Nerdin' about birdin' with Julian of Avem

Southern Ontario-based punks and avid birders Avem have just released their excellent new EP Nerdin About Birdin that sees them tackling the negative effects climate change is having on birds (and humans!), talking about addiction, and discussing the mating rituals of bowerbirds over kick-ass Ramonescore riffs. The band are getting ready to spread their wings and take their bird-conscious punk to the international stage. Along with recently signing with Belgium's Bearded Punk Records, the band will be playing Punk Rock Raduno in Italy and Festivalkult in Germany in July. They will also be crossing the border and playing Fest in Gainesville this October. And if you live in Ontario or Montreal, fear not! Avem will be coming your way later this month. Nerdin About Birdin is out now on Mom's Basement Records.

Punknews editor Em Moore caught up with bassist and vocalist Julian Warmland over Zoom to talk about playing festivals, their new EP, what we can do to help birds, and so much more. Read the interview below!

In conversation with Chris Dowd of Fishbone

Fishbone have just released their new self-titled EP. Recorded and produced by Fat Mike of NOFX, this EP sees 4 of the 6 original members reuniting to create powerful, vital music that serves as the soundtrack to the world we are living in now. The five tracks prove without a doubt that even as Fishbone celebrate 40 years, they remain red hot. Fishbone will be playing Punk Rock Bowling this weekend, will be touring Europe in July, and will be supporting George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic on their US tour this summer. Fishbone is out now via Bottles To The Ground.

Punknews editor Em Moore caught up with Chris Dowd to talk about recording with the band for the first time since the 90s, working on the new EP, the state of the world, and so much more. Read the interview below!

Getting inside the mind of a composer with JER

Multi-talented multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Hunter is known for many things including their Skatune Network YouTube channel, being the trombonist in We Are The Union, and releasing excellent solo music under the name JER. On top of all of this, they are also an incredible composer who wrote the soundtrack for the upcoming video game Sunshine Shuffle. The game centers around a group of cartoon animals involved in a high-stakes poker game and it’s your job to uncover the part each one played in a bank robbery. JER’s instrumental traditional-ska-infused soundtrack complements the game perfectly, evoking a laid-back yet upbeat vibe that is ideal for sleuthing on the S.S. Sunshine. Sunshine Shuffle will be available on Nintendo Switch and Steam on May 24 via Strange Scaffold.

Punknews editor Em Moore caught up with JER over Zoom to talk about what goes into composing a soundtrack, what drew them to music composition, the connection between video games and ska, and so much more. Read the interview below!

Finding the Party with Julez and The Rollerz

Julez and the Rollerz are one day away from releasing their stellar debut EP Is This Where The Party Is?. The five-song EP sees the band kicking out blues-infused garage rock with a hint of psychedelia as they confront insecurities head-on, urge people to chase their dreams, and deal with change. Is This Where The Party Is? will be out everywhere on May 19 via Party Mermaid Records (you can pre-order it here or pre-save it here!) and the band will be kicking off their Californian tour tomorrow with their album release show at Non Plus Ultra in Los Angeles.

Punknews editor Em Moore caught up with lead vocalist and guitarist Jules Batterman, synth player Shea Carothers, and guitarist Hannah Hughes over Zoom to talk about the new EP, working with a new lineup, dealing with insecurity, making tour scrapbooks, and so much more. Read the interview below!

Dave of F.O.D. has a new band called HellCo and they have a new album coming out!

Here's something really cool- you all know FOD aka Flag of Democracy. They were, and are, the first wave hardcore band from Philly that smashed out a TON of songs that sprinted at 400 mph.

Well, Dave of F.O.D. has a newish band called HellCo. And get this, they play hardcore that sprints at 450mph. Dave pulled in Mike and Josh from Rest Etiquette with the intention of forming something new that also still kicked out the windows. This band is fast, funny, and the riffs slash! But… the new band also gets a little arty here and little weird there. It's an evolution that stays true to Dave's hardcore roots without being derivative.

AND! they have their debut LP coming out on Philly's own SRA records. The band's self-titled LP is in stock now and is ready to ship! It frikkin' rocks!

You can pick it up right here! Also, the band is playing at Century Bar in Philly this Saturday and on June 9 they are throwing a record release party!

