Feature / Music / Fest 22
Fest 22: Artist Interviews

While I want to say that Scene Point Blank went big this year with so many interviews in this feature, the truth is that it's barely a fraction of the bands that play at FEST 22, taking place in Gainesville, FL from Oct. 25-27.

The artists featured are just a small sample who we've asked to talk about why they play The Fest and to get a look at how their 2024 is going so far.

And this is just the beginning.

We also have FEST LIBS for you to play, online and in the guidebook this year. Plus, we sent a few of these to bands in this feature ahead of time. Read their replies here.

J. Robbins

Scene Point Blank: First, how many times have you played The Fest? How many times have you personally attended (if that # is different)?

J. Robbins: I’ve only ever played, I’ve never gone just to attend. My first Fest experience was playing at FEST 12, and I’m trying to count up the number of times since then … it might be 6 times so far, in different bands. I don’t think I’ve actually been to 6 Fests, but I’ve played multiple sets in a couple of them (solo acoustic, acoustic duo with Gordon Withers, Report Suspicious Activity, Jawbox, J. Robbins band …actually 8 if you count me playing bass for Airstream Futures with no rehearsal one year, and playing third guitar for Daria another. So I guess this will be my 9th time.

Scene Point Blank: There are a million festivals these days. What makes The Fest stand out?

J. Robbins: So many things! They’ve been doing it so long, it’s always been DIY but run really well… It’s always been such a labor of love, and you could always feel that… and the feeling of “the punks are taking over the town” for the whole weekend, that is just priceless. It's quite utopian in a way. I feel like people really take it personally -- the organizers and the bands and attendees… It’s lovely.

Scene Point Blank: There are 300+ bands at FEST 22. Any idea how many of them you've worked with in the past? How big of a "family reunion" is it for you?

J. Robbins: War on Women, Heavy Seas, Pohgoh … that might actually be it this year. There have certainly been a bunch more in the past. But it will still have the family reunion feeling. Plenty of bands I know and like (but haven’t necessarily worked with) as well.

Scene Point Blank: What was the first festival you ever played -- what band were you in and what are your memories?

J. Robbins: It might have been the HFStival, in DC, back in the ‘90s, with Jawbox. That was a giant alternative rock radio festival, and we were the first band on the main stage. We played at 11am or noon, as people were entering the stadium, so it was pretty funny. Everything felt so far apart, and so empty, and it sounded cavernous. And you’d look out and people were entering the space from so far away, and they were kind of running to get their spots for the day. Very weird. But Jawbox played at Primavera Sound in Barcelona back in 2022, and that was extraordinary -- much bigger and slicker than The Fest, but you could still feel that “labor of love” feeling. I haven’t played a bunch of festivals, but I have certainly played some that didn’t give me the warm feeling of The Fest.

Scene Point Blank: As somebody who has played in some well recognized bands and now playing solo, how do you approach solo shows? How do you feel about people requesting songs from other projects, etc?

J. Robbins: If it’s a solo or duo acoustic set, there are plenty of songs from my bands that just wouldn’t translate to that setting, and in fact it would be ridiculous to try it. If I can play a Jawbox or Burning Airlines song or whatever band, in an acoustic setting and it makes sense, I’m excited to do it. But most of the songs I’ve been writing more recently, I’ve been mindful that I want to be able to play them like that. If it’s J. Robbins band, though, we are really sticking mostly to stuff from my two records. If Pete Moffett is playing drums, we can do some Burning Airlines tunes; and there are some Office of Future Plans songs that we can do too. I just want to play songs that feel like they can connect. But honestly I’m just glad if anyone listens and gives a shit about anything I’ve done.

Scene Point Blank: When did you become fully comfortable performing as a solo musician after starting with bands?

J. Robbins: Still working on it! It’s a lifelong process and that’s probably a big part of why I like it.

Scene Point Blank: Let's talk about Basilisk. As a producer yourself, how do you approach recording your own work? Matt Redenbo was a co-engineer on this release. How do you share duties? Do you have a "musician mode" and a "producer mode" or is it all the same approach for you?

J. Robbins: For my own records, those modes overlap for sure. Matt has assisted and co-engineered on my stuff for a while now. For Basilisk, the drum recording setup was a lot of my defaults, I got pretty hands-on about that, but by the same token we used a few of Matt’s mics -- but basically my strategies… I mean, it’s impossible to make a bad recording of Darren Zentek, he just sounds great in himself, and you point mics in his direction, and you’re done (same goes for Pete Moffett). But for the guitars and bass, I really didn’t want to be the engineer -- I had a very distinct concept about the guitar, and I wanted us to get sounds we were psyched about coming out of the amps, but then leave it up to Matt to capture that, as far as mic choice and placement, etc, so I could just be the producer and the person in the band from that point onward and not be worrying about technical stuff. And then once we were set up, Matt ran the tape machine, he ran ProTools, and he was a good soundingboard. He’s a person who just puts out fantastically good vibes, he's great to just be in a room with. For basic tracks, we all kind of pitched in together as far as making decisions about what were the good approaches and good takes. For most of the songs that clearly sound like a band playing, those are actually live takes of me and Brooks and Darren playing together, with just a couple of things like keyboards and whatever added later in some spots. Once that part was done, for the most part I recorded vocals and overdubs, and mixed, by myself at home. And there are a few tracks like “Sonder” and “Dead Eyed God,” that were not “band in a room” tracks, where I just did most of that by myself.

"I’m very very lucky that I have super talented and creative friends who are willing to bring their energy to these songs [...] that I’ve been living with forever then get to feel new to me again."

Scene Point Blank: You don't release a lot of solo material, yet Basilisk feels very unified. Did you approach it from the beginning with the intention of it being an album?

J. Robbins: I'm glad to hear you say it's unified! I knew I wanted to make an album, rather than just keep releasing individual songs on Bandcamp or something, but there was not a concept other than to write a lot and listen to what it was that wanted to come out of me. I just wrote and wrote and worked up demos of every idea, no matter what it was. I wanted to run toward every idea no matter how different it was from the last one. Just do my best at whatever occurred to me to do, and embrace it. And then I kept going til I had too much material, and then tried to put the things together that felt like they wanted to go together, to make a good arc of an album. I am glad it worked out; it didn’t always feel like it was going to work out.

Scene Point Blank: Perhaps I'm mistaken or the pandemic screwed up my memory, but I feel like you're touring and playing live more this year? Is there a specific inspiration behind that?

J. Robbins: Creatively, as far as making new music, this is my focus now. It’s not like Jawbox is my main focus and this is something I dabble with on the side. I was really proud of Un-Becoming, my first solo record, but it came out in 2019 at the exact same time as the Jawbox reunion tour, and then the pandemic happened, so I was not able to get out and play those songs in front of people in the way I might have liked to. I kind of swore to myself I would do more to get behind this record and see where it might lead. And getting older -- especially with the loss of so many people who really inspired me, like Geordie Walker from Killing Joke, or Steve Albini -- I feel a sense of urgency, like I really want to “rage against the dying of the light” and do this sort of thing while I feel energized and as long as I’m still capable.

Scene Point Blank: Is it different bringing solo material to life live, as compared to songs that were composed in a more collaborative band setting?

