record. That might take a little while to finish. Other projects always get in its way and that is a low priority. -When did you start up your recording studio, Cold War Studios? What made you get into the production game? Keep doing it, by the way. You’ve produced some of my absolute favorite albums over the last few years. I started Cold War in 2010 I think? My girlfriend Jessica and I were living in a two bedroom apartment and I kind of had a lot of gear in the spare bedroom. I told myself if stuff starts moving out of that room I need to get some sort of storage space. That started happening… also at that time the house that was Mustard Plug’s headquarters landlord was pretty much, in the nicest way ever, kicking us out. He did have a space next door to that house for rent and we figured if I open a studio and move the Mustard Plug stuff over we could make it work. Boom I am in the studio game all of the sudden. I think I finally have an idea of what I am doing now. It took me a while. Thanks for the kind words… I’m just turning knobs and hoping it sounds good. Luckily good bands have asked me to work on their projects. I feel like that has more to do with my “success” than anything else.
-Are there any specific artists you hope to work with in the future at Cold War? Even if it’s something crazy, who’d be your dream artist to have a production credit with if you haven’t already worked with them? I’m just happy anyone asks me to do anything. I don’t really have any dream artists. I was pretty stoked to do a couple of MU330 songs recently… if you are going to hold a gun to my head maybe Talking Heads or Brian Eno. But the Talking Heads will never happen and Eno is so far out of my scope. -Speaking of dream bands, did I hear you were recently on tour with Jimmy Eat World? They’re literally one of my favorite bands of all time. What were you doing with them? Are they cool? I did recently just do a tour with Jimmy Eat World. Usually I go on tour with the band AJJ as their sound person. For a couple of reasons Ben couldn't do the tour with Jimmy Eat World and they asked me to fill in on bass for them. Which was pretty wild. I have seen them a
ton of time and learning how to play songs that I just sorta new was interesting. I almost missed the first day of the tour. The plane I was on broke and it caused me to get to the first show 5 minutes before the doors opened. Nothing like your first show and first time you really play with a band being in front of a sold out show in front of 1800 people. Luckily I think I did alright… there is a video on youtube of it somewhere. Funny thing about Jimmy Eat World is I just sorta missed them. Until the 2nd day of that tour I thought the songs The Middle and Sweetness were the same song. Not like the same song but both of those songs as a whole were the same song! Everyone in that band and their crew are amazing and super nice! So yeah coolest people! -Tell me about the explicitly decorated cake they gave you. AJJ have koozies with the slogan “Skull Fuck Your Thirst” so that was just a play on that. I saw that cake in the 2nd green room before they wrote that on it. I assumed it was left over from the previous night’s show… I was going to eat it because I am a monster. Glad I waited. -Surprisingly you’re one of the first people to mention how I ripped off the title of the zine from the Sega Genesis game. So I’ve gotta ask, what’s your favorite video game from the ‘90s? Well that is a pretty obscure game. If you are going to play a Sega Genesis game like that you would go with Road Rash. I’m a big fan of arcade style games… but most of my favorites are from the 80s. Like Rastan, Galaga, Missile Command. So If we are talking strictly 90s… Super Metroid or Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past. I’m more into pinball machines from the 90s if you wanna really nerd out. -Have you bought any cool records lately? And what’s your ultimate “white whale”/”maltese falcon” you’ve been chasing on vinyl? No real white whales. I have a pretty massive collection but it is just because I have been buying records a long time. My most recent pickups were a couple of Sex Pistols records and some Oingo Boingo stuff. I only go record shopping when I go on tour… I also only really pick up stuff I would never see at home. Loosely looking for Roky Erikson “The Evil One” and NOMEANSNO “Wrong”, but that should be pretty easy to find. -Dude, thanks so much for doing this with me. I’ll give you the last word. Keep doing your thing(s), I know a lot of people that appreciate it. Peace. The feeling is mutual! ■