But meanwhile, you can hear the brand new single, "Self Pity Party," below AND you can read a short interview with Dave!

Tending to A Garden of Dead Flowers with Harry Bailey of Death Goals

UK-based queercore duo Death Goals are just one day away from releasing their incredible second album A Garden of Dead Flowers. The duo, made up of guitarist Harry Bailey and drummer George “Grog” Milner, share vocal duties as they unleash gloriously chaotic hardcore which takes cues from black metal, sludge, metalcore, pop, and powerviolence. Over the course of eleven tracks, they tackle the joy of queerness and self-acceptance along with the struggle that comes with that as well as talking about dysphoria, addiction, mental health, and lost love with poetic, image-laden lyrics. A Garden of Dead Flowers will be out everywhere on May 5 via Prosthetic Records and Death Goals will be kicking off their UK tour with Vicarage tomorrow night at their album release show at the New Cross Inn in London.

Punknews editor Em Moore caught up with Harry over Zoom to talk about the new album, the importance of visuals, the connection between hardcore music and queerness, cereal, and so much more. Read the interview below!

Jason Cruz talks Jason Cruz and Howl's new album

Jason Cruz, best known for being the lead singer of Strung Out, is getting ready to release his third album with Jason Cruz and Howl entitled Wolves. The album will be out on April 7 via Liars Club Records. Punknews writer Jason Baygood caught up with Jason Cruz over Zoom to discuss the upcoming album, his artwork, Strung Out, and lots more. Read the interview below.

How to know you're screwed with Piper Torrison of Mediocre

Boston-based duo Mediocre are one week away from releasing their second EP To Know You’re Screwed. The EP finds the band leaning further into their power pop and garage rock side as they kick out five outstanding songs that explore all aspects of screwedness and highlight the evolution of their songwriting. This EP also marks the first time in years that guitarist Piper Torrison and bassist Keely Martin are back in the same city again after going to college on opposite sides of the country. To Know You’re Screwed will be out everywhere on April 7 via Dangerbird Records.

Punknews editor Em Moore caught up with Piper Torrison over Zoom to talk about the new EP, the modes of screwedness, moving from California to Boston, the power of friendship, and so much more. Read the interview below!

Having compassion with JP of The HIRS Collective

The HIRS Collective are one day away from releasing their most collaborative album to date, We’re Still Here. Featuring more than 35 artists over the span of 17 tracks, the Collective melds their distinctive, heavy sound with the wide-ranging styles of their collaborators. They create a sonic explosion that will keep you on your toes as they go from the digital hardcore hip-hop of Ghösh to the electronic, noisy chaos of Melt-Banana, to name a just a few. The songs shimmer with rage, joy, despair, humour, and hope as the Collective explores mental health, living in a capitalist society, the importance of being there for each other, and much more.

We’re Still Here will be out everywhere tomorrow via Get Better Records and the HIRS Collective will also be kicking off their US tour tomorrow in Washington, DC. Punknews editor Em Moore caught up with Collective member JP over Zoom to talk about the new album, the joys of collaboration, the power of communication, the importance of compassion, and so much more. Read the interview below!

Anthony Webster of Gel talks the band's upcoming debut LP, 'Only Constant'

New Jersey-based hardcore punks Gel are just over a week away from releasing their excellent debut full-length album Only Constant. On the album, Gel adds even more depth to their wonderfully frenzied hardcore as they continue to build on their sound, ripping through nine furious songs (and one chill one) in just under 15 minutes. Only Constant will be out March 31 via Convulse Records and Gel will be playing two album release shows in New York in April.

Through the magic of the internet, Punknews editor Em Moore caught up with guitarist Anthony Webster to talk about the new album, their first European tour, and more. Read the interview below!

Getting to know the Punk Cellist

Born out of combating pandemic boredom, The Punk Cellist (Ian Flegge) has been crafting cello compositions of notable punk songs since the beginning of 2020. He has single handedly as well as collaborated with some friends in creating over 50 covers and full arrangements on his You Tube page, as well as performed with some of our favorite bands on stage. Punk Cellist released his first demo titled Fall '22 Demo this past fall though Over Caffeinated Records. Contributing Editor Samantha Barrett sat down with Ian Flegge to speak with him about the project and what is next for the project.