THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MARCH 2021
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ONE-HIT WONDERS FOR CHARITY
Sore Eyes’ covers EP benefits nonprofit By Alex Gallagher
S
am Etling has always wanted to be heard. In the hardcore punk band Dead Either Way, Etling was tired of listeners unable to comprehend his screaming. With his latest project, Sore Eyes, Etling just wants to be heard and understood. “It was a matter of me wanting listeners to understand my lyrics, because I feel like what I’m talking about is really important,” Etling says. Initially Etling’s solo acoustic project, Sore Eyes now features a group of local punk rockers. Etling met drummer Matt Slusser while he was playing bass for the surf-rock band Phantom Party. Slusser and Etling are now roommates. Etling also recruited guitarist Nate Coughlin, who graduated with him at Mountain Ridge High School. Rounding out the lineup is bassist Ryan King, with whom Etling previously played in No Lungs.
Etling is no stranger to the punk rock scene or creating collaborative compilations. Etling helped plan a one-hit-wonders compilation in early 2020 and planned to donate its proceeds to the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign. However, when Sanders dropped out of the Democratic primary, the project hit a wall. “I was talking to my roommates a couple of months ago and I really wanted to create another one-hit-wonders album,” Etling says. “We know tons of bands in the Valley and tons of bands from the Bay Area. So, I wanted to put this compilation together because I love the idea of a bunch of bands covering one-hit wonders.” The “(Nearly) One Hit Wonders” compilation also features bands from Colorado, where Etling now lives. So far, Etling has been blown away by the music he has received. “I was expecting a bunch of quick acoustic covers,” he says. “The only submissions I have gotten so far are fullband songs and are great-quality songs. “Knowing that people care enough about this kind of thing to go into the studio and record a song is the coolest thing to me, and it makes me so happy
to be a part of this community.” The “(Nearly) One Hit Wonders” compilation may include Aaron Allen & Those Who Were There’s cover of the Rockwell hit “Somebody’s Watching Me.” Etling says it’s better than the original and is on repeat. Etling was also intrigued by the Denver-based punk band People Corrupting People’s ska cover of the Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind” and the Celebration Guns’ cover of Orange Juice’s “Rip It Up.” Of course, the compilation would not be complete if Sore Eyes did not have a song on the compilation. Sore Eyes covered Harvey Danger’s 1997 hit “Flagpole Sitta,” which Etling is excited to release. Etling was having a hard time finding a good cause to support with the proceeds — until his close friend made a suggestion. “My roommate, Lou, is transgender and mentioned the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, which is a super cool foundation for the Black-trans community,” he says. “They collected money for a COVID-19 fund for Blacktrans people. Before that, they created housing for them.” He decided to recruit donations and
release the music through Bandcamp. “Our current plan right now is just Bandcamp, because it’s a lot easier for us to keep the money in the right place,” Etling says. “If I threw the music up on streaming, it would be a nightmare to keep track of when the money comes in, and I would have to separate it from my regular music. Bandcamp offers a really good way for me to make a PayPal account and funnel all the funds into one account and donate that money to the charity.” Originally, Etling wanted to release the EP in February, Black History Month. However, Bandcamp does revenue sharing on the first Friday of every month. He’s hoping to release it on March 5. As for Sore Eyes, they hope their cover will not be the only music fans hear from them in 2021. They recently finished recording an 11-song, full-band album. However, a release date is unknown due to the pandemic. “I just don’t want to put an album out during a pandemic when I can’t share it with a live audience,” Etling says.
Sore Eyes soreeyesaz.bandcamp.com ENTERTAINERMAG.COM
