LAYING ON THE LOVE THICK PULL QUOTE
INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST / BASSIST KATE BLACK, VOCALIST/GUITARIST NIKKI SISTI, AND VOCALIST/DRUMMER SHARI PAGE BY GEN HANDLEY
O
f all the music meccas that exist across the globe, none have been as influential as the city of New York—particularly when it comes to punk rock. Since the late ’60s, the Big Apple has been a fertile ground for punk, producing countless sub-genres and sub-scenes. To this day, New York continues to make its mark on the scene with waves of bands, good and bad, flowing out of its many gritty bars and stages.
One of the most recent and promising of these artists are THICK, an energetic, opinionated trio who, after three well-received EPs, are releasing their first full-length, 5 Years Behind, on March 6, 2020 via Epitaph Records.
PHOTO BY DEVON BRISTOL SHAW
One of the most recent and promising of these artists is THICK, an energetic, opinionated trio who, after three well-received EPs, are releasing their first full-length, 5 Years Behind, on March 6, 2020, via Epitaph Records.
“It was something that kind of resonated with all three of us in terms of always feeling like a late bloomer of personal turmoil and political Within this creative liberation, sponse, but music helps you heal,â€? in life,â€? she explains. “Where you’re discontent. Catharsis for the band THICK find solace in their songs and says Black. “I can personally relate constantly comparing yourself to members occurs when humor is in the impassioned performances to every song on this album. They’re the expectations you set up for injected into the controlled fury and the band is increasingly becoming songs that make you feel happy, but yourself when you were younger, frustration. known for at the same time emotional. The or the expectations that were set song, ‘Won’t Back Down,’ I think up by parents or society. The song “The song ‘Fake News,’ which we all “It’s just genuine, fun, and really ener- there’s such a sense of emotion to kind of encapsulates feeling a little wrote, has a sense of humor,â€? says getic,â€? says guitarist and vocalist Nikki it. I think the album makes people bit behind everything else in your drummer and vocalist Shari Page. Sisti. “We go wild—we headbang; we feel at home because of everything life and just feeling that pressure to “It’s about not necessarily battling jump around; it really is genuine en- going on.â€? something with a negative tone to it. ergy. I think if you come to our shows, catch up.â€? We’re offering an opinion of what’s you see that we’re really having fun “Shari, I love that,â€? Black adds, This sentiment and more are deliv- going on and finding a little bit of and enjoying ourselves.â€? laughing affectionately. “I want ered via catchy, melodic vocals, that humor in it. Growing up, watching people to feel at home with our occasionally find themselves caught the news, it would always really The trio also experience healing in album - that’s so sweet. ‘Come on in a cyclone of chaotic freneticism scare me. And even now, watching the songs themselves. into our living room, come have a and impassioned declarations the news, it still really scares me.â€? “Not to give the cheesy typical re- slumber party with us.’â€? đ&#x;’Ł
24 NEW NOISE