Hey guys, thanks for playing my recent van benefit show! Thanks also for doing this interview. I’m just really thankful for this band. Period. Please, introduce your sweet selves. Hey Ty, thanks so much for having us! We were so excited that you thought of us to play for your benefit and to see the local scene show out for such a cool cause. As you know, all good bands compose of 4 key positions within the group. Those are the brains, looks, filth, and the girl. We are Blake Bouwman (The Filth) , Chris Coble (The Looks), Haleigh Potter (The Girl) , and Alex Yeomans (The Brains). We are the Strays and we are here to powerslide into space with our tunes. -Okay, so I’m relatively new to the Strays. I know you’re a four-piece now, but in some older photos, it looks like it’s just three of you. Did the band start out as a three-piece? And if so, what made you decide to add a fourth member? When did that happen? How would you say the band has evolved since then? Look at you knowing your Strays history! Before Haleigh joined the band and became our rolling thunder we were primarily a three-piece busking band. Chris and Alex grew up together and Alex and Blake met in California. The three of us united and wrote, played, recorded, and released our first self-titled album July of 2015 in Grandma Sandy’s basement located in the sunny manure-laden fields of Wayland, Michigan. From there we discussed expanding the band and evolving the noises we had rolling around in our collective heads. Haleigh strayed (ha) into our lives by a complete coincidence consisting of her stolen drums, a jilted lover, and broken hearts. After a few jams with her on the skins, it was official that she was the last piece of our weird folky-punky-sadboy sound puzzle. With our newest addition to Stubborn Strays, our sound has filled immensely from our original folkier sound, and our creative, as well as volume, horizons have expanded. Long story short, Gurlz Rule. -You’ve got a really interesting blend of folk, punk, and emo going on that I don’t think many other bands are able to capture so well. It makes me wonder what your respective backgrounds are in music. Blake: When I was 10, I watched School Of Rock, and played a lot of Tony Hawk. I picked up a guitar at 11. When I was about 12 I started skating (to no prevail). My neighbors threw these crazy skateboard parties in my suburb, where I saw my first live punk band and kids beating the shit out of each other (The Double Whammy). Shortly after my own dad took me to see the Casualties in Detroit at The Magic Stick (still 12). When I
was 16 I started my first band (Broken Tooth), and joined with Crash. Since then it’s been nothing but playing shows, and two-stepping. <3 Chris: I got my first guitar from my parents (who are the raddest and most supportive people of all time) during my sophomore year of high school. Me and my dad would always listen to guitar greats like Hendrix and Iommi on old records and I really contribute my drive in music to the passion instilled in my upbringing to appreciate all music and forms of expression. Growing up with classic rock, it was only natural my angst ridden teen self gravitated towards punk and emo inspired music which continues to influence my writing styles. I always like to say you don’t truly understand what sort of music you like until you write a song, and the Strays are an awesome outlet for us to individually but collectively share ourselves. Haleigh: I picked up drumming when I was 5 but didn’t have a full size kit of my own until 2005, when a family friend of mine passed away in Iraq, his family gifted his drumset to me at 10 years old. That’s what has driven my passion and led me to continue in the world of music. Alex: Losing my first guitar to an angry sibling’s tantrum, in sixth grade I picked up the bass instead. After a few years of that I added drums and piano to my bag of tricks. As time passed, I decided to play anything with strings on it. I have been in dozens of ensembles and been lucky enough to travel over ten countries because of music. Life is crazy and so am I.
-Your most recent release was the To The Lost EP, this January’s follow-up to last year’s Drinking Beer And Getting Angry EP. The two seem to go perfectly hand-in-hand. Was that intentional? And is there going to be a continuation from where To The Lost left off? The two EP’s were definitely related! We did our best to match the similar characteristics of the songs, artwork, and juxtaposing themes of both Summer (DBAGA) and Winter (TTL).
