Simon Small on producing records in Lockdown

We all know that the music business has been decimated by the pandemic. 99.9% of bands rely on tours, merch and other physical sales to make any money whatsoever these days and it’s been extremely hard to keep that going for obvious reasons. The other thing that bands need to keep doing is making music to keep their fan base engaged. And for that, most bands or musicians will need a producer.

Simon Small plays in London-based punk band Apologies, I have None, but he’s also a successful producer in his own right, having worked with artists including MONO, The Front Bottoms, Black MIDI, Ithaca, John Illsley (founding member of Dire Straits) and more besides, even extending to Broadway and West End artists. Punknews' Sam Houlden spoke to him about working in the current situation and how things have changed.

Dikembe talk their new album

Gainesville’s Dikembe want you to stand still in the muddy waters of our human experience. They also want you to wear a goddamn mask. Punknews contributor Ida V. Eskamani spoke with band members Steven Gray, Randy Reddell, and Andy Anaya on their 2020 album Muck and what’s ahead.

Marshall Gallagher of Teenage Wrist talks the band's new album

Today, Teenage Wrist released their new album Earth Is a Black Hole. Punknews' Max Qayyum caught up with guitarist Marshall Gallagher ahead of the release to talk about the LP, the ongoing pandemic, and baking.

Check Out The Melvins Guide to Romance!

While everyone knows that The Melvins are grade-A, first class rockers, few people know that they are also a trio of Romeos. Guitarist Buzz Osborne proposed to his wife just days after meeting her. Drummer Dale Crover has been a family man for decades. Bassist Steven McDonald even recorded a love song to his on the last Redd Kross album!

To that end, this Valentine's Day, the band is releasing the second episode of Melvins TV- and it's focused on LOVE, baby! Not only will the band be playing a live set, but Dale Crover's band provides an opening set, AND there will be interviews and other wackiness. You can check that out here.

Since the crew of weirdo-rockers are also a bunch of lovebugs, we asked them to teach us the art of romance. You can read the Melvins tips on amore below.

Lande Hekt of Muncie Girls on her new solo LP

Lande Hekt, guitarist and vocalist of UK based punk band Muncie Girls, has just released her new solo LP Going to Hell. The album delves deep into her personal experiences, talking about coming out and dealing with anxiety among other topics. Punknews editor Em Moore spoke to Lande on the phone about her new album, the state of punk today, the importance of being true to yourself, and the future. Read the interview below.

Good Friend talk their new EP

Good Friend, who were recently named "Ireland’s sexiest punk band," are not letting any of the multiple global crises slow them down- Pandemic, Brexit, and fascists be damned. You’ll find Adam Carroll, Andy Reid, and Izzy Curran in the ring banging out lion-hearted punk rock with an unyielding resolve. With the release of the Erin Rose EP and a rescheduled tour with Red City Radio, Good Friend are ready for 2021. Punknews Contributor Ida Eskamani interviewed singer Adam Carroll about the band's newest release and what’s ahead.

Vinnie Caruana talks I am the Avalanche's new album

It’s been six years since their last album came out, but I Am the Avalanche are back with DIVE . Punknews Max Qayyum called vocalist Vinnie Caruana over Zoom from a wet and windy England, while Caruna was outside in the California mountains. They discussed what it’s like to release music during a global pandemic, how the band has evolved over the past fifteen years, as well as balancing I Am the Avalanche and The Movielife. Check out the interview below.

Dale Crover of the Melvins on his new solo LP, the Bowie mix, and Hell

Rat-a-tat-tat, the new album by Dale Crover of Melvins is DARK. It has songs about dying when you're not ready to die. It has songs about busting up people trying to draw you into high school style drama bullshit. It has totally WHACKED out experimental tracks that sound like something out of Bowie's Low which were then assigned to a demented computer program. The black grime circulates throughout this bad boy. But, the weird thing is, Dale is a pretty happy-go-lucky kind of guy!

Dale has been drumming for the Melvins for almost 40 years now, and he is the boom-bapper of all boom-bappers. He brings the raw power of Bonham and the artsy-fartsy touch of Dennis Davis. So, on Rat-a-tat-tat, he merges his thunder-God smash with a decidedly creepy atmosphere.

To get to the bottom of this weird trip, Punknews' John Gentile spoke to Dale about the new album (out January 15 via Joyful Noise), how mix a cool record, and where the blackness comes from. You can check it out below.

Read a Chapter from Aaron Carnes 'In Defense of Ska' about Propagandhi's “Ska Sucks”

In April 2021, Clash books will release Aaron Carnes' In Defense of Ska. The book is an astounding piece of music history. The book explores the history of ska, ruminates on modern ska, and takes, deep, deep, deep dives into obscure ska factoids. Via hundreds and hundreds of interviews with musicians, Carnes weaves the stories involving the big name hitters (Less than Jake, Reel Big Fish, Fishbone) with the medium size ska-champs (Skankin' Pickle, MU330, Bomb the music Inudustry!), with the forgotten bands that only Carnes knows. Carnes himself played in the post two-tone/pre-3rd wave band Flat Planet, Roadied for Skankin' Pickle, and also worked at Asian Man Records.

Today, we're excited to debut a chapter from the book. The chapter looks at how the local ska scene received Propagandhi's controversal tune "Ska Sucks" and how Propagandhi responded to criticism of the tune. Punknews' John Gentile also interviewed Carnes about the book.

You can pre-order In Defense of Ska right here!. Meanwhile, you can read the excerpt below, right now!

The Punk Rock Past of Roman Mars, Host of 99% Invisible

Roman Mars has kept Radiotopia -- his wildly popular podcast company -- independent in a time when podcasting has become a multi-million dollar business. What does he owe the decision to? Values learned in the DC punk rock scene. Punknews contributor Graham Isador recently spoke with Mars on his punk roots, the 99% Invisible podcast, and his new book.

Greg Attonito of the Bouncing Souls talks the band's new album

Bouncing Souls just released their new album, Volume 2 . The album finds the band reworking older tracks into a new context and a new tune. To that end, Punknews Gen handley spoke to the band's Greg Attonito about the release. You can check that out below.