Where did you go?

I wanted to post a quick update to say that I'm not dead! Punk is OK is taking a short break, but it will return stronger than ever. Until then here are some notes:

• Hardcordian WonderPunks The Dirty Mugs have finished recording their album. They are currently in the mixing stage. No release date has been announced.
• Mugfest has been announced for November 30th in Porter, OK. The lineup so far is The Dirty Mugs, The Last Slice, Fiscal Spliff (former members of Half Raptor formed just for this gig), and more to be added.
• Lucifest is adding more bands. The house show will be Eastern Oklahoma thrash-punk band Eat Hot Death's last show and will include old school Tulsa popish-punkers Bill Murrays Prostate, The Last Slice,  Frank Zito and the Mannequins, SWN, and Develop. It is taking place October 26th at The Tron Trailer in Tahlequah
• OKC street punk band Violent Affair has a new bassist, Tony Cozzaglio who also plays for Al and the Black Cats and The Wheelz.
• Fuck You, We Rule OK 2014 is unfolding. It will take place July 4th, 5th, and 6th in Tulsa. The current lineup is The Virus, Krum Bums, Street Brats, Wyldlife, The Chernobyl Babies, The Broadsiders, Violent Affair, and The Shame.

That's it for now. I'm waiting on an interview with Brian from Night Birds. A series on Oklahoma house venues is coming soon when we return to form. That's it. Jog on.

Punk is OK previews three new tracks from Violent Affair's "Cockroach Theory"

I was lucky enough to get a preview of three upcoming album tracks from Oklahoma City punk band Violent Affair, two of which are unreleased anywhere. “Cockroach Theory” is the upcoming album that many punks and former punk radio DJs have been waiting years for. The band’s first album “Stand Trial” showed promise, their most recent single “A Call to Arms” and EP “The Pressure is Rising” showed the talent was there; “Cockroach Theory” seems to be the sign that everything is coming together for the band. I listened to all three of the songs a few times. Here are my first thoughts.

“Destroy Society” is one song that has been available online for a while, but I have to admit that I only really listened to it a couple times. After listening to it again, it surprised me how pogo-y it is. The lead guitar winds up and down the root notes as the rhythm guitarist provides a catchy riff. Dave’s street punk style vocals seem a little out of place when you first hear the song, but the more I listen to it the more I feel like it works for this spikey sing-along. One thing this song reminds me of is how much I like the interplay of vocals on recent Violent Affair releases. The variety of voices makes it feel like the gangs all here.

The next track I opened was the unreleased title track “Cockroach Theory”. The song intros with a stutter that reminds me of “Generator” era Bad Religion, and jumps into the steady street punk beat backed by Ryan’s no-bullshit drumming. The politically charged punk winds up and down in tempo before ending abruptly. This song feels straightforward at first, but the second time through, you start to notice all of the space in this song. The guitars, vocals, beat, and bass all go in and out to give the song a really different feel than your standard street punk track. Harmonized guitar solos and riffs make it a little reminiscent of the metal influence in old VA tracks. It is pretty easy to understand why this is the title track.

As a bassist, I am a sucker for a simple bass and drums intro. “Stronger Than Before” gives me a tingling feeling within the first 2 bars. Zach’s bass riff just sounds mean, I don’t know how else to put it. The line isn’t anything technical, but the tone and notes just make me want to clinch my fists. This track is probably the most recognizably Violent Affair sounding of the three I have, but it still has its share of breaks, guitar riffs with space between notes (ie not just constant strumming), and winding solos. The aspect that stands out for this track is the gang vocals. I can see the fists being raised live every pre-chorus.

These are just three songs from “Cockroach Theory” but they really show a developing sound for Violent Affair. Violent Affair has added a bit of originality to the street punk scene. It almost feels a little risky to step away from something that has been proven to get people moving, but the added creativity and variety in their emerging sound works. With these tracks, and plenty more that I haven’t got a chance to hear yet, I think Violent Affair is starting to come into their own. With the talent there, the songwriting solid, and the studs aplenty, who knows how far these guys can go.

The Dirty Mugs Ready First Full Length

The Dirty Mugs have made their way out of The Woods and into the studio, currently working on their first electric LP Wild Fire. The hardcordian wonder punks are working up 16 songs to release by the end of the year. Rumor has it they are hoping to have it finished and released by the end of September.

The band is currently in the editing and mixing stage, with most of the songs lacking only one or two vocal parts. Wild Fire is being mixed by Mugs guitarist and lead singer Eric "Grampa Friday" Coates and accordionist and  backup vocalist WreckinBall Duvall.

Although the band hasn't officially released a tracklist for the album, a sneak peak to yours truly showed there are mostly songs that have been written in the past year, skipping most of the older songs, as well as a traditional song arranged by the band. The songs come together with a good amount of variety. Some tracks blast out fast punk riffs while others growl along at the pace of a waltz.

For fans of the band, and I speak from experience in this regard, this album is well overdue. For those who just can't be satisfied with the acoustic sound or wish Weigh Anchor had more tracks on it, Wild Fire could prove to be well worth the wait.

Album Review: Sunny Side Up - Paradise in the Sky

Ever get the urge to bust out the checkered vans, checkered sunglasses, checkered skinny tie, checkered hat, checkered (insert black and white accessory)?  Oklahoma City’s Sunny Side Up is here to make sure the third wave never dies in Oklahoma. Bands like The Ceiling Tiles, Tell It to the Brass (who turned into The Last Slice), Third Grade Scuffle, and others like them will never be forgotten in the ska scene; but after a while the ska/punk scene just died out in Oklahoma.

The album is a throwback to the mid-90s, with all of the standard ska-rock songs: a girl being cooler than you, not making it because you’re a ska band, being in a ska band, and so on. Combine the ska styles with the band’s love of anime and Japanese culture and you should hardly be surprised that they have comic style artwork, their own four part comic book series coming out, and Jun Senoue playing guitar on a track.

The sound of the album is very impressive for (what I understand) is mostly a DIY album. The two piece horn combo sounds powerful, and helps to direct the songs. The guitars drive on the rock parts and sound natural and pop on the skanky ska parts. On top of the sound, the album is just fun to listen to. I've said the word catchy a few times already, but it really does describe some of the songs. I currently have "Hipster Girl"on repeat.

A few critiques:

• the vocals are a little too overdone and layered too think for my tastes, but they make for some catchy choruses
• MORE BASS!
• four or five songs are from a previous EP. They’re some of my favorites, but people might already have half of the album.
• not enough songs about saying “fuck you” to hipster girls

This album is not reinventing anything, and it doesn’t really need to. Ska/punk in Oklahoma has been null for a long time. I am glad to see someone trying to keep it alive, and, so far, succeeding at it. Along with Classy San Diego, these guys have a pretty decent chance of making sure the punky skanky horn driven rock genre never goes away in the OK. This album is for the ska kids, by the ska kids. Not something recommended for the punx, but if you want to unwind and have some fun listening to catchy local music check, give this one a chance.

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!

Oklahoma Musicians React to Moore Tornado

The music scene is just as tight knit in Oklahoma as any other part of the community. When a two-mile-wide tornado descended on Moore, OK on May, some of the first people to respond and help out were the musicians. Here are some reactions to the disaster from Oklahoma punk and ska bands.

Sunny Side Up (Ska/rock/punk from OKC)

“We're releasing our first album this Saturday at The Conservatory,

But TOMORROW we've decided to release a rare recordings collection!! ALL proceeds will go to tornado relief!!

Join us here tomorrow for an opportunity to do a great thing for your community AND collect rare SSU recordings!!”

The album can be purchased here: http://sunnysideupska.bandcamp.com/album/ssu-rarities

3 Dates Later (Punk/Rock from OKC)

“All proceeds that go to the band from our record release show will be donated to moore victims. Spread the word.”

“We're going to be gathering up a bunch of our old recordings from way back in the day to sell on our band camp page. All proceeds will go to Moore victims.”

“The sense of community and civic responsibility in Oklahoma is unmatched. Absolutely proud to be an Oklahomie today. What happened was terrible, but something amazing came from it. The people here really do take care of their own. It humbles me, and much of my faith in humanity has been restored. Oklahoma has a lot of love.:

They Stay Dead (Punk from Edmond/OKC)

“Give some of them $$$$$$$'s to help out the tornado victims here!!

You can help those victims right now by texting "REDCROSS" to 90999. By doing this you'll be donating $10.

If enough of you donate we will post nudes”

Violent Affair (Street Punk from OKC) who were on tour when it happened

“Sending lots of love to everyone back home affected by the storm. Nothing can keep us Okies down for long.”

The Dirty Mugs (Hardcordian Wonder Punk from The Dirty Woods)

“Donate directly to the OKC Tornado victims through

www.dirtymugs.com/donate !!!! Help our good friends in OKC out!”

Rude King (Ska/punk from Dallas)

“We are heading to OKC on Thursday to play a show with Classy San Diego and The Suspects at Leon's Lounge. In light of the catastrophic tornado yesterday, we have decided to take as many supplies as we can with us to be dropped off at a locally suggested donation spot. If you would like to help donate something for us to take up, please contact us at jon@rudeking.com and see where you can meet us in Plano or Dallas area to help donate water, supplies, etc... If we get enough response, we will be taking a small trailer to take it all. Thank you all in advance for your generosity and support.”

The Shame (Tulsa Oi!/Punk)

“Cheers to all our OKC friends! Stay Safe and all the best to you!”

Kinda Creepy (OKC rock/punk)

“We are playing a benefit show for victims of the Oklahoma tornados this Saturday May 25th at the Red Brick in Norman with Abby and the Norms plus several other bands more details to come”

Classy San Diego Announce Tour Dates

Oklahoma City ska-rock band Classy San Diego has announced a round of upcoming tour dates.

"We’re really excited to hit the road again this summer," said drummer Blake Edlund. "We’re getting to play in a few places and with a few bands that we’ve already been around and getting to do some new things too, so it’s the best of both worlds for us. We’ll have our first full length album out this summer as well, so these next few months are going to be really awesome."

The tour dates can be found below. Venues will be updated as more information is available.

July 28th – OKC - TBA

July 29th – Lawrence, KS - TBA

July 30th – Omaha, NE @ Barley St. Tavern

July 31st – Des Moines, IA @ The Gas Lamp        

Aug. 1st – Russellville, AR

Aug. 2nd – Little Rock, AR

Aug. 3rd – Texas - TBA

The Russellville date is apparently not working out at the moment.

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.