ALICE BAG

a dad that I could talk to, etc. But “Politics and punk rock have long been kin to one another and being able to participate in that tradition is a great honor, and not something we as a band want to take for granted,” he says. “We address DJT (the president of the U.S.A.) on this album. certainly, both directly and in metaphor. Every song is a protest song, that hasn’t changed. But the way I want to engage with the conversation has changed. I'm more interested in you asking yourselves the big questions and making small progressive steps towards a better way, [rather] than re-posting cynical memes on the internet to trigger people into debate. I don’t argue with people on social media about politics anymore, I've found it to be fruitless and poisonous, and a giant waste of time.”

The idea for recording with a full band first came to Zanetti when he was touring the U.K. with Frank Turner and Arkells a couple of years ago. Every night, the Arkells band would come out and play as his backing band to provide a seamless segue from The Homeless Gospel Choir set into theirs. The experience of playing with a live band was powerful and hard for him to shake.

“It was loud, and it was punk, it was sick,” he says. “While I was in the middle of that tour, I phoned Matt Miller (Endless Mike And The Beagle Club, Wingnut Dishwashers Union) and I told him that I wanted to record a full band record, and tour as a full band, and I wanted him to be in it, and write these songs with me. I had a few songs and parts written already, but only little skeletons.”

They started work on the record in May 2018, and it’s taken two years to write, record, and release it. Zanetti is the first to admit that patience is not his strong suit, however he’s grateful to have taken the time with the album.

“It is the best thing I have ever made, and I’m super fuck

INTERVIEW WITH PROJECT MASTERMIND DEREK ZANETTI BY JOHN B. MOORE

For the past decade, Derek sadness differently,” he says. “For Zanetti, recording under the me, I was honestly experiencing a moniker The Homeless Gospel lot of anger at the time. My pops Choir, has perfected a brand and I were not very close for a host of infectious, hook-filled acoustic of different reasons, however, the folk punk. So, his latest effort, This absence of him in my life left a giLand Is Your Landfill, out now on ant fucking crater-sized hole that I A-F Records, may come as a jolt to didn’t know how to deal with. I tried some, with its full band sound and to write sad, slow songs about loss often boisterous jams. and grief and wishing that I had ing proud of it!” he says. �� �� ��

“I’ve used full band arrangements for all the Elliot Smith and Bright on past records in an effort to Eyes songs I would listen to try and honestly describe the music I was make me feel sad and low, all I hearing, but this is the first record could hear was loud guitars and that was written with a full band pounding drums. I knew that if I presentation in mind,” says Zanetwanted to be true to the sounds I ti. “Loud electric guitars, with tons was hearing in my dreams, I had to of feedback and distortion. Weird make a loud record. I don’t know, noise pedals, fast chaotic drums. I maybe the songs came out this would have done the songs a great way because I was trying to force disservice if I tried to show them myself to not take the easy predictto people as acoustic songs.” able route.”

PHOTO BY VINCE SADONIS

INTERVIEW BY JANELLE JONES

On her third solo album, when things are out of whack And I feel like it’s more conduabout feeling – I've been a weirSister Dynamite (In the in my life, I think of, what is the cive to really magnifying the do, from the way I look, to beRed Records), Alice positive thing that will fix that good in my life.” ing outspoken and not always Bag – who was at the forefront and can I focus my attention on knowing how to say things in a of L.A.’s burgeoning punk scene that instead?” Also on an empowering note way that is diplomatic. I tend to in the ‘70s as frontwoman of is the spirited and soulful tibe very blunt. I’m just a weirdo. the Bags – goes more positive A great example of Bag’s evolution tle track, “Sister Dynamite,” I always have been, even when lyrically and straightforward towards concentrating on the poswhich adroitly showcases Bag’s I try. I do, I want to be easier to musically. Indeed, the 12-track itive is the track “Switch Hitter.” thoughts about women’s power. get along with. But I don’t really album is a rollicking, empowerknow how to be that way.” ing, upbeat delight. “On my first album I had a song “I feel like it’s our time,” she says. called “The Touch I Crave,” “I feel like women have been On that note, she says that even Encompassing that positivity is which is about feeling like I'm pushed to the edge, and we’re now, after years of being in “Súbele,” a reworking of a song being judged negatively for becoming back. We’re taking no a band and having great rethat appeared on her last aling queer,” she says. “And then, prisoners.” sponses, she still feels the same. bum, then-titled “Turn It Up” in on this record, I have a song “I don’t know if that ever goes English. called “Switch Hitter,” which is And there definitely is more away, but you do learn how to completely the opposite. It’s like than just a bit of her own life just feel comfortable in it. You “The main message of that [song] a celebration of being bisexuexperience included on the redo feel like a weirdo, but you’re is to focus on the things that you al. I started really focusing on cord. Songs like “Spark,” “Gate like ‘OK, that’s who I am.’” want to see more of,” Bag says. things that make me feel better Crasher,” and “Risk It” seem es“To amplify those things, and and make me want to sing and pecially autobiographical. That message is definitely emto turn down your energy, turn dance and join with my posse powering, and relatable to all down your frequency on the who feels like I do. I feel like my “I think it’s very personal,” Bag of us who have felt – and still stuff you want to see less of. So, music brings me a lot more joy. says. ““Spark” is definitely feel – that way. �� �� �� NEW NOISE