J. Robbins: In many ways the actual writing is much easier, and it makes more sense to me, because if you’re writing in a fully collaborative mode, you have to steer the ship collectively -- and sometimes you end up going in circles. But if you bring a finished song to a band, then the framework is already in place and there’s a different kind of collaboration that can happen. Sometimes when a song was put together on a computer, it can be hard to make it work in the hands of a group. Maybe there is something in a demo that I worked up (usually in the drums) where a real drummer just wouldn't ever play it that way, or the dynamics don't work in the real world. But I’m very very lucky that I have super talented and creative friends who are willing to bring their energy to these songs, and who can hear the intention and are sympathetic to it, and they bring the right kind of different perspective so that these songs that I’ve been living with forever then get to feel new to me again. And I want the band to have the freedom to mess with the arrangements so things can be different from the record if we want, and the music will have a good kind of band energy live.

"Allowing the freedom to play the same songs different ways is also a big part of this project for me"

Scene Point Blank: What song on the new record is the most fun to play live?

J. Robbins: I love “Dead Eyed God.” It’s not a strict rendition of the album version, and it can change a lot depending on who is playing drums, but the main gist of the song still always comes across and it feels great to play it loud.

Scene Point Blank: How do you recreate the electronic elements on Basilisk in a live setting? Do you prefer to strip it down or do you use samplers?

J. Robbins: It’s a combination. We have been using a sampler pedal, but sometimes it feels better to just play things in a more raw way. Allowing the freedom to play the same songs different ways is also a big part of this project for me.

Scene Point Blank: We interviewed Don Zientara recently. Did you work with him at all in your career and did his production inspire you in any direct way?

J. Robbins: Don is a massive inspiration. He’s recorded bands of mine a few times over the years, and he also gave me a huge break many years ago by inviting me to run the “B” Studio at Inner Ear, which was really the beginning of my going full-bore into recording. I think his greatest gift as a producer is his ability to foster people’s trust in themselves and in the moment. Like Matt Redenbo, he’s a person of extraordinary good vibes. It’s that innate understanding that you’re not really recording instruments, you’re recording people.

Now, a rapid fire Fest-focused Q&A:

Omnigone

Omnigone formed just five years ago and just released their third album this year, the politically-tinged hardcore-meets-ska sounds of Feral.

We talked with founding member and vocalist Adam Davis about their growth as a band, his past with Link 80, and Five Star Pizza.

Scene Point Blank: First, how many times have you played The Fest?

Adam Davis: Omnigone has played The Fest three times.

Scene Point Blank: How many times have you personally attended (if that # is different)?

Adam Davis: I’ve only attended The Fest when Omnigone played. As I understand, The Fest started in 2002, which was coincidentally the same year I stopped touring heavily with Link 80. I remember sitting at my desk at my boring office job feeling extremely jealous of the bands playing those early years.

Scene Point Blank: There are a million festivals these days. What makes The Fest stand out?

Adam Davis: I don’t really care for normal festivals. I never enjoyed Warped Tour, the last time I got into an all day metal festival for free I went home early. Fest feels like a small town invading Gainesville: so many people I know from so many different times in my life all on one place. It’s more non-stop than most festivals but you can truly choose your own adventure. I usually just stay on West Coast time and go to sleep around 3:30am, and wake up around 10am.

Scene Point Blank: Omnigone has some direct ties to Link 80. Do you explain the band as a new project, or a continuation? Or something in-between. Maybe you just share a universe, to use modern parlance.

Adam Davis: When Link 80 played the Asian Man Records 20th anniversary in 2016, I realized while we were on stage that this was final. It was odd to have that realization in the moment, to be able to appreciate what was happening but know that it would be over soon. As much as I would like to play those songs again, other members have moved on. Omnigone is my opportunity to build on what we started while leaving Link 80 alone. In some ways, I think if Link 80 had continued, there’s a chance we would have made an album that sounds like Against the Rest.

Scene Point Blank: Tying to that last question, do you find that crowds expect a tie-in to the past when Omnigone hits the road? Is that different at home?

Adam Davis: Enough time has passed since Link 80 was an active band that nearly no one who currently attends shows saw Link 80. At this point, people are just coming to see Omnigone. In the UK, we had a few old friends come out to the shows, but no one really expected to hear Link 80 songs. We did include “Nothing New” in the set and I saw some ears perk up when we played it, but thankfully no one shouts Link 80 songs at the stage. A few months ago Joey Bustos (Link 80’s drummer) filled in for two shows at Gilman. We didn’t have time to practice before the show, so we played a few Link 80 songs because we can do that in our sleep. It was cool to play those songs, especially in that room.

"We just wanted to play ska-punk again."

Scene Point Blank: How did you pick the name Omnigone?

Adam Davis: An omnigon, as I understand it, it a theoretical shape with an infinite number of sides. I heard the term used as the name of an inner circle for a secret society. The band feels like a secret society, with many members spread out geographically and between other bands. When it came time to come up with a band name, adding the “e” felt appropriate. I also stole the zero from the Link 80 logo for the O in Omnigone.

Scene Point Blank: In many ways Link 80 was ahead of their time. Ska hybrid bands were all the rage in the late '90s, but few mixed in hardcore (maybe Suicide Machines). But today it feels seamless. It just fits. Did something change in the scene, or is it just me?

Adam Davis: Since Link 80 ended, so many bands [have] started that took the amalgamation of ska and hardcore further: Folly, Flaming Tsunamis, and The Best of the Worst to name a few. Something has definitely shifted and it’s now commonplace to hear heavy riffs and breakdowns from a ska band. I definitely prefer where we are now.

Scene Point Blank: Feral is your third album. How has the band consolidated its sound? What stands out to you when you think about the first album compared to where you are now?

Adam Davis: On No Faith, our first album, we just wrote a bunch of songs. There was little thought put into it, we just wanted to play ska-punk again. We were surprised when it was well received. With Feral, we made a real effort to create a cohesive album, from the songs to the album artwork to the overall vibe of the videos. We allowed the songs to be a little longer, and we purposely didn’t include horns this time around. We love horns, and the people who usually play horn with us (shout-out to Jer, Emily and Andrew), but without a consistent horn section it felt important to have a batch of songs we could play without horns. Feral feels more like a hardcore album than a ska album, even though every song has ska in it.

Scene Point Blank: What song on the new record is the most fun to play live?

Adam Davis: ”Modern Medicine” by School Drugs. They wrote a killer hardcore song, and getting to add ska to the second verse was a lot of fun. That song is a ripper: every time the intro starts, my heart starts racing. School Drugs rules. The first time I saw them was at Fest and it was a highlight of the weekend for me. They surprised me by covering an Op Ivy song. Their singer Josh wound up in the rafters at the end of their set. Incredible set.

"Fest feels like a small town invading Gainesville: so many people I know from so many different times in my life all on one place."

Scene Point Blank: Is there a song on Feral that took a surprise turn from start to finish?

Adam Davis: ”Bad Radio” probably went through the most changes. The original demo sounded very East Bay punk rock, to the point where we were like, “Can we put this out?” We made a lot of changes, we probably have 5-6 different demo versions of that song. The final version sounds more like a (very poppy) Omnigone song. It probably still sounds pretty East Bay, but less so than the original version.

