It was 5 p.m. on a Friday and the members of Sacramento’s Bastards of Young were packing up to drive west for a show in Oakland. I had spent the previous three days under a heavy and horrible blanket of the flu, and I was still in the thick of it. I woke up from a nap a few minutes before our scheduled talk and leaned against the base of my couch as I dialed the band on my iPhone.
I’m familiar with Bastards of Young’s music, but at the time of our interview hadn’t yet listened to their soon-to-be-released record, White Knuckles. They had sent me a private streaming link several days prior, but I had not yet clicked it. Having been knocked out by a 102.5-degree fever and an array of subsequent symptoms, my struggling body was on a reprieve from punk rock. I was on a diet of silence and Seinfeld reruns almost exclusively.
It’s entirely unprofessional to not listen to a band’s record before interviewing them, but in the end, I’m good with the decision. That’s because on the day in which I wrote this story, my first day truly back in the saddle, I was able to take the whole album in with a clear head, and I’ve let it loop at least nine times in the hours since that first listen.
If, hypothetically speaking, you were to have spent five days shelled up in your home quietly eating chicken soup and lime popsicles, White Knuckles is precisely the tool you would want to crack open the nut and re-enter the real world with some legitimate momentum. It’s sturdy, anthemic and positively bold; a solid album for the springtime, when dead things snap back to life. In my case, it’s what the doctor ordered.
On “Never Catch Me Girl,” you can hear a bit of Bouncing Souls, although it’s spiked with a gravel and growl akin to Hot Water Music, a clear Bastards of Young influence. “Mary” and “Yankee Bluejeans” are two other standout tracks—catchy punk songs that carry a contemplative tone, but mostly just get your blood moving.
“Like Nails on a Cross” slows things down, trading the high-energy crowd shouting for pure melody and harmony. You could tuck the tune nicely into an Alkaline Trio record, and yet it’s uniquely Bastards of Young.
In the band’s early days, guitarist Nick Ripley wrote and sang the bulk of the songs. White Knuckles is the first record on which he and Patrick Hills, the band’s other guitarist, split the vocals and songwriting evenly.
“For the sake of variety and diversity, it makes for a more interesting sound,” said bassist Sean Hills. “It wasn’t anything we talked about. Pat just started bringing songs to the table and it worked out. We’re really lucky that we have two strong songwriters.”
The members of Bastards of Young—Ripley (guitar/vocals), Patrick Hills (guitar/vocals), Sean Hills (bass/vocals) and Wyman Harrell (drums)—came up in the local punk scene behind staple bands like Whiskey Rebels. Three of the four members of Bastards of Young played in Hanover Saints, a similarly popular local band throughout the 2000s.
Bastards of Young will have CDs and digital downloads of White Knuckles available at their upcoming show with 7Seconds at Blue Lamp on April 7, 2016. A week later they’ll head south for a short tour that ends with shows in San Diego and Tijuana for La Escalera Fest, an annual festival put on by the band’s record label, La Escalera Records.
Over the course of a phone conversation and a follow-up email thread, the members of Bastard of Young discussed the band’s history, the upcoming tour and the process behind White Knuckles.
When and how did the band come into existence?
Patrick Hills: When Hanover split up we got together with Nick and started writing songs. We played our first show about nine years ago and somehow we’ve managed to maintain the same lineup the entire time.
Did you guys grow up in Sacramento or the suburbs?
Sean Hills: We all grew up on the outskirts of town. Patrick and I grew up in Rocklin, Nick came from Newcastle and Wyman used to live out in the Marysville area.
Where do you guys live now?
Nick Ripley: We all live and work in Sacramento now. Mostly because the suburbs are boring.
How and when did you guys end up on La Escalera Records?
PH: We met the guys who started La Escalera a long time ago on one of our first trips down to San Diego. When they started the label six years ago, we were one of the bands that they included on their first release, a split 7-inch with our friends Success from Seattle.
La Escalera Fest is split between San Diego and Tijuana. What can you tell us about that?
Wyman Harrell: La Escalera Fest is an annual event that features many of the bands on the label and their good friends. It’s basically a big party with great music and barbecue. The label has been booking shows in Tijuana for several years and since so many of the bands on the label are coming from out of town to play the fest, they decided to book a show down there as well. There’s an awesome music scene in Tijuana. We’re super excited to be playing.
How much from the new record will you play at the 7Seconds show at Blue Lamp?
NR: A majority of our set includes songs from the new album but we always throw a few older songs into the mix.
How does Bastards of Young fit into Sacramento’s punk scene?
SH: The punk rock scene in Sacramento is a pretty small, tight-knit group of people but there’s a lot of diversity, which is awesome. Our music doesn’t really fit nicely into one specific niche, but it’s actually kinda nice because we like to play with different bands as much as possible.
