Behind the Vinyl

It's the return of the legendary Mikey Erg on Behind the Vinyl - this time for an in-person interview before The Ergs! show in Asbury Park last month. This interview is a little more focused on The Ergs! so if you are a fan of the band this is definitely a discussion for you. We talked about the return of pop punk when The Ergs! first formed, The Fest and how it's the best show anyone will play the entire year, the "final" show at the Asbury Lanes in 2008, the band originally breaking up but since teaming up again and building momentum (New songs + and more shows), playing a handful of West Coast shows last year, carrying the hometown of Old Bridge with them, putting out two new EPs last year, working with Steve Albini for a solo record, and how his solo self titled record could had been a The Ergs! record.

When you hear 90's punk bands from Chicago talk about their inspirations, The Bollweevils are almost always mentioned in some capacity. After 14+ years of not releasing music, The Bollweevils are back in action, with the record Essential coming out in May on Red Scare. Before talking about the new music, we jumped in a time machine and discussed being on Dr. Strange before Red Scare and the bands that were on the label - a list that includes Face to Face and 7 Seconds. Dr. Dr. Daryl Wilson was passionate about being on Dr. Strange, and has the same feelings towards Red Scare, calling them the band's ride or die. There was a lot of history in this episode. It was mostly the history of punk so if you like hearing about bands who paved the way for punk music - then this is the interview for you. But, we also deeply discussed his passion for comics and how frequent he is picking up new releases.

We have Sunny Singh, also known as hate5six, for this one. Most hardcore fans know him for popping up at shows across the country with a camera in hand but he has also made a huge impact on the community as a whole. Ever since Sunny decided to leave his full-time job, he has made a pact with himself to push even harder with the new year. This year's goals currently sits at 1,000 recorded sets, in which Sunny was way ahead of schedule when this episode was recorded. What makes hate5six so honorable is that he's willing to give new bands a shot. Someone can send a simple message over social media and Sunny will be in the audience that night. There are countless bands that will contribute quick success to a video that the hate5six name releases of their set. It's a one man project but Sunny releases at the speed of a company of 100+ employees. Since the beginning the goal has been to help bands find an audience. The channel has always been accessible to newer and younger bands.

Dirty Heads have by now solidified themselves as a true southern California staple group, with each release continuing to demonstrate their ability to effortlessly transcend genre. It seems the trick to their unique brand of artistry is to often create (and at times, reimagine) as an extension of an intended mood, without overthinking or taking things too seriously—a feat much easier said than done, but one that Dirty Heads have worked to achieve over their 17 years as a band. Catch the Dirty Heads live experience as they embark on the Island Glow Summer Tour this week!

Dave Hause is a musician who wears several hats. On the road, he's the front man of a well-known punk band. One that travels the world and releases music often. At home, he's a family man who can be found bringing his sons to school or running errands out in town for his family. The juggling act of being a musician with a family at home is a rewarding process. Dave said when he's home he is present. It's an opportunity to show his kids a creative life - a creative side that should be focused on more for our youth. His family's main rule is keep it balanced. He hits the road in blocks so that he can recharge and also be around the family. That way he can give his all when he's in the moment. Hause is still going strong. Two records have been released over the past year or so, plus his brother, Tim's new record was released in January. His brother brings a refreshing breathe to music. Hause now lives in California and his brother is still on the east coast, which means they have to find ways to record whether that's in-person or virtual. It's an obstacle most musicians deal with but at the end of the day he wants to create music that the audience will love. Hause even says about the live experience that he wants to give people what they didn't know they needed. There are a ton of fun stories In this interview.. especially the article Hause wrote about Taylor Swift being more punk than all of us - a public piece that received a lot of attention. There's also a story about over the pandemic when he put out cover songs of Dillinger Four. His record label, Blood Harmony Records, that he managers with his brother, is a way for them to self release. Each record shows growth for Hause.