Scene Point Blank: The Bay Area is legendary for its punk scene. What keeps it going from generation to generation?

Adam Davis: I think the biggest strengths of the Bay Area are access to all ages spaces, good weather, public transit and the population density. Any time a new band starts to blow up here, it’s because the youth have the freedom to express themselves in a space that allows it. Sometimes that is a venue like 924 Gilman, Stay Gold Deli or Balazo Gallery, sometimes its house shows in West Oakland, and sometimes it’s a generator show on the beach or at a skate park. Each generation has their own brand of chaos, and while venues close, crowds disperse and bands break up, the bands who persevere continue on.

Scene Point Blank: Building off that last question, Gainesville has a lot of significant contributions to the larger punk scene and its history. Any similarities or nuances you see?

Adam Davis: I honestly don’t know enough about Gainesville to draw similarities in a meaningful way, other than I know Gainesville also has a prolific punk scene. I believe Florida gets a bad rap, I like Florida a lot. I have always affectionately said that Florida is Mutant California, and I mean that in a good way. We have Disneyland, Florida has Disney World. We have one coast, Florida has two. California has nice sunny weather, Florida has nice sunny weather but also totally insane weather. I always enjoy visiting Florida, and Gainesville in particular.

Scene Point Blank: Anything you'd like to add?

Adam Davis: I’m really sad that the High Dive was closed. What a great venue. RIP. If you have never seen us before, please come see our set this year. We’ll be playing most of our new album Feral. Also please listen to our new album. Thanks.

Now, a rapid fire Fest-focused Q&A:

The Raging Nathans

The Raging Nathans seem to put about an album almost every year of late. We caught up with the busy band to talk about what projects they are working on, how many of those projects are also playing at FEST 22, and everything correlates.

Scene Point Blank: First, how many times have you played The Fest? How many times have you personally attended (if that # is different)?

Josh Goldman: I'm not positive. I think that this will be the 9th time in 11 years. I have only been because I am playing but Patrick, our drummer, had attended previously.

Scene Point Blank: How many bands are you playing in at FEST 22?

Josh Goldman:
Josh – 2: Raging Nathans & The Dopamines
Patrick – 2: Raging Nathans & Houseghost
Christian – 2: Raging Nathans & Yardboss
Nick – 2: Raging Nathans & Houseghost

Scene Point Blank: There are a million festivals these days. What makes The Fest stand out?

Josh Goldman: This one lets us play every year. Ha, just kidding! Fest is great. It's kind of the best of the best in terms of bands you love and bands you can discover. Plus it's in Florida in October right when the rest of the country is getting cold.

Scene Point Blank: Last time I saw you play was at Boca Fiesta at FEST 20. What are your memories about playing that venue on that day?

Josh Goldman: Everything kind of blurs together but I do remember having a good time and I remember we played pretty well and I was pleasantly surprised with how handsome I looked in the pictures.

Scene Point Blank: Who is a band you discovered at Fest without hearing them previously? Any more context to the story?

Josh Goldman: Horsewhip. Dudes from Reversal of Man and combatwoundedveteran. I was hanging out with my friend Brad Perry and he was just like, "Where are you going right now? You're coming to see this ripping band, right now." And it was totally rad.

Scene Point Blank: Share a random memory from Fest, be it seeing a favorite band, running across an old friend, or just some weird thing you saw in the crowd.

Josh Goldman: One of the first shows I ever played with The Dopamines was at Fest. They brought me out at the end of the set and introduced me as their new guitar player. I think it was at The Florida Theatre? Like I said: its all a blur, I can't even remember the year.

Scene Point Blank: You're a very busy band, with a lot of records in the last decade or so. How do you build a setlist? Is it based on mood, what's new, or something else?

Josh Goldman: Honestly, when we are trying to figure it out. We always have a list of songs we want to play but it gets narrowed down pretty quickly. It all has to do with how it comes together at practice. If we nail it, we use it. If not, we set it aside and maybe try it again some other time.

“You're coming to see this ripping band, right now."

Scene Point Blank: Building off your busy release schedule -- the world is changing, as is media. Singles seem more prominent, yet forgettable in a way. Do you consider yourself an "album band"? What medium speaks to you and why do you like it?

Josh Goldman: I prefer to listen to albums and I think that you're right, things have changed rapidly in terms of how people listen to music. We are kind of conditioned to writing an album instead of recording one song at a time. But then again, we've always been a 7" band. Most of our best songs, in my opinion, are on 7"s. So technically we have recorded just a few songs at a time, a lot of the time. I'd say we were a 7" band and it's kind of moving in the direction of being an album band.

Scene Point Blank: Josh is very active, also playing with Queers and running Rad Girlfriend. How do you balance time? What other projects are the other members involved with?

Josh Goldman: I haven't really played with the Queers in some time. I think 2018 was the last show I played with them. But I had been involved pretty heavily with The Slow Death for many years, as well as the Dopamines and filling in for various bands throughout the years. Christian has a few other bands he plays with around Dayton including Nightbeast, Dope Opera and Yardboss, who are actually playing FEST this year. Nick plays in Houseghost and Patrick plays in another thrash band called Casteless.

Scene Point Blank: What's the biggest misconception people have of Dayton, Ohio?

Josh Goldman: That's a good question. I dunno! Maybe that it sucks or something? I like Dayton. It's just grimy enough. I don't pay too much attention to what people say about Dayton. It''s just like anywhere else. But it's mine.

Scene Point Blank: What's coming this fall from the Raging Nathans?

Josh Goldman: We have a new LP coming out on Rad Girlfriend. We recorded it a few months ago with Matt Drastic from Less Than Jake. He's our guy. Should be coming soon!!

Scene Point Blank: I recently saw the 15th anniversary show from The Slow Death, which featured...I dunno, like 20 former members. Where were you?

Josh Goldman: I was on tour with The Dopamines. We had a run with The Smoking Popes. I would've loved to have made it. Shit, I think I must be up there for playing some of the most shows with them. I played bass in that band for over a decade!

Scene Point Blank: Are you touring to Fest or on the way home?

Josh Goldman: Yes, we are touring down to Fest in two legs, one leg with SACK and the other leg with The Dopamines.

Scene Point Blank: Anything you'd like to add?

Josh Goldman: Come see us at FEST 22 at Boca Fiesta on Friday and we are also playing an Osker cover set on Sunday!

Now, a rapid fire Fest-focused Q&A:

Houseghost

Houseghost are an Ohio punk band that sing songs, not about gore and violence, but like your friendly house ghost…of sorts. They band started as a studio project and now has two albums and some live dates in October, so we reached out to chat about how the project has evolved as they prep for FEST 22.

Scene Point Blank: First, how often does Houseghost play shows? Some of you are in other bands. How do you specifically approach Houseghost as a live project?

Nick Hamby: We play shows sporadically. It's been difficult for us since our personal lives are so busy. Me being in The Raging Nathans and Kayla being a teacher. But we've really been focusing on playing great live shows this year and hope to keep that momentum going.

Scene Point Blank: Am I correct that you mostly play festivals and one-off shows? Why did Houseghost choose FEST 22 as one of those limited live shows?

