Matt Burns - guitar/vocals (Debt Neglector)
photo by Michael Eliassen
What are your top five albums that were released in 2021? (In order 1-5)
This one I'm going to include releases from everyone in the band, and then one that we all found to just be like "well no duh, this record fucking rules."
- Alex's #1 is Descendents - 9th and Walnut. There's something to be said about generational writing/recording that just makes a great record really great. And honestly, the Descendents are some of the best to do it.
- Zach was super into Yautja's The Lurch. He's our resident metal guy, and upon seeing this was a Relapse release, I dove in. The cover art rips, and this songs are heavy and relentless. So awesome!
- Chris wanted me to mention Jeff Rosenstock's Ska Dream as his pick. I know there's the joke of, like, ska is back in 2021 or whatever, but Rosenstock has been blessing up with upstrokes for a long time now (that Arrogant Sons of Bitches record is practically flawless), and Ska Dream is the perfect accompaniment to No Dream. He also saw this tour in New York this past weekend, so I'm super jealous of that.
- I'm going to go with Chubby & The Gang's The Mutt's Nuts.
- I think we can all agree that Turnstile's Glow On is nothing short of an absolute fucking ripper, so that's going to be our collective #1.
What band did you discover in 2021 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
Not sure if they had an impact on my life, but I really enjoyed the Couplet record that came out this year, especially from a production standpoint. I'm really a dork when it comes to the way songs are structured and layered, and when you play that record in headphones, it's like you're listening to it for the first time all over again. I've always been a fan of You Blew It and Into It Over It, but this record is really something special.
How will you remember 2021? (In terms of music)
2021 was such a weird time for music, because I feel like everyone who had held off on releasing anything during the pandemic all of a sudden wanted to release singles or EPs or full-lengths in 2021. There was so much music this year, across all ends of the spectrum, that made it hard for me to really pinpoint when an album came out. Even thinking of my top records of the year, and ending up saying, "Oh shit, *that* record came out earlier this year? It felt like it was 2 years ago..."
What can we look forward to from you in 2022?
Well, probably not a whole lot as far as releasing music goes, but we're going to be doing a little Florida run with our friends Virginity and Dikembe. All 3 of us had records come out during the pandemic and we figured why not have a little fun with our friends in support of it? We've been learning a ton of cover songs just for the hell of it, and having a ton of fun doing it, so maybe we'll record one or two of them sometime.
What records are you looking forward to most in 2022?
Well, I know there's a few records coming out on Smartpunk that have yet to be announced (and a few that have been) that are really killer. The new Drug Church is going to be on constant rotation, I'm sure, as well as the new Mitski.
What went through your head the first time you played live in 2021 after the delay? (If you haven’t -- what do you anticipate when you hit that point?)
Oh shit, what a wild ride that was. I remember having such crazy butterflies before going on (it was a sold out show, I think at 75% capacity at that time), so much that I puked in the back alley of the venue right before our set. When I told the other dudes about that after we got off stage, Chris was like, "Oh yeah, I puked back there like an hour ago. I hope you didn't step in mine." Really brings a band closer, ya know?
Matt Burns - guitar/vocals – social media links
- Twitter: @debtneglector
- Instagram: @debtneglector