New York hardcore has a legendary list of bands that have paved the way for a younger group to join the mix. Koyo is keeping the reputation going. Hailing from Long Island, Koyo is making it known that they are here to stay and will be a band to talk about, not only when discussing the history of NY hardcore, but the current chapter of hardcore music as a whole. Koyo has been busy this year. After forming right before the pandemic, something that derailed their start a bit, they have since been making up ground. After recently wrapping up a tour with Bayside, Koyo is current En route with No Pressure and soon will be overseas this summer. Joey is a fascinating mind and is full of knowledge. He talked about going on tour with bands that have a different sound or come from another time period and what that can mean for crowd presence. Joey also discusses the current state of the hardcore genre. He believes the current growth is something Koyo and others are benefiting from. He talks about participating in the genre and trying your best to be involved because it takes the whole community for it to be successful. We get into the importance of touring and how it has a bigger meaning coming out of Covid. Discussed how Koyo came to be and how timing worked out for everyone in the group. Joey mentions being able to concentrate on Koyo as a whole but leaving the door open for a possible Typecaste gig in the future. Lastly, we spotlight finding influence from others and how his peers are his motivators.There are endless fascinating topics during this interview. Give it a listen and make sure to catch Koyo when they come to a town near you!

Step into the mind of Chris No. 2 as he takes us back to the origin story of Anti-Flag and what they have been fighting for through music since the start. There have been countless moments over the year where the band's message became dangerous for the members - fights at shows, death threats, and even seeing their merch taken out of big-time stores, but the band never lost focus. This group has been around for 30+ years now and although the path hasn't always been easy, like stated above, it has its rewarding moments, such as connecting the fans and when Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine took notice of their music. Chris No. 2 hopes for a moment where Anti-Flag doesn't have to exist anymore, but for now they are still creating music, recently putting out a record in January labeled, LIES THEY TELL OUR CHILDREN. The record had the likes of McIlrath of Rise Against, Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage, Shane Told of Silverstein, and Stacey Dee of Bad Cop/Bad Cop. This one is worth the listen as we dive into deep topics that need some focus.

Here it is! The exclusive in-person interview with Frank Turner last Saturday at the Stone Pony Summer Stage!

We talked about how meaningful Asbury Park is (A fun story about Chuck Ragen + Tim Barry), the difference between touring in his 20s compared to now being in his 40s, opportunities outside of music on the road, finding an audience in locations outside of England, playing new songs live while mixing in the hits, weekly virtual live show fundraisers during the pandemic, how much Bruce Springsteen influenced his sound after growing up with punk, touring with the Counting Crows, getting on board with making music for a living, touring 50 states in 50 days last year, the current tour with Chuck Ragen and The Interrupters, and meaningful tattoos.

Give it a listen on Spotify and Apple. Don't forget to leave us review or comment below! We would love to hear from you!

Website: https://frank-turner.com/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/27M9shmwhIjRo7WntpT9Rp?si=8CtDrY9PRWOr3Q7cuv6LcA

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/frank-turner/108696785

Back in 2018 I received a text from a buddy during the work day that Joyce Manor was playing at Vintage Vinyl (a record store in central Jersey that has since closed) that night and that I should definitely attend. Joyce Manor was at the midst of blowing up at the time. They saw quick success as a band through their first several records and were hoping to continue the success with their new record, Million Dollars to Kill Me. I didn't know what to expect. Joyce Manor is a band, even in 2018, that could have probably played a far larger venue that night and didn't necessarily need to make a stop in NJ when Philly and NYC are both close by. But, they filled the room and played a long set. What always stuck out to me is how much the band members cared. They took the time after their set to stick around and speak with every fan that wanted to approach them. It was a magical night, and even though I was already a big fan of their music, that genuine interaction made them leap into one of my favorites.

That story was discussed on this episode with Matt Ebert, the bassist of Joyce Manor. Matt is a real humble guy who even admits that Joyce Manor only had two goals when they started as a band. Those two goals were to press vinyl and travel to tour Japan. They went on to accomplish that during the first couple of years. Since then they have accomplished some hefty goals that most bands only dream of. This includes recent success like playing Central Park last summer and touring with Weezer this year. However, humble continues to be the key word here. They still take the time to meet with fans and they barely even advertised their most recent record, 40 oz. to Fresno. What's not to love about Joyce Manor? Listen to interview in entirety on Spotify and Apple! Please take the chance to subscribe and leave us a rating!