Nick Hamby: Yeah, that's pretty much true. We tend to play a lot of festivals and we don't agree to do many local shows unless they are something special. I think it kind of keeps things magical for us. We were lucky enough to open for The Linda Lindas recently in Columbus and that was an incredible experience! Fest was always something we wanted to do, so we are all stoked we finally get to play after being a band for five years.

Scene Point Blank: FEST 22 is just before Halloween. Is the band more active this time of year?

Nick Hamby: Oh, absolutely. Both of our albums were released around Halloween. We always try to do a few shows on or around Halloween. Last year we did a Misfits cover set with our friend Gwen on vocals. It was a blast and I think we are planning on doing it again this year.

Scene Point Blank: What label do you use for the band's sound? What do you make of the horrorcore tag we're seeing these days?
(Editor’s note: whoops, I meant “horrorpunk”.)

Nick Hamby: I am not aware of the label "horrorcore" whatsoever, lol. To me, we are just a punk band. We label ourselves "spooky punk" because I kind of think we have our own thing going on. I don't think we fit into the horror punk genre, which can be a bit silly at times. Not that we are a super serious band, but I think you can understand what I mean.

Scene Point Blank: I personally appreciate how instead of focusing on gore and horror themes, you twist the concept into a different POV. Do you remember your inspiration?

Nick Hamby: Yeah, that was always intentional. I wanted to focus on horror elements and occult imagery without seeming corny or forced. I'm a huge horror fan and my favorite thing about the genre is the way it expresses ideas, be it political or emotional, through metaphor and allegory. That's the vibe I wanted to bring out in our music. Everything we write has true feelings and meaning behind it. Our songs intentionally have layers of meaning. My hope has always been for people to emotionally connect with what we are doing.

Scene Point Blank: Forgive me if I'm wrong, but when I first heard Houseghost I was expecting it to be a one-off side project. Am I misreading this? Is there a point where things clicked and you knew you had something?

Nick Hamby: It originally was a one-off recording project. We had no intention of becoming a live band. But somewhere along the way, after writing a handful of songs, we realized it was just too much fun and we knew we had to start playing shows.

Scene Point Blank: You released Another Realm in 2022. Is another release in the works? How much room do you think the concept has to grow?

Nick Hamby: We've all been really busy in our personal lives, so it has been a little longer than I would like since we've put out anything new. But we are currently working on a new set of songs that hopefully will become our third record. This band has the potential to grow as big as we want it to, as long as we keep feeding it.

Scene Point Blank: I asked Josh this question in our Raging Nathans interview for this piece, so I should ask you too: What's the biggest misconception people have of Dayton, Ohio?

Nick Hamby: I'm not sure I know how to answer this one. Honestly, whatever your pre-conceived notions are about Dayton, they're probably right. LOL

Scene Point Blank: How many times have you attended The Fest? Have you ever played it, or attended as a fan?

Nick Hamby: I believe I have played Fest 7 times. I could be forgetting a year, but I think that's right. I've never just gone as a fan, I've only been there during the years my band has played.

Scene Point Blank: Who is a band you discovered at The Fest?

Nick Hamby: Hmm...the first band that comes to mind is Rehasher, Roger from Less Than Jake's other band. I had actually never heard them before and I was totally blown away.

Scene Point Blank: Share a random memory from Fest, whether that was seeing a favorite band, running into an old friend, or some weird thing you saw/experienced.

Nick Hamby: One of my best Fest memories is watching Chris Moore play drums for Floor right before Negative Approach. If I remember correctly, Chris was there with Coke Bust. Floor's drummer got sick right before their set and Chris agreed to fill in. He learned the whole set 45 minutes before they went on, or something like that. It was incredible. Then right after, Negative Approached played and they were amazing, of course. That was probably one of the best shows I've ever seen.

Scene Point Blank: Do you have any surprises in store for your FEST 22 set?

Nick Hamby: I guess you'll just have to wait and see.

Now, a rapid fire Fest-focused Q&A:

American Television

American Television caught my attention with the release of Scars last year. The DC band play short, fast and punchy punk that gets struck in your head.

We asked them about the band’s evolution, the legacy of DC punk and, of course, what they’re planning at FEST 22.

Scene Point Blank: Who am I speaking with? Can you give us some background of "your musical journey" up until this point? (e.g. When did you start playing music and what band(s) led you to this point?)

Bryan: This is Bryan and I play drums in American Television. I started playing music in high school and it probably started with Nirvana. I got into more punk and underground music from there. The Fat and Epitaph bands, plus the Dischord bands like Fugazi and Jawbox, growing up in Northern Virginia. I like all kinds of music, but mostly guitar driven, heavy bands with melody.

Steve: I sing and play guitar with American Television. I started getting into punk/hardcore around '96 (age 14/15), just connecting with everything from Minor Threat to The Toasters. I eventually entrenched myself in the local scene in Long Island and NYC. I picked up a guitar soon after that and have had a few bands in NY over the years, but American Television has been my longest running band since moving to Virgina when I was 30.

Chris: I play guitar and annoy everyone else in American Television. I grew up as a musical kid, Nirvana was huge for me, like most kids, but my uncle got me into Minor Threat around '94/’95 when I was 13/14 and I have been hooked on punk rock ever since. I am a big fan of fast melodic music: Thousand Islands Records, Fat, Epitaph, SBAM, Smartpunk etc... I stepped away from music for well about 15 years while my wife and I focused on raising our family but I got lucky when the AMTV dudes decided to adopt me and bring me back to all this.

Scene Point Blank: I feel like most of the punk bands I personally listen to these days have multiple singers. How did American Television choose the one singer approach?

Bryan: That's how it was set up when I joined the band, lol! Our old guitarist Jerred sang the verses on a few songs on the first LP Watch It Burn, but we mostly stuck to harmonies on Scars.

Steve: Hmm, I write vocal melodies while writing/strumming, so I tend to bring stuff that's a little more formed to practice. I'm not always singing by myself though, we do lots of harmonies or group vocals.

Scene Point Blank: How many times have you played The Fest? How many times have you personally attended (if that # is different)?

Bryan: This will be our third time playing and my third time attending.

Scene Point Blank: What are you most excited about at this year's Fest?

Bryan: Just to be back there, honestly. We took last year off and missed being there with so many like-minded folks and friends.

Scene Point Blank: Speaking of festivals more broadly, you helped to put on Breakin' Even Fest in DC. Did you break even, haha? But seriously, how was the experience and how does organizing your own event change how you view other festivals?

Bryan: We did! And we broke even every year we put on the event, which was five times. Our event was on a smaller scale. It was multiple nights at a single venue, so it certainly gives me a bigger sense of amazement at what Tony and crew are able to pull off at Fest.

Steve: Until you run a festival, you probably don't understand how many bands can't make the date work: 15 bands x 3 nights x ~4 members per band = ~180 people's schedules need to align to pull that off. We've never had the lineup look exactly how we pictured it on day one of planning, but that's part of the fun.

Scene Point Blank: You also did the Dischord tribute on For Love Of Records. How was that experience? (I have another Dischord question later.)