Have the venues/bands/styles changed over years, or does it feel pretty consistent and steady?
SH: Bands and venues have come and gone but Sacramento has always maintained a pretty strong local music scene. Different kinds of music have become popular over the years but we’ve never really let that influence our songwriting. We write music for our own satisfaction and we consider ourselves lucky that other people seem to enjoy it as well.
What do you guys do for a living outside of the band?
NR: We’re pretty much a blue-collar band. Pat does [Earth Tone Studios] and guitar lessons. Others are bartenders and deli managers. As much as we love this band and would love to do this kind of music full-time, we’re also realists. We realize it’s highly unlikely that this will ever pay our bills. It’s kind of an expensive hobby for us that we really love. We don’t do this for money. We’ve been doing this for as long as we have because of our love of playing this kind of music.
What’s the meaning of the album title, White Knuckles?
NR: We’re all getting older and life just seems to be screaming past us at a million miles per hour. There are a lot of obstacles along the way. Many of the songs on the album are about growing up and overcoming adversity. White Knuckles is just a reminder to hold on tight and enjoy the ride.
What was the process of recording the album, given that one of your band members runs a studio?
SH: We tracked everything together when we recorded drums, but we kinda took our sweet time with everything else. Having a studio conveniently available is a blessing and a curse. We couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out, but I think that it took more than a year to finish.
NR: It was kind of a slow process. We compiled songs we had written over a few-year period. When we sat down to record, we did it within a three or four month period.
SH: When we went into record it, we did 18 songs. We whittled it down to what we thought were the strongest of the batch. The new album is our first full length and it’ll have 12 songs on it.
Where can people buy White Knuckles and in what formats will it be available?
NR: The album will be available digitally and on CD on April 7, 2016. Fingers crossed, hopefully it will be available on vinyl later this year.
Bastards of Young will celebrate the release of White Knuckles alongside 7Seconds and The Knockoffs April 7, 2016 at Blue Lamp, located at 1400 Alhambra Blvd. in Sacramento. Doors for this 21-and-over show open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available in advance at Abstractpresents.com.
The Knockoffs and their place in Sacramento’s punk rock history
Country licks with a traditional punk-rock style. Twenty years of street cred earned within the ever-fluctuating Sacramento music scene. Not to mention the immeasurable amount of respect from bands such as 7Seconds, the Groovie Ghoulies, festival organizers and promoters alike. That old school, independent, do-it-yourself mentality all in the spirit of punk rock is still essential for members of The Knockoffs after all this time.
The days when flyers were handed out at shows and littered the walls of bedrooms instead of sidewalks. The times before the Internet was a main tool of promotion, when actual footwork and word of mouth were the standard codes of conduct for bands. These forgotten practices continue to resonate for these four men and after a three-year pause, they’re back and ready to play as loud as they can at this year’s second annual Punch and Pie Fest on Aug. 24, 2013 at Old Ironsides.
“They’re kind of like the elder statesmen of our community. I think that they’re a really important part of Sacramento’s punk rock history. They have been around for 20 years and they have been a great influence on the punk rock community,” says Punch and Pie Fest organizer and Bastards of Young bassist Sean Hills. “I have a lot of respect for them, and I think they are a great example of how to be in a band for that long without killing each other. They’ve been doing it right.”
It’s a roundtable meeting of sorts within the living room of vocalist and guitar player Tom Hutchison, or as his mates like to call him, “Little Tom.” On this Sunday afternoon Danny Secretion, Tom Amberson (aka “Big Tom”) and Bobby Jordan gather around a coffee table, television muted, to speak with Submerge about their love for punk rock music, keeping the scene healthy by ways of encouraging young talent and laughing so hard during practices until their muscles ache and eyes water.
“It’s like we’re in the eighth grade and someone’s parents are gone,” says bassist Jordan of the band’s camaraderie. “It’s one of the fibers of my life.”
Forming in the early ’90s, The Knockoffs have had their fair share of lineup changes. At times, certain members would even jump from guitar to bass and then back to guitar just to keep the process moving. Eventually, the guys found what worked and ultimately solidified their lineup.
Each person comes with their own unique set of experiences or outlooks complete with a list of either a second or third punk rock band they’re also heavily involved in. Like Secretions’ longtime run with The Moans, The Shitty Ramones and The Secretions; or Bobby Jordan doubling up with The Mr. T Experience. Hell, Amberson credits The Knockoffs giving him the opportunity to sit behind the drum kit and learn a completely new instrument by simply joining the ranks. All of these elements are finished with a traditional punk and rock ’n’ roll-style of vocals with just the right amount of gruff, thanks to Hutchison, especially heard within the playful lyrics during songs such as “You Make Me Sit Funny” from The Knockoffs’ second full-length album Sell the Move.
Yet, after all the changes, instrument shuffles and years tacked behind them, their chemistry works. And their time spent performing and practicing as The Knockoffs means more to each member than just another punk rock band they’re a part of. In the end, all members say they genuinely enjoy one another and have witnessed each go through life changes ranging from marriage to welcoming Jordan’s new baby girl to the family.
“Having a baby has made me want to do this even more,” says Jordan. “I want music to be around her while some people retreat in music with babies and families.”
Encouraging music within a younger audience is a duty each member of the band adopts with no questions asked; to them it’s necessary to keep the tight-knit punk rock community healthy. Both Secretion and Jordan recall bands like 7Seconds and the Groovie Ghoulies mentoring them, by means of showing them the unspoken codes of ethics, respect and even honesty when it comes to door money.
“We were really lucky that we had those bands take us under their wing,” remembers Secretion. “The thing that I notice is that the older bands kind of groom the younger ones. When you see bands like Mad Judy or Abandoned Generation, these kids are too young to even get into the shows we’re playing, but seeing them and the younger generation of punk rock, I know it’s going to be OK in Sacramento.”
These four men remember performing shows at Old Ironsides 20 years ago for five bucks. Fast forward a couple decades later and the guys are still playing shows at that price—and happily, which Jordan says is a testament to The Knockoffs, genuine love for the music alone. And they aren’t planning on closing their guitar cases or retiring their drum sticks ever—they’re all here to stay.
“We’re like an old, wore out, stinky pair of shoes,” jokes Jordan, sitting next to Hutchison and directly sending the rest of the guys into laughter.
“I’m looking forward to just playing my guitar as loud as possible and looking over my left shoulder and seeing these guys play their asses off,” says Secretion. “That’s going to mean so much. You ain’t seen the last of us.”
Photo by Allyson Seconds
Punch and Pie Fest 2 will heat up Sacramento Aug. 21–25, 2013 at The Press Club, Old Ironsides, Midtown Barfly and Luigi’s Fungarden. The Knockoffs will perform at Old Ironsides on Aug. 24, 2013 with Dr. Frank, Bright Faces and Arts and Leisure. For a full Punch and Pie Fest schedule, go to Punchandpiefest.com or go to Facebook.com/punchandpieproductions.
Major props to local punk-rock promoter and Bastards of Young bassist Sean Hills for putting together Punch and Pie Fest. With zero sponsor dollars the dude booked a week straight of amazing punk-rock shows from Aug. 15 through 20, 2012 (with the pre-party happening on Aug. 14). Catch touring bands like the Hot Water Music-esque Red City Radio from Oklahoma City or Continental from Granite City, Mass., which features Rick Barton from Dropkick Murphys. Also of course there will be tons of local faves like the aforementioned Bastards of Young, Kill the Precedent, The Secretions, City of Vain and others. There are more than two-dozen bands in all, and the shows go down at either Press Club or Luigi’s. Get out and support your local punk scene! To view the entire schedule, visit http://www.facebook.com/PunchAndPieProductions.
Submerge has got your first look at the lineup for this year’s Friday Night Concerts in the Park series. The 13-week shindig kicks off on May 4, 2012 at 5 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Park in downtown Sacramento. You can see the entire lineup right here. Major brownie points to anyone who can name all of the artists that have been on the cover of and/or featured in the pages of Submerge (hint: there’s a lot of them).
May 4
Arden Park Roots (reggae/rock)
Island of Black and White (acoustic/blues/reggae/rock)
The Storytellers (roots/reggae/ska)
Shaun Slaughter (indie/electro/pop)
May 11
Middle Class Rut (rock)
Lite Brite (rock)
Horseneck (rock)
DJ Whores (electro/indie/dub step/alt)
May 18
Nickel Slots (alt-country/Americana)
Infamous Swanks (rockabilly)
Blackeyed Dempseys (Irish rock)
DJ Adam J (indie/dance/alt)
May 25
ZuhG (funk/reggae/jam)
Element of Soul (acoustic/jam rock)
Playboy School (electronic indie/pop)
DJ X’GVNR (pop/top 40/electro/dance/dub step/house)
June 1
Oleander (rock)
Allinaday (rock)
Trackfighter (rock)
Verdugo Brothers (house/top 40)
June 8
Mumbo Gumbo (zydeco/roots/dance)
Todd Morgan and the Emblems (blues/rock/jazz)
DJ Mikey Likes It (top 40/‘80s/‘90s/party groove)
June 15
Relic 45 (blues/rock)
Out of Place (acoustic/alternative/rock)
Sexrat (alternative/rock)
Reggie Ginn (pop)
Shaun Slaughter (indie/electro/pop)
June 22
7 Seconds (punk)
Bastards of Young (punk)
City of Vain (punk)
DJ Whores (electro/indie/dub step/alt)
June 29
The Nibblers (funk)
The Coalition (world beat)
Diva Kings (folk/pop rock)
DJ Fedi
July 6
Full Blown Stone (reggae rock)
Dogfood (alternative rock)
Street Urchinz (reggae/rock)
DJ Nate D
July 13
Another Damn Disappointment (ADD) (punk)
Walking Dead (punk)
A Single Second (punk)
The Left Hand (punk)
DJ Blackheart (house/electro/punk/indie)
July 20
Walking Spanish (blues/indie rock)
Jack and White (alternative/pop rock)
Autumn Sky (folk/pop)
CrookOne (soul/pop/hip-hop/Motown/indie)
July 27
The Brodys (pop/rock)
Early States (pop/rock)
Hero’s Last Mission (pop)
Chaotic Fusion (DJ Oasis & !nkDup) (rock/top 40/dance/mash-ups)
As you probably know by now, this year’s lineup was not booked by longtime promoter Jerry Perry, but instead by a committee of local promoters, musicians and music enthusiasts that go by the name Play Big Sacramento. One committee member, Andy Hawk, who works at Entercom radio stations and promotes Wednesday night shows at Powerhouse Pub in Folsom, recently told Submerge of this year’s lineup, “As a committee we worked with venues, clubs, bookers and musicians in an effort to create a lineup of the best Sacramento has to offer. We have 13 weeks of shows filled with the biggest headliners in town, and have added the most talented DJs in Sacramento to play in the beer garden. Friday Night Concerts in the Park this year will truly be the centerpiece of entertainment in Sacramento this summer.”
Sacramento’s genre-smashing math-rock trio Tera Melos is hard at work recording a new full-length record, a notion that excites Submerge very much. Their 2010 release, Patagonian Rats, scurried its way onto our annual year-end list, they snagged the cover of issue No. 67 and most recently they co-headlined/melted faces at our 100th Issue Party at Ace of Spades in December. The yet-to-be-titled album is being recorded at Earth Tone in Rocklin with longtime friend Pat Hills (who plays in Bastards of Young and has been in other credible local bands over the years including Hanover Saints).
“He’s like our go-to guy,” guitarist/vocalist Nick Reinhart told Submerge, pointing out that Hills has added his touch to every Melos record in some form or another. “We all grew up playing in punk bands together. We know him really well, he’s super familiar with our musical personalities.”
In the end, Reinhart predicts there will be 13 songs on the album. “To me, it’s a progression from the last record,” he said of the new material, all written within the past couple months. “It does not sound like the last record. It sounds like the record our band would make after Patagonian Rats, if that makes sense…Without giving too much away of what it’s sounding like, I just definitely think it’s like, ‘Oh wow, these guys stepped it up and did something even more different this time.’”
Reinhart said to expect an early 2013 release via Sargent House. In the meantime, catch Tera Melos opening up the fIREHOSE reunion tour dates (including Harlow’s on Thursday, April 5, 2012) before they head overseas for two months in May for their first ever “proper” European tour. “We’re finally making it over there for reals!” To learn more about the band and view tour dates visit Facebook.com/teramelosmusic or Teramelosmusic.com
Beloved Sacramento punkers The Secretions are celebrating 20 years of being a band (congrats fellas!) with a three-day festival they have dubbed “Suck-Fest,” in honor of their slogan, “We Secrete, You Suck,” from May 27 to May 29, 2011 at Fire Escape Bar and Grill in Citrus Heights. The lineup is absolutely insane, boasting over two dozen of Sacramento’s and the Bay Area’s best bands including The Mr. T Experience, The Left Hand, Bastards of Young, Pets, The Enlows, Brian Hanover, The Snot-Cocks, The Hybrid Creeps, Ashtray, The Secretions (that’s a given) and many more. Friday, May 27, will see The Secretions playing an “alumni set” where former band members Julie Bruce, Morgan Giles, Tom Working and Kevin Stockton will make guest appearances. On Saturday, May 28, The Secretions will play a “20 Years in 60 Minutes” set where they will blast through a solid hour of tunes spanning their entire two decades as a band. And finally Sunday, May 29, will be “Secreti-oke,” where The Secretions will play a set featuring guest vocalists hand-picked by the band from some of their favorite local groups. Good luck picking just one night to attend, as they all look really, really good. You might want to just plan on camping out in the parking lot. Anybody got an RV?
-J. Carabba
