Interview - Night Birds' Brian Gorsegner

Night Birds have been quickly taking over the Northwest Northeast (oops) hardcore punk scene over the past 4 or so years. It should be no surprise to anyone who listened to Riot Radio or reads this site that the jersey hardcore surf punks are currently one of my favorite modern punk bands. Singer Brian Gorsegner was cool enough to take some time to answer questions. Enjoy...

PiOK: Let’s start with the basics. If you look at the song writing credits, it seems like you and Joe both write a lot of the lyrics. Could you walk us through the typical songwriting process?

BRIAN: We work together most of the time... I will write a chorus, Joe will help out with a verse, or vice versa. Sometimes I'll just have a riff, or a lyrical idea, and Joe will take it from there. Sometimes we'll write a whole song by ourselves. But even when we write a whole song by ourselves once it gets brought to practice everyone has say in it if we want to change a part, or suggest doing something different. We're really brutally honest with each other, all we want is to write the best song possible so no one gets hurt feelings or any thing like that.

PiOK: You seem to have a lot of different directions in songwriting: movies, murder, daily life, prescription drugs, and a wide range of other topics that a lot of punk bands don’t touch.  What pushes you guys have such a wide variety of subjects in your songwriting?

BRIAN: I guess just not wanting to be bored with what we write. No reason not to touch on as wide a variety of topics as you can. A lot of our songs are just our own social commentary... We are like the SEINFELD of punk rock lyrics... OK, that's giving us way too much credit. 

PiOK: How many songs have you written based on b-movies?

BRIAN: Oh man, no idea. 

PiOK: After I listened to Hoffman Lens I went out and bought They Live. I’ve always been curious about some of the other references you make, especially in Midnight Movies. What obscure films would you suggest for the readers to go check out?

BRIAN: Let's see... "Midnight Movies" references Eraserhead and Pink Flamingos... The song Bad Biology is about a Frank Henennelotter film with the same title... Triple Feature reference 3  Frank Henennelotter movies, hence the title; Basket Case, Frankenhooker, and Brain Damage. 

PiOK: The biggest comparison I usually hear for Night Birds is that you sound like Dead Kennedys. Obviously this is meant as a compliment, but do you ever get frustrated to hear that comparison?

BRIAN: Not frustrated at all, though it seems a bit lazy sometimes. I don't put us in the category of bands like Bl'ast where there one goal is to sound like Black Flag... Or a band like the Queers who just want to sound like the Ramones. We draw from all over, and I think if you listen to a lot of music like we do that pretty easy to see.

PiOK: You seem to get paired up playing with older bands like The Dickies and Zero Boys. Do you draw a lot of influence from the older sound of bands like them?

BRIAN: Yep for sure. That's the stuff we grew up on and love.

PiOK: What modern bands are you most into right now?

BRIAN: Give, Culo, Nervosas, Tenement, and Big Eyes are some of my favorites at the moment.

PiOK: Up to now, your full lengths and Fresh Kills, Vol. 1 have been released on Grave Mistake Records. This summer you released the Maimed for the Masses 7” on Fat Wreck Chords. Do you feel like you are 

getting to a point where you could see yourselves signing with a more prominent label? (No disrespect 

meant to Grave Mistake, they seem like a great label)

BRIAN: It's not out of the question. We love Alex and we love working with Grave Mistake, so I really have no idea at this point. Luckily BORN TO DIE IN SUBURBIA is brand new so we don't have to worry about that quite yet! Next on our plate will be an all surf instrumental EP on WALLRIDE RECORDS.

PiOK: From an outside point of view, the band has always seemed very self-sustained. Every time I order something, it comes with Joe’s return address on it. One time I got a Night Birds hoodie shipped in a Black & Decker iron box. Would you say you are a fairly DIY band?

BRIAN: haha, glad to see Joe is recycling! But yea, we like to be in control of every aspect of the band. It's more a quality control thing than it is some DIY warrior type stuff. If someone mail orders from us we want to know it's getting done quickly. We wanna throw in extra stuff and let them know we appreciate them buying from us. We also make most of our money as a band through tee shirt sales, so you really shoot yourself in the foot by having an outside merch company handle that for you... granted it takes a lot of time and work to get it done, and can often be a pain in the ass trying to find time between regular jobs and regular life shit, but it's going that extra mile that makes it more rewarding.

PiOK: Is it getting to the point where it is getting overwhelming to do it yourself?