Bryan: This was our second time covering Fugazi, one of the world's greatest bands. Hopefully we did them justice. This was our first time recording with our new guitarist Chris, so we're happy to have something out in the wild that he appears on.

Scene Point Blank: It's been a year+ since Scars came out. How long were you working on that record? Are you working on its follow-up?

Steve: A couple songs on that record are off a single release we did in 2018, so if you include those it’s 5 years. But more like a year and a half in the works. We like to play shows throughout the year, so hunkering down to write isn't really our style. We just do it when the feeling hits. We are working on songs for something in 2025...

Scene Point Blank: Do you view American Television as an "album band" or what medium/release format best fits how the band operates?

Bryan: It all really depends on how quickly we write songs. Right now, I'm excited about the new songs we're writing and really want to release some originals performed by our new lineup. Not sure if that means doing a split, an EP, or saving up for another full-length. We're pretty flexible/indecisive.

Scene Point Blank: It seems like your songs neatly fall in that 2-3 minute range. Is that something you strive for, or does it just happen that way?

Bryan: I definitely try to make the guys edit what we've written to fall in that range. Not really sure why, it just feels right!

Scene Point Blank: Everybody immediately thinks of Dischord when they think of DC, which is obviously great. But how do you describe the scene and "DC Sound" in 2024?

Bryan: While there are a few melodic punk bands in town (us, Celebration Summer, Curse Words, Truth or Dare, Bad Moves), thrashy punk/HC and quirky indie rock have always been what drives this town. We try to play with those bands when we can.

" I think we all need to do our part to hand over a scene that can do the same for the new generation."

Scene Point Blank: The first song on Scars is called "New Generation," which I feel ties into that last question but I want to build on it. Why do you think it's important for scenes to keep growing and evolving? It feels like, when I was younger, bands put out 1-3 records and broke up. Now they're together for 20 years or more. I take it from your song that you view feeling old as a good thing when new, younger bands pop up?

Steve: We love playing music: it's catharsis, it's creative, it's a reason to hang with your best friends regularly and stay connected to people for years and years. It's a good time; shit, it's a great time! That said, I feel the scene has always been for young people to mold into what they need at that moment -- it could be political, it could be silly, it could be the sickest music project you've ever seen changing the music landscape in real-time. We'd probably be categorized as an old band now, and I'm ok with that. If we inspired someone to shape their scene through songwriting, booking, taking photos, creating art, or introducing a friend to it all -- I love that. I hope that just keeps perpetuating, and I hope they make it their own -- I'll still be writing songs if they need an old fuck to fill a hole on the bill.

Chris: I had a strange childhood and, looking back at it all now, I can honestly say that music and punk rock saved my life. It gave me a place to feel welcome, not alone, safe (however you want to define that ) -- and it’s where I figured out what kind of person I was and wanted to be. I’ve made lifelong friends, my marriage and kids because of musical connections. I think we all need to do our part to hand over a scene that can do the same for the new generation.

Scene Point Blank: Do you have any surprises in store for your FEST 22 set?

Bryan: We'll have a couple new songs people haven't heard before, but we're just focused on having fun and sounding good. Nothing wacky.

Now, a rapid fire Fest-focused Q&A:

The Dreaded Laramie

I knew nothing going into The Dreaded Laramie’s set at FEST 21, going to see them on a friend’s recommendation. Their stage presence alone was worth it, but the hooky power-pop sealed the deal. Finding new bands is half the fun of the event.

The band released Princess Feedback earlier this year on Smartpunk Record. We reached out frontwoman MC to learn more.

Scene Point Blank: First, how many times have you played The Fest? How many times have you personally attended (if that # is different)?

MC: Last year was my first time playing or attending The Fest! 2024 will be Fest number 2 for me and The Dreaded Laramie.

Scene Point Blank: There are a million festivals these days. What makes The Fest stand out?

MC: It is wild to me the sense of continuity and loyalty in Fest-goers. Like, I feel like last year there were a million people whose story was something like “my friends and I haven’t missed a Fest in the last 15 years. I missed my son’s birth for Fest and I don’t regret it.” It seems to inspire a lot of loyalty and friendship between people. Heck, I feel like I made a ton of meaningful connections at my first Fest!

Scene Point Blank: Last year you had an early afternoon set at Loosey's. What are your memories about playing that venue at that time of day?

MC: The core memory was my incredible anxiety about playing the exact right amount of time on stage. We aren’t a band that ever plays longer than we should, but I knew the schedule is paramount at Fest and I really wanted to keep to that. The logistical stuff is usually the main thing on my mind, for better or worse.

In terms of fun memories: I remember we were playing at the same time as Eve 6, which was a bummer because the first ever Dreaded Laramie song was titled “Fly Like an Eve 6” (yeah, that’s a joint Far East Movement x Eve 6 reference). Thankfully no one will ever hear that song.

I also remember being totally blown away that we were playing to a totally packed room. Like, that was probably because people were getting to Loosey’s early for bands that were playing later (like Tsunami Bomb–that set was killer), but it was still really, really fun to have a super-full, super-engaged room. Our homie Crit gave us some TDL-themed friendship bracelets before we played, which blew me away.

Scene Point Blank: Who is a band you discovered at Fest last year?

MC: Suzie True! I wasn’t familiar with them before last year’s Fest, but saw them at How Bazaar and they were in bloody cheerleading uniforms playing red hot power pop and I was like, “Yep, that is a band after my own heart.” Also Desert Sharks!! We got to play with them in Orlando at Smartpunk’s Pre-Pre-Fest show at Lil Indie’s, and they rocked my socks off (to such a degree that I’m going to see them play in NYC this week).

Scene Point Blank: Share a random memory from Fest, be it seeing a favorite band, running across an old friend, or just some weird thing you saw in the crowd.

MC: Oh gosh, I hesitate to write this, but it is one of my core Fest memories. Unfortunately one of my many character flaws is that I am on a constant quest to shock people with things I’m willing to eat off of the ground, and on Saturday after our set I took a bite from a partially-eaten apple that had clearly been on the ground in a parking lot for a while (covered in ants, etc). Everyone was grossed out, I felt super heroic, and then I got super sick the next day but still saw a bunch of good music.

Scene Point Blank: At this moment in time, what song of Princess Feedback hits you the hardest, either playing it live or for some other reason?

MC: ”Mess,” the opening track. It has been my favorite song on the album basically since I wrote it. Every time we play it is like a 3-minute therapy session -- super cathartic, leaves me out of breath, and I feel like I get to know myself a little better. It is too honest and indulgent, which is exactly why I love it.

Scene Point Blank: Tell us a bit about the Nashville independent/punk scene. We all know about the mainstream music culture of the city (I assume). Do the mainstream and independent scenes ever co-mingle?

MC: There are so many great indie/punk/everything-in-between bands in Nashville (like Ghost Town Remedy, Khamsin, Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers, Safari Room, and soooo many more), and I feel like I have a lot of great and talented friends playing in town, but there doesn’t seem to be much of a scene. Maybe that’s just me, but coming from a place like Lexington, KY where the local scene is robust (I lived there from 2017-2022 for grad school), Nashville’s sense of community leaves something to be desired.