While these two were originally planned to be the finite 2 releases we recently have been discussing keeping a tether between all of our future EP releases. (Keep yer eyes out, kids) -I know the EP literally just came out, but at your live shows it seems like there’s quite a few songs not on record. Any chance we could be seeing another release in 2017? It feels like you’ve got a lot in the works. Plug time! We have oodles of projects in the works right now not limited to, but including: A split album with our buds in Shoebox, which we are all busy in the studio with right now. Additionally, we have our second full length, Yuppies and Yokels, planned for late 2017 which includes a lot of the songs we play live and don’t have recorded. Suffice to say, we have a bunch of material that we’re all super duper jazzed about laying down so we can compress it into audible bits of media for your ears to eat. -Any big summer plans you want to share? We are currently formulating a tour with Shoebox (name-dropping those guys all day) that will cover some midwest and east coast cities. We also have a few shows around the ol’ Mitten including May 20th at the Workshop, and June 3rd at the Sanctuary in Detroit to name some upcoming ones. Aside from that, we all would like to get into macrame and interpretive puppet dancing which will take up a majority of our time. -What would you say is your favorite song to play live? Is there one that seems to especially resonate with the audience? It’s like picking your favorite child, even though if we had children we would obviously choose a favorite and name the rest of them “Mark”. There are definite songs that get energetic reactions from the crowd which in turn gets us psyched to have people yelling, singing, and dancing along to things that we create to share with everyone. Songs like Fall and PBR resonate a real honest raw reaction from the crowd whereas tunes like Curveball, Elephant, or Strongman pull an excited electric sort of feeling from the bodies filling the space we’re in. -What importance is it to you to keep your merch and packaging DIY and hand-crafted? Do you think it adds a more personal feel or is it purely to save on costs? Haha! Either way, I respect and totally dig it. Haha, both factors are valid reasons behind our DIY marching. We love spending a day making patches and CDs as a team while supporting any sort of local DIY-minded crafters as we can. But saving a little scratch by making stuff yourself is never a bad thing, right? -At this point I suppose you could call The Workshop here in GR, your home venue. What can you say about the guys that run it? What’s the vibe like when you play there? We can never give too many props to the guys at the Workshop. Colin is an unstoppable force of creative energy and commitment to making a place where everyone is accepted and where every creed, color, and cadence can come to enjoy art in its many diverse ways.
Lest we forget Uncky Darren, Wayland ambassador of DIY spaces. Places like the Workshop are unfortunately few and far between in a community as supportive as GR in which every culture and subculture can find a place to play. Also, popcorn machine and skate ramps? Fuck. Yes. “YER A CUTIE” - Uncle Darren to Chris Coble
-Both times I’ve seen you live it’s been with fellow GR punx, Shoebox. It seems like the two bands are joined at the hip. Please, explain your relationship with those boys and how they became your “sister band.” Also... battle-set? ;) Shoebox is our boiz 4 life. We all met when we played a show at Quinn & Tuites together and for one reason or another, we all clicked. As we mentioned earlier, we are releasing a split album with them and are hopelessly, deeply, romantically, excited to share our love for one another with the world, those guys rip and we will always send any love we have their way. As far as the battle-set goes: Just because we’re sisters doesn’t mean we won’t lay you the fuck out, watch your backs. -The Strays also collectively run a live session video series on YouTube, called No More! Records. First of all, great work guys. What gave you the idea to start that up? What’s your experience been like so far? Who have you featured at this point? Are there any artists you have scheduled you want to talk about? Anybody specifically that you hope to work with someday? Thanks for the props, Ty, we appreciate the support! While it is true a good chunk of the No More! Staff is Strays, we wouldn’t have, couldn’t have, and shouldn’t have, done any of the No More! Records videos or recordings without our housemate, friend, and founding member, Will Mauchmar. Will and Blake began brewing the idea awhile ago to start recording local and personal bands. As we all jumped onboard and started running with
the idea, we began to shift our focus from just recording bands to showcasing as well. We thought of other live session companies such as Little Elephant, KEXP, or Audiotree, and thought to ourselves “Why can’t we make this happen for GR and anyone who chooses to wander into it?” We’ve had the opportunity to work with amazing acts such as Chef Goldblum, Elroy Meltzer, The Florida Rooms, and several other equally awesome acts and look forward to recording anyone who is willing to put their art out in this raw and real way for people to see. Also, dream band? See two questions down... -So I hear that the movie All Dogs Go To Heaven has some sort of significance to the band. Please explain. There’s a line from the movie in your lyrics, right? The movie All Dogs Go To Heaven holds a special place in my heart. The movie revolves around a character who is imperfect and who has done himself and others wrong. The song Fall contains the quote “No you can’t keep a good dog down.” That quote, for me, has always resonated within myself and others whenever we play this song live. The quote to me says that no matter the faults an individual may carry within themselves, their burden is their own and they can overcome it if they have a positive affirmation. I tend to believe we’re all pieces of shit and this quote makes me feel like we have a shot of bettering ourselves. -Be real, don’t hold back on this one. Who’s the better band: Stubborn Strays or... METALLICA?!? And why the beef? Haha! Mutuliicu, no questions. HOWEVER given a steel cage oily wrestling match, Strays would bring the Fist of God and the Devil Themselves down upon the groin of Mortarlucka. As far as the origin of our legendary, documented, and completely factual beef with Mertalicha; ran into them at a Speedway in Grand Haven and those jerk holes took the last 4 Tornado grillers from the grill and didn’t even ask if we wanted one! That’s crossing a line, bros, LETS RUMBLE -Okay, guys I hope you had fun with some of these questions. Thanks again for everything. Keep in touch. And always stay stubborn. <3 Thanks so much for the questions Ty, we had a super fun time answering them, Stay Stubborn you crazy mahfahk ■
-Hey guys, I’m really stoked about your band! Thanks for doing this. Introduce yourselves, please. Hi I’m Kenny, I squeak and squawk on stage and write the words. Hi, I’m Dan, I play guitar and sing and WRITE ALL THE MUSIC. Hi, I’m Alec, I play drums and order the buttons we give away for free. Hi, I’m Jason, I play bass and I used to drink a lot of Diet Coke. -Most, if not all, of you have played in bands prior to this right? What bands were they? And how did Solitary Subversion take form? The Vulnerable was a band that I (Kenny) played in, I’ve also played in A Billion Ernies, Lisabi, Squirt Gun Warriors and a few other ska bands… All three of us (Kenny, Dan and Jason) played in a ska/punk band called Take a Hint for a number of years, too. Alec used to play drums in As a Lark as well. After The Vulnerable broke up, I was pretty done with being in a band, but I wrote a bunch of really good lyrics while backpacking in Europe over the summer and asked Dan if he wanted to write some music. We were just gonna do an “online” band and not play shows so we didn’t have to deal with other people. However, then we decided to add my friend of 10+ years, Jason on bass and eventually, we decided to add Alec, this guy I knew who used to volunteer at the Flint Local 432 with me to play drums cause he is really good at it. We were all in the mood to play some heavy shit, but we also wanted to do something really challenging musically, and thus SOLITARY SUBVERSION WAS BORN. -Your social media lists a huge range of influences. Can you name some of the most important ones and how they helped shape your sound? You’ve also described yourselves as “prog punk.” Please explain what that means to you. We supported Bernie Sanders, therefore we are progressives that play punk. *laughs* Our biggest influences are probably Refused, G.L.O.S.S., Propagandhi, RX Bandits, The Fall of Troy, mewithoutYou and Every Time I Die. Prog punk was a term that Alec, our drummer coined, as we were trying to come up with a way to describe our sound to people. We change time signatures sometimes, and somehow we still have the rawness and abrasive attack that is integral to punk.
-The Vulnerable was diligent in bringing awareness to social issues. It was really powerful stuff. Do you plan to continue to do so with this band? If so, do you mind talking about some of the issues and themes you’re exploring in your songs? Not as much. The politics of The Vulnerable were really exhausting and took the fun out of it for me at times. We definitely got too self-righteous and ended up letting our egos take precedent over actually helping people out at times, too. This band is more or less just me being like: “Hey here’s a song about gender dysphoria because it’s really hard to explain my experiences in person or everyday conversation --- take it as you will, but I’m gonna do my thing” We have some songs about other socio-political stuff, but the general themes revolve around combating my own demons, whether it’s dysphoria or being a self-righteous asshole, or trying to knock other people off their high horses or shake them out of the delusion that they’re living in one way or another.
-What are some of the ultimate goals you hope to achieve as a band? Play quality shows with kind people who make killer jamz, bruh. Maybe tour with Propagandhi or something, that’d be cool. Win the award for best “Dave Mustaine” impression on stage. Record an album with Rick Johnson of the famous band, Mustard Plug. -Well, you’ve certainly hit the ground running over the last few months, starting with your debut single, Almost, which you’ve generously included on the Skitchin’ comp. What’s the story behind that song? It’s heavy. Was it cathartic to write? Well, to be quite honest, I was having sex with someone and I was dressed up in a full wig, dress, makeup, boobs…. The whole 9. It wasn’t a sexual thing or a drag thing, I just do that sometimes and I happened to be wearing it when we were about to fuck. The person said: “You ALMOST look like a real girl! It’s amazing. You’re almost there.” It really stung and I couldn’t figure out why. I later wrote a song about it once I processed everything and it’s basically just about how trans or gender-variant people feel like they have to live up to these stupid fucking expectations, assumptions and standards that people hold for their bodies. It’s bullshit, so the song is kind of a fuck you to people who have such rigid standards for how gender should be, even when they claim to be your “ally” or they support you. -You’ve also played quite a few shows already. What has it been like playing live together so far? What would you say has been the best one to this point? Really rad. I almost (haha) thought I was done with the whole playing shows thing after The Vulnerable split, but it’s been really fun and cathartic to just get up there and scream about some shit. I like all the shows we’ve played, but our first one, even though I had strep throat at it, was really cool. It was a Planned Parenthood benefit in Detroit. -How did the Planned Parenthood benefit show in February go for you? I heard there was a pretty massive crowd. How encouraging was it to see so many punx come out to support such an important cause? Oh hey! I just mentioned this, haha. It was great. I had strep throat, which really sucked. However, the crowd was great and a lot of cool people came out to support a great and necessary cause. It restored my faith in playing shows, because prior I was functioning under the assumption it was all scene politics or bros or the same 5 bands playing the same venue they played 2-3 weeks ago and getting mad when people have no interest in coming out, but I was surprised and grateful we got to play such a rad show with great bands. -Hey Kenny, I’ve always wondered what it’s like for you to be a musician AND a teacher. Do your students know you’re in a band? Have they ever heard your music and if so, what was their reaction?