BRIAN: In some aspects, yes. Actually, as of Jan. 1st 2014 we are bringing on a booking agent for the first time. Ron who sings in FINAL CONFLICT does a booking agency called CRAWLSPACE BOOKING and he will be taking over Night Birds booking duties come the start of the new year. He books some cool bands like Cock Sparrer, The Dwarves, Meatmen, Negative Approach, Giuda, The Casualties, etc... I have always been the main show / tour booker for the band, but with my wife and I having a baby in the new few weeks I really don't think I'll have the time to do it correctly so we are going to give it a shot.

PiOK:This is somewhat of a random question. I have seen a lot of your fans use the phrase “we don’t need a joke” but I just can’t figure out what that means. Where does that phrase come from?

BRIAN: This guy MITCH CLEM does comic strips and he did one about us in 2011. That is where that comes from. 

PiOK: Was there one match or instance involving Mick that made you say “this guy needs a punk song”?

BRIAN: No, just his general attitude about his passion. It's about loving something so much and working so hard for it that you will put it above and beyond your personal well being. Tossing yourself into barbed wire, jumping into fire, all in the name of putting on a good show.

PiOK: I read that Foley likes the song. What did he have to say about it?

BRIAN: He messaged us and said "Thanks for the tune! That's a big honor for me. I really like the song."

PiOK: Thanks again for your time, and I know there are people who really hope you make a stop in Oklahoma on your next full tour. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

BRIAN: Thanks for the interview! Now have some OK pride and go listen to NOTA's "toy soldiers"!

Interview: Fuck You We Rule OK Fest Organizer Tony Cozzaglio

Oklahoma has wanted and needed a punk festival for years. Lots of people in the scene have bounced around ideas, but nothing ever took off. Until Tony Cozzaglio and Ryan Richard announced the first lineup for Fuck You We Rule OK, most people would have said that a punk fest in Oklahoma would just be a waste of money. Bands, like The Krays from New York, are coming from across the country to play for OK punks. The lineup includes bands that are difficult to see live anymore, like Brassknuckle Boys, Adolf and the Piss Artists, and an Agrestix reunion. Local punk bands weren't left out, including Violent Affair, The Shame, and Streetlight Fight getting on the bill. I got a chance to talk to Tony Cozzaglio about the festival.

PiOK: Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you decided to start the festival?
TONY: I've Played in several different hard working punk rock bands over the past years (Al and the Black Cats, The Chernobyl Babies, etc.) and have always been involved in my local and regional punk scene's putting on shows. Over many years a hand full of my close friends have taken turns setting up festivals each summer always in different cities with a wide range of names but always in the mid west. And this year when I heard most were planning on taking this year off I decided it was my turn to do so.

PiOK: Have you worked with any festivals in the past, or is this your first time putting one together?
TONY: I’ve been close to the organization of other festivals in the past helping friends and such, but this is my first time being point man for one. That being said I’ve organized many concerts and shows in the past. As well as organized many tours so being involved in show organizing behind the scenes is nothing new to me.

PiOK: What made you want to hold the fest in Tulsa, Oklahoma?
TONY: I moved here a year ago and since then have organized several shows. I guess the main reason I did it here is because this is now my home! Why would I organize it anywhere else!

PiOK: What Oklahoma bands do you have on the bill?
TONY: Violent Affair, The Shame, Streetlight Fight & it will be the first show for a new band I’m starting here The Wheelz

PiOK: You have bands coming from New York, Atlanta, Colorado, Philadelphia, and all over the States. Why did you decide to make FYWROK a national thing and not an Oklahoma festival? TONY: Why not, when people across the nation hear "Oklahoma" punk rock is probably not the first thing they think of. And it seems many bands avoid playing here even though there is an audience. Maybe it’s time people’s minds are changed.

PiOK: You recently added a third day to the festival, and announced the Krum Bums, Adolf and the Piss Artists, and Brassknuckle Boys will be playing. Each time you say that there are no more surprises. Are you really done with the surprises? Is there anything else you’d care to leak about the festival? TONY: hahaha no I promise we're done this time! haha

PiOK: Are there any bands you are personally looking forward to?
TONY: All of them! Sure there are some more than others, I've never seen Brass Knuckle Boys so I’m excited to FINALLY see them, as well as The Krays. Haven’t seen Victory yet or Sniper 66. So I’m pumped for them, then there’s a LONG LIST of friends bands I can’t wait to see again! I haven't seen PONX ATTAX in years! And I’ll be playing guitar in the Bad Engrish at this show so that will be fun! I’m excited for everyone. If I didn't like a band, then why would I book them!? haha

PiOK: How did The Agrestix reunion come about?
TONY: Jermz been a friend a mine for a long time, and it was about time they did one anyway!

PiOK: Where did the name for the fest come from? Is it a reference to the Last Resort or Oxymoron songs?
TONY: I love oxymoron and yes! It is! To be honest we didn't come up with it, we just posted online that we needed a name and people more clever than us came up with it! (we being me and Ryan Richard whom I’m organizing this with)

PiOK: For those who have never been to a punk show, the list of bands could be intimidating. Would FYWROK be a good first punk show for someone? TONY: Absolutely!! I truly hope this will be many young Tulsa kids first punk show!

PiOK: Do you plan on making this a yearly festival, or is this a one-time event?
TONY: As long as it goes well and doesn't turn into a riot I see no reason not to do it each year!

PiOK: What has been the most difficult part of putting FYWROK together?
TONY: hum, I really don't know, I guess just that we put Fuck in the name probably made it difficult to promote publicly, but that’s our own damn fault haha

PiOK: How big of a turnout are you expecting?
TONY: I really can’t say, all I can say is the more people who come out the more likely we'll be to do it again next year and the bigger it will be in the future!

PiOK: For those who are interested in going, how can people get tickets?
TONY: Tickets are available pre-sale at http://fywrok.limitedrun.com/ and we urge people to buy them pre-sale, we expect the venue will be sold out! But we'll also be taking up the hunt club and their outdoor patio. It’ll be half a block of punk rock!

PiOK: Thank you for your time. Would you like to add anything else?
TONY: yeah for up to date info find us on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/events/119389468241541/?fref=ts and please help spread the word, invite your Facebook friends to this, share the flyer! Tell people about it! And I’ll see you there for a drink! Cheers!

Celtic Kings of Oklahoma: Interview with The Righs

The Righs are one of those bands who have been around for a long time, but you really don't hear enough about. If you're not from the Oklahoma City area, there is a slim chance you've seen them live.But this Celtic punk outfit is well worth the effort to see live. I was lucky enough to find this band my band opened for The Toasters in Tulsa around 2010, and they kicked off the show. After watching their energetic set, I couldn't help but wonder why we they weren't playing right before the headliner. 

Jump to 2013, the band is in the process of recording their third album. The whole band was kind enough to spend some time answering questions.

PIOK: Could you introduce yourself and tell us what you play in the band?

NATE: My name is Nate Williams. I play acoustic guitar and am one of three lead vocalists (along with Jack and Omid).

JOHN: Sure thing... John Slawson - bass.

JIAN: I am Jian Azimi and I play the fiddle!

JACK: I'm Jack Smith, and Omid Nowrouzi and I play whatever's necessary. 

OMID: Balls.

RONNIE: Yeah, man! I'm Ronnie Meyer. I play the drums.

PIOK: How did The Righs come together?

JOHN: “Hey, I play and you play so let’s play? Cool.” “Oh, you want to play too? Cool.” Bam.

PIOK: I have heard the band’s name pronounced several different ways, what is the proper way to say it? What does it mean and how did you decide on it?

NATE: This is something that we’ve been correcting people on for years, but we kind of brought that on ourselves by picking a weirdly spelled name. It’s pronounced “rigz” with a hard “g.” A lot of people pronounce it as “rise” when they first say it. Righ is a modern spelling of the Gaelic word Rí, which means “king.”

JOHN: We picked it because our previous name ended up belonging to another band overseas. 

PIOK: You’ve been a band for around eight years now, right? How has the band changed from when it first started?

JACK: We started by figuring out some sort of base to build the band on, then skewed way away from that, and now I feel like we've come back a bit wiser for it. 

JIAN: There’s a lot of input that comes in now from all sides. Omid has taken a larger role in writing songs that have a different mood and feel than what Nate and Jack provide. The drummer position was also a hard one to nail down. I can’t even keep straight how many we've had… Four? Five? Anyway, when Ronnie came on board, the relationship of the band as a whole got tighter, and I think we enjoy playing our music even more.

PIOK: You are currently working on your third full length album, how is that coming? Can you give us some details on the album itself?

JOHN: I think that, the first time, we sank into the swamp, and the second time we burned down, fell over, and then sank into the swamp. But this time... well, it should be good to go.

NATE: I will say that we’ve got a great engineer/producer, Jeremy Ralstin, we’re working in a really high quality studio, and we’re recording songs that people have been bugging us to record for years. We’re feeling pretty confident that, no matter what form it takes, this is going to be a great release and we’re hoping to turn some heads.

OMID: Mary Tyler Moore.

PIOK: I think Omid hit it right on the head. Is this album much different than your two previous offerings? If so, how did that difference come about?

JACK: It's somewhere between the first two. Like I said, we came back to our roots a bit more on this one.

PIOK: What was the process for writing this album?

JOHN: The process for this release has been much like it’s always been. Typically, one of us will write the basics of a song, the lyrics, chords, maybe a melody or two, and then everybody else contributes their own ideas on how to make the song better. While we may still say “That’s Omid’s song,” or “That’s Jack’s song,” the reality is that we have a very collaborative songwriting style. 

PIOK:The most common description of your sound is Celtic-punk. How did the Celtic sound develop for you?

NATE: The big thing is it was a sound that we enjoyed listening to and enjoyed playing. It was a conscious decision, rather than where we ended up.

JACK: Through heritage and research we've tried to create a Celtic yet modern sound that's all our own. 

PIOK: The band lists its influences as everything from Flogging Molly, to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, to Chuck Berry. How did/do all of those sounds come together to form your music?

JOHN: Here’s the thing, our influences change, depending on who in the band you ask. I think that we all have our own personal influences and just choose personally what to bring to the table with this band. 

JIAN: There are a lot of talented people playing in this band, the different inspirations and influences come from each person. At times, when songs are developing, ideas and lines can get crossed and muddled. Fortunately, everyone is receptive to constructive criticism and the songs all work out well.

PIOK: Which local bands do you like playing with the most? Are there any Oklahoma bands who you feel have been instrumental to where you are now as a band?

JOHN: I’m going to sidestep this question and say that it doesn't matter what band it is, or even what genre they play. It’s a good attitude and a sense of comradely that makes playing shows anywhere turn out to be a good time, no matter what the venue is or how big of a gathering. 

PIOK: Where are you favorite places to play live?

JOHN: That depends on how patient and enthusiastic the person running sound is with us, on the atmosphere that the people (including ourselves) bring in, and on the amount of alcohol imbibed. 

PIOK: How many shows do you play a year?

NATE: It varies. With so many of us in the band, all of us with busy schedules, significant others, etc., it can be difficult. I think we've already played more shows this year than we did in all of 2012. Ballpark is probably 20-30 shows a year, normally.

PIOK: Thanks for taking time to answer questions. Where can people go to hear your music online?

All kinds of places!

You can stream both of our first two albums at our BandCamp page – therighs.bandcamp.com – or on Spotify. We've also got all our songs on Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/therighs

You can purchase it from iTunes, eMusic, Amazon, cdBaby, and just about any other digital music retailer as well.

Interview: Violent Affair's "The Pressure is Rising"

When you hear anyone talking about street punk in Oklahoma, the name Violent Affair usually comes up (or at least some variation including a “The” or an “A” at the beginning). The band has gained quite a bit of national notoriety, and even has some international fans. They have toured all over the country, and played with some mainstays of the punk scene.

Unfortunately, Violent Affair runs into the same problem that seems to plague other Oklahoma bands like The Dirty Mugs and The Last Slice; they have not released a full length in about three years. In 2012 they signed to Jailhouse Records, a punk label out of Virginia that has also released bands like Pinkerton Thugs, The Scarred, and Tenebrae. Soon after signing, they released “A Call to Arms” a 7” single that signals good things for the bands future releases.

This June, the OKC punks will release “The Pressure is Rising”, an EP which will lead up to the release of their next full length. I got a chance to chat with Zach, bassist for the band, about the release and their upcoming tour with The Casualties.

PiOK: Your sound has changed a lot from Stand Trial. How has it evolved on "The Pressure is Rising"?

Zach: I think the most interesting thing about following punk rock bands is seeing how they change and evolve over the years. I think we've grown as musicians from playing together all the time. The music definitely pushes different aspects of punk rock that we liked a lot but couldn't express as well before. The good answer is we're angrier than we used to be.

PiOK: What are you angrier about?

Zach: (Laughs) Lots of things. More specifically, other than the blitz cover none of these songs are necessarily upbeat. Each song is kind of about a different issue that really was fucking with us be it a personal song like “No Way Out”, or a kind of rally song like “A Call to Arms”. “Social Disease” is the track we did for “Punk Aid: Indonesia”, “Dead End Nights” is a preview of what kind of stuff is to come for our follow up full length "The Cockroach Theory"

(Check out Dead End Nights, which will appear on "The Pressure is Rising")

PiOK: What made you guys want to cover "Someone's Gonna Die?" What was it like recording it?

Zach: We all love blitz. We got drunk and recorded it. Jesse almost knocked over a really nice microphone.

PiOK: This EP is leading up to your next album. Was it recorded at the same time?

Zach: It was. These are all tracks we did in the mean time for various EPs and compilations

PiOK: So can we expect the sound, not just recording quality but also songwriting, to be a good indicator to what the new album sounds like?