I will say, though, that is kind of changing. A lot of people have shared the feeling that there isn’t a lot of community in town, and many are really putting in work to change that. Two people in particular come to mind. Nathan Childers (of the excellent band Smallville) has done a lot of grassroots work to bring DIY musicians together and has collaborated with DRKMTTR (a totally great all-ages space) to put on a monthly meetup for DIY people. TJ Maher (of the equally excellent band Ghost Town Remedy) has also been organizing Jorts Fest for the last couple of years, which is focused on highlighting Nashville DIY indie/punk and building community. I have a lot of respect for both of them and others doing work to build a sense of belonging in Nashville.

Scene Point Blank: Personally speaking, I really love how you capture anxiety in "Fishnets." Was that your purpose as the song took shape, or was there a moment in songwriting where all the ideas really came together? Do you set goals with songwriting or kind of see where it goes?

MC: Thank you! I’m glad (and I’m sorry) that it resonates. Yeah, that was the goal of the song, to have it be like a pendulum swinging between the verses and choruses, to emulate the feeling of being totally cool one moment and then reeling the next. Sometimes I will set songwriting prompts like that for myself. That was the case with several songs on this album. For instance, the intro kind of betrays this, but with “Mess” I was initially trying to write a lullaby, which transformed into what it is now over the course of the next four years. My only hard-and-fast rule in songwriting is that I write the melody first, and everything else follows and works in service of that.

Scene Point Blank: I think I first heard of Laramie as a brand of cigarettes in The Simpsons before learning it was a city out west. What is the inspiration behind the name for you?

MC: Look, we were in college, okay?

Scene Point Blank: The band used to live in different locales but now you're all in Nashville? Can you tell us a bit about where you've all lived and how that's inspired the sum-of-the-parts we get today with The Dreaded Laramie?

MC: Well, it’s more like everyone lived in Nashville, then I moved away, and then I moved back. Zach and I (the founding and only permanent members of the band) both grew up in different parts of the country. He’s from Denver and I’m from the panhandle of Florida. We met in college, and then I moved to Lexington for grad school for five years and kept the band going. As I alluded to earlier, the local scene in Lexington Absolutely Rules, and I’d say it’s kind of responsible for us deciding to take this band seriously. When we were only playing in Nashville, no one really cared about what we were doing, but then we found that when we started playing in Lexington (and generally outside of Nashville), people were a lot more receptive to the music.

Scene Point Blank: You’ve mentioned school a couple of times. What was your graduate degree? Are you using it with your career (if that is something you’re open to discussing)? What does the rest of the band do, outside of the band?

MC: I got my PhD in Philosophy. Now I teach philosophy at a university in Nashville. For me, philosophy and songwriting are mutually necessary -- I see philosophy as a fundamentally creative practice, and songwriting as a vehicle for self-discovery, so they feed one another. Our other permanent member, Zach, is a full time Pokémon trainer outside of the band.

Scene Point Blank: Are you touring to Fest or on the way home?

MC: We sure are! We are going to be on tour with Rozwell Kid, who are total heroes of ours. It’s kind of a dream tour. Other than Fest, we’ll be in DC, Richmond, Raleigh, Atlanta, and Nashville. You can buy tickets to those shows here.

Scene Point Blank: Anything you'd like to add?

MC: Scene Point Blank rocks!! Thanks for supporting our band, reviewing the album, and caring about what we have to say. I really appreciate the chance to get to answer these questions.

In general, I wanna say that I’m just very grateful to have so much support for this band and for Princess Feedback. Between the guidance and enthusiasm from our producer Dave, Smartpunk, our homies at Death To Slow Music and Pirate, and our friends and families, the support I feel for this project at this exact moment feels unprecedented and kind of surreal. I’m very thankful.

Now, a rapid fire Fest-focused Q&A:

Virginity

Do you like the state of Florida, bad jazz records, and remorse about band names? If so, have we got an interview for you. But, seriously, we caught up with Jordan of Virginity to talk about FEST 22, while also reflecting on their new record that came out earlier this year on Smartpunk.

Scene Point Blank: First, how many times have you played The Fest? How many times have you personally attended (if that # is different)?

Jordan Shroyer: I've been going since FEST 6 and have only missed one since then. Virginity has been playing since FEST 18. I've personally been lucky enough to have played every Fest since FEST 10 between Teen Agers, Direct Effect, Bad Accent, and Virginity.

Scene Point Blank: There are a million festivals these days. What makes The Fest stand out?

Jordan Shroyer: I get to attend a good amount of festivals across the country through my job (Smartpunk) and can say Fest is hands down the best festival in the USA. It's really unlike anything else out there: 350 bands over 3 days across 10+ small venues and 2 large stages, all walking distance from each other. There's nothing like it. At any given time there could be three bands I want to see, so it's exciting trying to navigate it and make those hard choices. The way they've adapted to have bigger bands playing multiple sets has been great, too. Especially when the second set is at a smaller venue.

Scene Point Blank: Building off that last question and answer: You're also from Florida. What does The Fest mean, from a Florida-local perspective? (I can say without a doubt that Fest has helped me discover probably dozens of Florida bands I otherwise wouldn't have heard in the Midwest.)

Jordan Shroyer: Tony and Randy have been very good to the local Florida scenes. They've for sure given a lot of our bands a larger platform than we'd necessarily have without Fest. We always go out of our way to see our friend's bands sets at Fest ‘cause we know, in many instances, it's going to be one of their best shows of the year. People really come together and get extra pumped at Fest in a way that doesn't always happen outside of it.

Scene Point Blank: You play power-pop, which is a style that's possibly metaphorically "innocent and clean." Did that style concept play a role in choosing the band's name? Where does it come from?

Jordan Shroyer: That's a really interesting observation. I wish we put that much thought into it. To be perfectly honest... I kind of hate that name. haha. Our friend Shaw came up with it. Not sure how, we thought it was pretty catchy and stuck with if. But goddamn, every time a family member or non-punk adjacent friend asks, "What's your band called," I for sure cringe before letting it out. But I kinda like what you came up with. Might have to steal that from you.

"It's less about the style of the music and more about the ethos of it. And, you know, if it's good, or fun. Sometimes fun is better than good."

Scene Point Blank: I'm from Minneapolis, which is simultaneously known for Husker Du, D4, Amphetamine Reptile, and Profane Existence. In other words...lots of DIY but diverse sounds. What do you think people associate with the sounds of Florida? As Florida is a large state with a lot of cities, do you find that "the Florida sound" varies from Miami to Tallahassee and everything in between?

Jordan Shroyer: For sure. Florida is so diverse. I started playing shows in Central Florida around 1999/2000 and between then and now I've seen so many ebbs and flows, so many different scenes thrive and fade, so many styles of music. For me, as a kid, my favorite local bands were My Hotel Year (an early indie/emo/rock kinda band) and Agent Felix (a sloppy fast fun pop-punk ala Drive-Thru type band). They'd play shows with New Mexican Disaster Squad, who were way more aggressive, and The Splitvalves or Brownie Points, a ska band whose singer happens to be the drummer of Virginity. Everyone was kind of playing together and having fun. At the same time, a lot of my closest friends today were living in South Florida which had a thriving hardcore scene that also dabbled in pop-punk. Fest seems to encapsulate all of that, too. It's less about the style of the music and more about the ethos of it. And, you know, if it's good, or fun. Sometimes fun is better than good.