I don’t normally tell kids. I think I told one kid and regretted it afterwards. I just don’t want them to find pictures of me in dresses and makeup and make memes out of me. I’ve seen students bully trans kids that I’ve taught and I just can’t deal with the anxiety of that. Sometimes, I won’t even mention my full name, or just tell them to call me “Kenny” or “Kenneth” out of fear they will find my band(s) on the interwebs. Generally, kids are nice and accepting, but they’re young and obviously can be pretty shitty to each other sometimes. -You’ve joked(?) a bunch about playing the 311 Caribbean booze cruise and even Warped Tour, but I thought it’d be funny (and kind of rad) if you got picked up by either or both. Hypothetically, what would you do if that actually happened? Haha, WE WOULD COME ORIGINAL! I doubt that will ever happen, but I guess we’d do it and 311 probably has some good coconut rum on their boat. If we landed that though, some of us might be able to pay off some of our student loans and move out of our parent’s house finally, so it might be worth it? -Explain the importance of memes to this band. What are some of your favorite memes? (I really can’t believe I just asked this. I’m clearly very credible.) Personally, I like political ones. I’ve been trying to brainstorm one for Sean Spicer, and somehow incorporating that pathetic little man-child into it, and so far I just came up with an image of Goofy (the Disney character) flailing his arms about. I think we all like the doggo memes, but we especially like ones about Gary Johnson being a pothead and Jill Stein having a love affair with him. WOW! Very Real. Not fake! -If you could say any one thing to the president, dear Donnie Drumpf, and it be guaranteed to be heard by him, what would you say? YOU’RE LIVING A DELUSION, YA FUCKIN GOOF. GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! SUCK A FART Last words: COME SEE US WITH GREY MATTER AND RICK JOHNSON AND BACKPACKS AND CONVENIENT, TRASH AT MACS BAR IN LANSING ON FRIDAY NIGHT (4/14/17) THANKS, TYLER! ■
-Hey pals, thanks for taking the time out to do this! I’ve meant to include you in the zine for awhile, but I’m glad I waited cause this issue is really special. I’m happy to have you. Please, introduce yourselves. Nic: Thanks for having us Tyler! We are pretty stoked to be a part of this issue! I'm Nic Morgan, guitar player for Five By Five. Cat: I'm Cat Neely, bass player and lead singer. Suong: Suong Pham, drums. -Five By Five is largely inspired by 90s riot grrrl punk bands, which is perfect cause I always thought you fit the mold perfectly. But, who are some of your influences that people might not expect? ALL: Billie Holiday, Miles Davis trumpet parts, classical/waltz songs (Aram Khachaturian), Amanda Palmer (Dresden Dolls), Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Atreyu (Long Live), Sleigh Bells, Pixies -What’s been your proudest moment collectively as a band so far? The Lippies show, Our EP show benefit show we did for you, and going into the studio to record our EP. -Is it comforting to see so many powerful, female-fronted acts on the rise right now and to be in their presence? What do you think the growing diversity means for the future of the punk/DIY scene? There’s still work to be done, but would you agree that we’re on the right path? Nic: When Cat, Suong and I first started talking about starting a band, it was pure happenstance that we formed when we did. I don't think it was our intent on becoming part of this growing scene of really strong and powerful female groups, we just kind of fell into the mold, you know? I'm hoping that this growing scene will show that punk (or music in general) isn't a "boys" club, like a lot of the older generation I feel kind of assumes it is. To them it's always been okay to have a woman in a band, but they are always pigeonholed into cliche' positions; like singer or keyboards... Yes, absolutely, there is still work to be done. That work won't be done until we can just call every musician a "musician" over having to categorize them as a "female fronted act", or something else.
-How did it feel to get nominated at this years WYCE Jammie Awards? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty good company, guys! What categories did you get nominated for? Were you able to attend the event? If so, who did you see play? If not, who would you have liked to see? Cat: We were stoked to see our names pop up and felt really good to be added with our friends and included in a community we were so new to. We were nominated for "song of the year," "band of the year," and "album of the year," which was really cool. We didn't get to go, unfortunately, but we were proud to see some our friends and bands we'd played with do so well. While there are so many bands that we enjoy watching, we're most excited to see who pops into the scene this year and help them grow like this community has helped us.
-What was it like playing (correct me if Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m wrong) your first run of out of town shows in February? How was Chicago? What was the coolest part of the trip? And is traveling together as the band something you hope to do more of going forward? Cat: We did one show in at Tivoli Bowl in Downers Grove, IL. It was interesting to see how people who didn't know us reacted. We ended up selling all of our CDs, and the German band (Doping the Void) asked us to play in Germany sometime with them, so we guess they liked us! We all had things we remember best; Nic loved Miskatonic brewery (being a H.P. Lovecraft nerd), I loved walking around the Downer's Grove business area with Nic and Sara (Nic's wife), and Suong loved the car snacks (Nic bought a whole bunch of snacks to tide us over til we got into town). While we all enjoy playing and each other, we also are big homebodies, so we'll see. I have no shame with being abnormally attached to my bed and couch!