Zach: Definitely. This is a good definite mix of what Violent Affair is doing now. It's more than it used to be.

PiOK: I’d like to switch gears a bit. You're getting ready to head out on tour with The Casualties. How did that come to be?

Zach: We've played with The Casualties a few times now and throughout our growing-up as a band they've been super helpful. They supported us and helped to get our name out and were just all around awesome dudes. They hit us up last month asking if we wanted to do a stint with them around the U.S. and we were like...how are we gonna turn that down? (laughs)

PiOK: No doubt. Now that you have this big tour and upcoming releases, where are you hoping to take the band? How far do you have to go before you consider yourselves successful?

Zach: As far as success goes, I think we're happy with where we're at right now. We all started out as young kids who wanted to be in a punk rock band. Now we get to do that and people are showing up and having a good time. We just want to spread the message to as many people as possible. We'll keep doing this until someone shuts us up, I guess.

PiOK: Thanks for taking time to chat. I just have one more very serious question. What is your current stud count?

Zach: Current stud count is approximately 250 including 2 belts and a vest. It's a casual afternoon.

PiOK: “The Pressure is Rising” is scheduled to release in June on Jailhouse Records. “The Cockroach Theory” is scheduled to come out later this year. Check out a video of them playing Blitz at The Conservatory in Oklahoma City.

The Last Slice on Tour

The Last Slice are no new face around the Oklahoma scene. Since their first show in 2008 (a 15-or-so minute set at the King of Clubs in Claremore, OK), The Last Slice have figured out how to do things the right way. Several bassists, numerous tours, and a full length album later they are starting to hit their stride on the road. I got a chance to talk to Jason Ward, the band's trombonist and manager of sorts, before they head out on their Get Weird Southern US Tour.

PiOK: You guys are getting more and more experience on the road. This is your second tour of 2013. How have your tours progressed from the beginning to now?

Jason: Our first tours (and I'm talking like, 2009) we so poorly thought out and constructed, I look back at them now and I wonder how we even made it home without dying of starvation. Seriously, though, now touring is a full fledged business. I do most of our management and booking and have become fairly good at getting us in the right places with the right people. I wouldn't say we're profitable quite yet, but we have hit the break even point and for months out on the road at a time, that's something to brag about.

PiOK: What is your favorite part of touring with The Last Slice?

Jason: I could say something really cheesy about how I like meeting new people in different places, but since we've been really hitting the road hard over the last year, my favorite part of touring has become those few fans that come from god knows where (we had someone drive 6 hours to see us in New Jersey), just to see you, and then they scream every word of every song right back in your face. That's becoming a thing that happen more often than not now that we're constantly returning to these places, and it just gets more exciting every time we go out.

PiOK: What is your least favorite part of being on the road?

Jason: Money. I wish money didn't exist. That's an extreme obstacle for living on the road for a month at a time, because no one wants to starve.

PiOK: The band has done multiple tours to both the East and West. Which direction do you personally prefer to travel?

Jason: East. The west coast is fun in a lot of places, but those places tend to be way too spread out. The east has a lot of bigger cities just jammed right on top of each other. Your drive times are less and you can cover more ground faster. Plus, we've really built a name for ourselves in some spots out there and that seems to be where most of our fan-base resides now.

PiOK: What is one thing, other than your instrument, that you have to have on tour with you?

Jason: My phone/laptop. Both of those things keep our business running 24/7. I'm usually booking or doing something while we're driving down the road just to make sure we don't miss a beat.

PiOK: Best of luck to you all on tour. I would be doing the readers a disservice if I didn't take this opportunity to ask about your next album. Your debut full length, Fresh Cuts, took a long time for you to release and featured a lot of songs from your first few years as a band. Are we going to have to wait that long for a second album? Have you started planning it, and if so can you give any details?

Jason: I'm not going to say a whole lot, but no. You will not have to wait so long for our next album and I would almost guarantee you it'll be in your hands by this time next year if not way sooner. The album is pretty much written, it's just a matter of having a little time off from the road to actually get in to the studio and get it done.

PiOK: You have played a few new songs live since your album release party; how are the new songs coming along

Jason: Currently we've been playing Artificial Crab, a song about how bad artificial crab meat is, and another one called Chick's a Trip about crazy girls. Both of these songs are fully complete and have become sort of crowd favorites. On this last west coast tour, we added another new song called Strike That Match, which I feel is going to become a permanent addition to our live catalog.

PiOK: Is there a noticeable difference in style between the Fresh Cuts tracks and songs you have written since?

Jason: Oh yes. This is Last Slice 2.0. This next album is going to blow you away.

A list of tour dates can be found on the image below or on their Facebook.