Scene Point Blank: How does Gainesville stand out (non-Fest time) compared to playing elsewhere in the state? What is the vibe?

Jordan Shroyer: I want to preface this by saying I fucking love Gainesvnille and cherish every second I get to spend there. But in general, non-Fest shows there can have a kind of lame vibe. Typically a lot of folks standing around with their arms folded. Which is fine. I know I'm still gonna see (or play) a show in a great room, with great sound, eat killer food and drink too many beers.

Scene Point Blank: Let's talk about Bad Jazz. What is the worst jazz record you've ever heard?

Jordan Shroyer: Bad Jazz. By Far.

Scene Point Blank: What is the best jazz record you've ever heard?

Jordan Shroyer: Time To Blow - Del Paxton

Scene Point Blank: But, seriously, the new record. How did it come together? Everyone has a post-lockdown story about songwriting/production/etc these days.

Jordan Shroyer: Casey had a couple song ideas and we decided to set up in my living room and jam on them over a weekend. We just played all day. Chris cooked us dinner, everyone slept over and we fell asleep on the couches between our gear, watching Lethal Weapon even though we talked about watching Hoosiers all day. We woke up the next morning and did it again. At the end of the weekend we had 4-5 songs pretty much fleshed out that are 95% structured how they ended up on Bad Jazz. It was such a great experience. We left rejuvenated. So we did that a couple more times and ended up with about 20 songs. At one point we went into Jim's studio and started tracking some of the songs. I think we fully recorded four of them, but something was wrong. The tracks just felt stale. We realized these songs were meant to be played live. So we set aside four days, two weeks in a row to record as much of the record as we could live. Over those eight days, we ended up doing about ten takes of each song. Once we decided on the best one, we did overdubs and vocals on top. And that's the album!

We still have 7 songs partially done that we're going to eventually get finished and out in one way or another. While it was more work, I for sure think it was the best way to do it and hope we continue to record that way in the future. You can hear how much fun we're having in those tracks.

Scene Point Blank: What song on the new record is the most fun to play live?

Jordan Shroyer: I personally love playing "Some Hard Feelings," which is one of the more dynamic ones and "Nashville Hot Chicken," which is a nonstop chuggin’ rocker.

Scene Point Blank: Is there a song on Bad Jazz that took a surprise turn from start to finish?

Jordan Shroyer: Probably "Any Good Thing," just because it was the last song brought to the table for the record and just kind of organically existed out of nowhere -- our quickest composition and seems to be a fan favorite.

Scene Point Blank: If you were to play a covers set at FEST 22 or in the future, what band would it be? Or would this question break up the band as you try to reach consensus?

Jordan Shroyer: We've been talking about doing Fountains of Wayne. Got a little too busy this year since I convinced the band to be my wedding band and learn way too many other covers songs. So maybe next year!

Now, a rapid fire Fest-focused Q&A:

Teens in Trouble

It’s been a busy year for Teens in Trouble, releasing a new album and hitting the road multiple times -- including en route to FEST 22.

The project began with Lizzie Killian solo, growing into a band. We caught up with Killian to hear how things are going and who will be playing with her at Fest.

Scene Point Blank: First, how many times have you played The Fest? How many times have you personally attended (if that # is different)?

Lizzie Killian: This will be our second time playing Fest! My first time playing, and first time attending, was last year at FEST 21.

Scene Point Blank: What festivals have you played? What makes The Fest stand out?

Lizzie Killian: We have focused on festivals a lot this year, and so far in 2024 we've played Belltown Bloom in Seattle, No Earbuds Fest in Pomona, MidWest Friends Fest near Cincinnati, Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh, and Bridge City Fest in Portland. We have also played Pouzza Fest last year in Montreal. Fest stands out to me in the way that it feels like a huge summer camp of punks, where you can easily run into someone you know, even as a first-timer last year. Last year, we toured to Fest with Sweet Gloom and Tiny Stills, so it was fun to hang out with them all weekend and see different sets together.

Scene Point Blank: What are your memories about playing Fest last year?

Lizzie Killian: I enjoyed seeing our friends and familiar faces out in the crowd during our set! We played at The Wooly, which was a really cool venue.

Scene Point Blank: Who is a band/artist you discovered at Fest last year?

Lizzie Killian: I saw Audio Karate play for the first time -- I knew of them through mutual friends, but it was cool to see them live! I think this was also the first band I saw at Fest overall.

Scene Point Blank: Share a random memory from Fest, be it seeing a favorite band, running across an old friend, or just some weird thing you saw in the crowd.

Lizzie Killian: It was my first time having a Hard Mountain Dew Baja Blast and I still think about it to this day. I also loved seeing Suzie True at How Bazar.

Scene Point Blank: Teens in Trouble is you and a rotating, supporting cast -- is that correct? Is your Fest set full-band or solo (or both)?

Lizzie Killian: Yeah, Teens in Trouble started as my solo project, and when I started playing live shows as Teens in Trouble a couple years ago, I had to get a band together.

Scene Point Blank: When you write a song, how quickly do you know if it will be stripped down or a full band?

Lizzie Killian: I think I tend to gravitate toward writing songs with a full band in mind. The only stripped down song I have recorded with only acoustic guitar is "I Wonder What You're Doing Now" on my debut EP from 2022. But I mostly start off writing all my songs on acoustic guitar, so when I've played solo sets a lot of the songs translate well in a stripped down setup.

Scene Point Blank: Because so many bands already travel to Fest, is your backing band at this show in particular much different than shows at home? Do you play with different musicians at Fest than at "your average show"?

Lizzie Killian: We are touring to Fest again this year with Teenage Halloween and our band lineup will be different! While I try to keep the backing band consistent, it really often depends on people's availability. For this run, we have Jaake Margo on bass (from Sweet Gloom) who has played with us a couple times already and rocks. We will also have Avery Okamura from (One Armed Joey) on lead guitar and Henry LaVallee (from Naked Giants) on drums.

Scene Point Blank: What's Mine came out in the spring. How has the release cycle been going for you? What songs are the most meaningful or fun for you to play at this moment in time?

Lizzie Killian: It's been a really exciting year with the album out and playing these songs live and focusing on touring. We just wrapped a tour in August with Bat Boy and The Dreaded Laramie along the East Coast and Midwest and it's been cool to see people in different towns know these songs and get excited about their favorites.

I've really enjoyed playing "You Don't Want To Mess With Me" live -- it has so many little fun parts and takes all my full power to perform. "Autopilot" is also just so fun to play live -- it's hard for me not to dance when we're playing that song.

Scene Point Blank: Have any of the songs taken on a new meaning as you play them live? I imagine the rotating band breathes new life into "old" songs?

Lizzie Killian: All I know is that "Playlist" keeps getting faster and faster, haha.

Scene Point Blank: What are you working on next?

Lizzie Killian: This tour to Fest is our last run of shows for the year, and I've already started slowly writing new songs again. I'm back in the studio again in January and planning a few shows already for the spring, though I'd like to focus more on writing next year. I also started a label with friends in Dog Party called Sneak Dog Records, so we have a few of our friends' releases in the pipeline!