Nic: Downer's Grove was a BLAST! The venue we played at was a bowling alley, a theater, and hotel all in one. The booking guy, Paul Neil is a fellow Lovecraft fan, so when we first met, we hit it off immediately! Also, the Chicago crowd is WAAAY different than the crowd here. As Cat said, we sold out of pretty much all of our merch, and they were very "involved" during our sets; joining Cat in conversation during our set, and also making it a priority to come up and compliment us. It was like they were thanking us for driving a few hundred miles to come and entertain them for 45 minutes. It was very humbling. As for going on tour; I always said I'd like to do at least ONE small mid-west tour. Like hit Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and then head back down. I mean I'm pushing 40 years old, I'm married and have a kid, so I have more important priorities in my life currently than packing up and hitting the road, but I will say this; It's on my bucket list! -What’s this I hear about taking a break from shows this summer? You’re writing a follow-up to last year’s EP, ...Episodes, right? Cat: Actually, yes. We wanted to be able to focus solely on writing. Shows are fun, but staying sharp for them meant splitting practice time. Designating time to write music is best since we have absolutely no attention span. Now, we get to dedicate all of practice to getting writing done. -I’ve heard one or two of the new songs live and they sound great so far. How are they different from your “older” material? How does it feel to be writing again? Cat: Good, because I was sick of hearing Suong and Nic ask if she had lyrics written yet. Honestly though, it feels good to have something new to work on and experiment. We're starting to explore more with how we can make a song dynamic rather than trying to make it as complicated as possible. It's also given us a chance to let each of us shine in what we do. -You’ve played a number of really cool shows. What was your favorite one you’ve ever played? Nic: For me (and I think I can speak for Cat and Suong on this) it's a tie between playing with the Lippies for their LP show at the Pyramid Scheme, and our EP release show, when we kind of kick-started the whole benefit show campaigning (that Rob Bruce amazingly took the baton and ran with) for you Tyler, to help you get your new wheels. You've been a fan of our since we first met you at the Lippies show. You have given us unconditional love and support, so it was nice to say thank you to you. -At a Five By Five show, it’s pretty regular to see Tonia Bug jump on stage with you guys. Please explain her significance to you and her relationship with the band. Cat: Where do we begin with Tonia? She opened for our first show ever, she helped us get our biggest show so far with The Lippies, and she still has our backs in about everything. She's been a huge support and is so ready to be up on stage with us at the drop of a hat. Mostly, she's just fun to be around. Nic: Yeah, Tonia is a blast. Honestly, I had no clue she was such a big fan of our sound until, she asked us to open for the Lippies. I admit I kind of "fan-girled". Haha!
-If you could collaborate with any one musician, dead or alive, on a song, who would it be and why? Nic: Karen O, and Nick Zinner of the "Yeah Yeah Yeahs", or Kathleen Hanna ("Bikini Kill", "Julie Ruin", "Le Tigre")... Also, we need to get Tonia on a record with us! -I heard you named the band after a quote from the movie Aliens. One of the most memorable characters from that film is Hudson played by the late great Bill Paxton. I’m just curious what your reaction was to his untimely death. Do you have a favorite line of his from Aliens? Nic: The news of Bill Paxton's death one of the very few celebrity deaths to actually bum me out. "Aliens" is like my all time favorite movie, and one can't deny how influential the film was to today's pop culture (hello, "Halo" anyone?). Upon hearing the news I popped in "Aliens" and watched it for like my 500th time. -And since the phrase “five by five” is also famous in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, did you see the reunion the cast had recently? They said they’re not going to but, what would you do if they rebooted the series? Nic: I did. It's scary to think that that show is 20 years old! Yikes, that makes me feel old! Haha! If I were to reboot the series, I think I'd go more of a sequel approach; like make it 20 years later, and there is a new girl that has become the Slayer, and maybe have Buffy become the new Watcher. She's rock it as a Giles 2.0! Haha! I would still need to keep the quick-witted humor though. That can't leave! -Thanks again for doing this. You mean a lot to me. The last word is yours. <3 Nic: Support your scene, support your artists, support each other. Always! Xoxo ■
Review of B-Side Noise (The Bloody Lips, 2017) By Ty Dykema The Bloody Lips are here and they’re pissed. Like really unreasonably pissed. This band is the newest incarnation of fast, heavy, aggressive punk in Grand Rapids. There’s no pop in their brand of punk, whatsoever. And it’s exactly what we need right now. They’re comprised of Krystal on vocals, Josh on drums, Taylor on bass, and Kole on guitar. Unlike the members’ previous projects, this one plays to something more personal and less political. It’s unleashing that pent-up, unspoken, rage that’s inside us all but never wants to be exposed. On their debut album, ‘B-Side Noise,’ it seems to be The Bloody Lips’s objective to cut themselves and the listener loose from the dead weight that’s keeping them and us down. The album opens with ‘Fisted Sister,’ a call out track to those that would rather simply complain than take action on the points that they preach. The line “swing your fists from home” seem to illustrate a portrait of what some might call a “keyboard warrior.” Track 2, ‘Arrogance,’ continues that thought at breakneck speed. It’s about how being a know-it-all will eventually just push everyone away. The opening riff on ‘You Think’ gets me so pumped. It’s probably my favorite song on the record for its familiar feeling in again calling out a leech. It’s also easy to yell along to that chant of “think I don’t fucking know!!” Coming in on track 4, ‘Lies’ has a totally killer bass line and even though the lyrics are delivered faster than I can sing along with, they’re discernible and catchy. ‘Too Late For You’ stands out as probably the most danceable track with it’s weirdly bouncy and surfy tones. I dig it. Song number 6, ‘Noise!’ is where the album gets its title. It challenges the listener to use your favorite records as your soundtrack in doing something positive rather than hanging your head. ‘Opinions’ tells you to quit wasting your breath on complaints no one wants to hear. ‘Josh Is Losing Faith In Humanity’ is 43 second continuation of the previous track with the lone lyric “I’m losing faith, losing faith in humanity” repeatedly screamed at bloodcurdling decibels. The question of what you’d do under pressure and no one is left by your side, is posed on song 9 entitled ‘Panic!.’ It’s both harsh and sarcastic and great. The album’s closer and longest song at a whopping 2:37 is called ‘Abandon Me’ and it’s one of the stand outs. It’s about moving forward, moving on from toxic people. A perfect way to end a record… or start it back over.
The entirety of ‘B-Side Noise’ clocks in at 16 minutes and never for a second does the band’s sonic assault slow down. The Bloody Lips operate at one speed, supersonic. Each member's’ musicianship is expressed with constant fury. The drums hit harder than any I’ve recently seen or heard. No literally when I caught them live, Josh broke at least 4 sticks during their set. The guitar parts are punchy and exude the playful snarkiness of GR punk vet, Kole. Taylor’s bass lines are especially, crushingly thick across the whole project. And Krystal’s vocals are something special. Whenever I put this record on I wonder how her voice isn’t completely wrecked as it sometimes devolves into this otherworldly, bansheelike screech. The band’s chemistry is always evident and they’re clearly all on the same page as they sometimes force themselves into near blown-speaker territory. ‘B-Side Noise’ has me excited to see where these guys can go in the future. With fists and teeth clenched, I know I’ll be on the lookout with this album playing in the background. ■