Scene Point Blank: Since you also work in PR, in conjunction with your sound straddling so many styles of music -- how do you feel about genre labels, as people apply them to your music? I imagine that working both sides of the biz gives you a unique perspective.

Lizzie Killian: I like rock music and I like writing rock songs. But sometimes I like to write slower, sad songs, and then they sound less rock. Does it then make it indie? Folky? Singer-Songwriter-y? I honestly have no idea. Our Instagram bio says "rock music for dog people," which I remember coming up with maybe last year when asked about our genre. Felt kind of meaningless to say "indie rock" or "indie punk" or whatever Teens in Trouble is. "Rock music for dog people" doesn't say much either, but at least it's fun.

Scene Point Blank: Anything you'd like to add?

Lizzie Killian: I also like cats.

The Penske File

The Penske File play a style of thoughtful, paced punk that forms a strong connection with their audience. The band, who released Half Glow one year ago, share about their songwriting process and their ongoing evolution.

Scene Point Blank: First, how many times have you played The Fest? How many times have you personally attended (if that # is different)?

Travis Miles: This will be our fifth time playing Fest!

Scene Point Blank: What festivals have you played? What makes The Fest stand out?

Travis Miles: We’ve played a whole bunch of festivals over the years. Many smaller festivals, some bigger ones. I think Fest stands out because of the community of people built around it. It’s like the most lovely cult in the world.

Scene Point Blank: What are your memories about playing Fest last year (or your last time there, if my memory is wrong about 2023)?

Travis Miles: Last time we played fest was pre pandy… 2019, I think.

Scene Point Blank: Who is a band you discovered at Fest last year?

Travis Miles: Wasn’t at Fest last year, but I remember falling in love with Caskitt after watching them at Loosey’s the first time we played Fest, I think it was FEST 15? We had played a pre-Fest show with them in Talahasee a couple nights before, but I only caught a couple songs. I watched their full set at Fest that year and was blown away. They’re not a band anymore, but yeah, they rip! And I feel like I really discovered that while watching them at Fest. Criminally underrated in my opinion.

Scene Point Blank: Share a random memory from Fest, be it seeing a favorite band, running across an old friend, or just some weird thing you saw in the crowd.

Travis Miles: Our set at Fest 2018 still goes down in history for me as one of the most fun shows of our entire lives. We were the last slot on the Sunday at Rocky’s Piano Bar and had been living it up all weekend (and the week before on our tour down with Red City Radio and Pkew Pkew Pkew). I remember waking up very hungover on the Sunday and thinking to myself, “It’s a long way to 1am.” There was a lot of aimless walking and intermittent van naps throughout the day to bide the time before our show. When we got close to game time, I remember the buzz of the room and the lineup outside and just feeling that end-of-Fest celebratory energy in the air. At some point during our set there were suddenly dozens of pool noodles being waved around. I had no idea where they came from haha. Everyone was screaming along, crowdsurfing…all the fun things.

Scene Point Blank: It's been a year since Half Glow came out. As you play the songs live, have any of the songs taken on new meaning or new significance to you?

Travis Miles: Absolutely, I feel like songs are always changing. They get loaded up with different things as time passes. There’s the stage when you are writing an album and they are these things that live inside your head and in the rehearsal space or whatever and are a welcome refuge from other concerns of daily life. When you’re working on a record and going about your day, you can always jump into a song in your head, and think, “What if we did it this way,” or “What if we did it that way.” I love the sense of escape that working on songs offers. I also love the puzzling nature of working on tunes. I often joke that some people like doing crosswords or sudokus to relax or focus, and I feel like I get the same thing out of working on songs in a lot of ways.
Once a record comes out, I can let them out of my head: the puzzle is complete and then comes the catharsis of playing them live. The songs become collaborative in a whole new way in a live setting. In the best case, there’s now this wild energy exchange between 50 or 500 people rather than 3 or 4. Inevitably, some songs get loaded up with new memories of live performances, as well as the information of others interpretations of them, and the meanings change in relation to that.

Scene Point Blank: Do you have an example of a song that’s changed a lot in a live setting?

Travis Miles: ”Come What May” off of our 2018 record, Salvation is definitely one of those songs for me. We typically close our set with it, and it’s now loaded up with memories of all of my favourite shows. There’s one line that specifically hits hard and different for me after our long break around the pandemic: “When this life feels like it’s about to run away, it mostly turns around to feel the same.” Alex wrote the lyrics for that song and I always liked them, but now that line is so loaded up with overwhelming positivity for me. There was a time during our break where I looked at a lot of the highlights of being in this band as something that existed only in the past tense, and a lot of those memories played to the soundtrack of this song in my head. Now when we play “Come What May” at a great show and that line comes up, I can’t help but smile. Sometimes it can feel like you’ve lost positive forces in your life and hope of their return can be fleeting. This line reminds me that such forces have a way of coming back around in one way or another at one time or another and that fills me with joy.

" I think Fest stands out because of the community of people built around it. It’s like the most lovely cult in the world."

Scene Point Blank: Related to that, it feels like the world is moving at a million miles per hour these days. I don't personally view your songs as topical, but how do you approach songwriting? Do you seek to capture a specific moment/mood, or a more universal and timeless element?

Travis Miles: The approach to songwriting, to me, feels like a natural part of my life. It’s just always there. There isn’t so much a conscious goal of trying to capture or portray one thing or another. It just feels like a side effect of being alive: channeling experiences, memories, thoughts and emotions into new creations.

Scene Point Blank: What are you working on now?

Travis Miles: We have an EP that comes out October 18. We’re also halfway done a new record and are very excited about getting that into the world when it’s ready.

Scene Point Blank: What is your songwriting process? Do you sit down and crank out an album's worth of material at once, or are you more random / less methodic?

Travis Miles: I’m always writing songs. Alex writes a lot as well. James usually has a song or two. When its time to start working on a record, there’s usually a lot of raw material to work with in getting started. Speaking for myself, there’s usually a lot of waste. I’ll write like 20-40 songs between albums, and only 5 will end up on a record. So the writing is constant, but when it comes time to do an album, we kinda take stock of everyone’s best ideas and see what fits together and then run with it from there.

Scene Point Blank: How has that songwriting approach changed as you've been a band for a decade plus?

Travis Miles: When we started out I wrote the vast majority of the songs, but as time goes on its become a more even split between me and Alex, which is great because he’s probably my favourite songwriter. Beyond that, I think we’ve just become better collaborators in the room once we start working on things full band. I think we all know each other’s strengths after so many years writing together, and we know how to play to those strengths in collaboration.

Scene Point Blank: I think your general style has caught on a bit more in recent years with the popularity of The Menzingers, etc. How do you describe your sound -- what terminology do you like? Has it gotten easier to explain now that people get that this more personal angle a little better due to its (semi) popularity?

Travis Miles: I mean, I usually just say we’re a punk rock band. People are usually happy enough with that description, aha. Music is so accessible these days with streaming and all that, that I feel if people really want to understand our sound they can listen to us and decide upon their own descriptions.

Now, a rapid fire Fest-focused Q&A: