Sean Wood On The Spot

Slovenly On The Spot – Episode 2: Sean Wood (The Spits)

For Episode 2 of Slovenly On The Spot, we sit down with Slovenly legend Sean Wood from The Spits for a conversation spanning over two decades of punk chaos, touring, and DIY culture.

Sean talks about the inception of The Spits, the early days of the band, and how something that started as pure outsider weirdness grew into one of punk’s most cult-loved bands. We get into tour stories from across the years, the humour and absurdity behind the band, and what it means to continue making punk music more than 20 years later.

This episode is a reflection on longevity, creativity, and staying true to the spirit of punk long after trends come and go.

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:16

Hello everybody and welcome to the second episode of Soviet on the spot with me, the legendary guest, onwards. I think he makes minutes. And first a couple of years ago, I had um I really, really loved to enter the platinum in my room. And I didn't think that today I would be able to have a conversation with him, let alone even have his number. So this is really making 19-year-old me happy, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

SPEAKER_03 1:01

I uh nice to meet you too, man.

unknown 1:06

I've been interested in you guys going on there. I respect this. Because I've known Pete for a very long time. Yeah. And I don't always agree with some of his bands.

SPEAKER_03 1:14

And I tried to get my friend's band from California on his label. He's like, I don't know, man, they're too punk. And God, like a year ago, maybe longer, or something like that. He's like, hey, check out this new band I'm I'm gonna put out. And I'm like, all right, let me listen, you know. And then he played it.

unknown 1:32

I go, dude, this is actually kind of good, man. Like, what? Wow, I'm I'm surprised he's putting out like a punk band. That's rad, fucking. But yeah, good job, you guys.

SPEAKER_04 1:40

Thank you, dude. Thank you, thank you. It's been it's such an honor getting to speak to you, dude, because like when I first started like my whole punk journey, like even before the band, you know, I would I was just putting on shows as like as like a 19-year-old, you know. And um, I would make playlists for the shows that people would listen to before the bands, and then um going through my list or just a playlist of like Apple Music, whatever, I I stumbled upon um don't shoot by you guys, you know. Like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_03 2:11

I mean, Abdullah is I hey uh Abdullah, I'm so sorry. Can we can I call you right back if my doctor called me?

SPEAKER_04 2:17

No worries, dude, no worries.

SPEAKER_03 2:18

I'll call you right back, brother.

SPEAKER_04 2:20

Cool, no worries.

SPEAKER_03 2:21

Alright, thank you, brother.

unknown 2:22

Cool.

SPEAKER_04 2:23

But um yeah, I've I've loved you guys for a long time, I've loved you guys for a long time, and this is a real honor getting to speak to you. Um that don't shoot record um went like triple platinum in my house just listening to it and to and then like for for us to like actually be speaking right now and for us to even like be on the same, not not the same level, but just to like be able to speak to you and and I know you put out some records with Slovenly at a point as well, and just that's that's just it's just super cool to to know that like you know that we're kind of in the same world, you know. Took a while, yeah, man. Right on, right on, right on. Pete also says, What's up? He says, A. Well, eh. Oh yeah. Radical. So tell me about like I know you guys have been around since like the early 1990s, and now it's like 2026. It's like more than 20 years. You've been around for a long time, and um tell me, tell me about like the longevity aspect of that. Like what why like how have you been able to keep doing this fucking punk shit, man? Like, I've been at it for three years and I'm already getting a little tired, you know? So like what what is keeping you going? Even like to go on tour and stuff, you know?

SPEAKER_03 3:40

Yeah, it's uh well we used to say in interviews that we're not a band, we're a gang.

unknown 3:48

And uh you know, it started out as like we want to just have fun. And the music that we play is fun and that we like.

SPEAKER_03 3:58

And uh I don't know, you know, it's gotta be a part of you or else you it's you know, I've seen so many bands start to climb and then they're like they qu qu quit, go to school, and get a real job, you know what I mean?

unknown 4:14

And like we never did, but we just stuck with it, and and uh I guess we have a sound that people still like to this day, you know what I mean? And so that helps. That helps, you know, when when you have fans, new fans, all the time, and it just keeps you know, like we're still selling our very first record. Yeah, you know, and for a lot of fans, that's hard to do. So but it's just it's part of us, you know what I mean? It's just part of us, it's in our soul, it's our it's our art, of course. You know, we're artists, and that's our art. And uh, you know, like a painter, you know, they don't stop painting. They just you know, they will paint probably until they die, you know what I mean? Because it's it's part of them. And this music's part of us. And uh it has been there's been some very difficult times along the the long road, but uh, you know, we just keep pumping away and I mean we're talking about trying to write, start writing for a new record, you know what I mean? Which so that'd be like our eighth record and uh a bunch of singles and cassette. We just we just did a cassette that's coming out here very soon.

SPEAKER_03 5:24

We're gonna take it on tour starting next week, but uh it's like from the eighties.

SPEAKER_04 5:30

Okay, what do you mean like from the eighties? Like the sound or just the what sound. Okay, so what is that gonna be Foster? It's not punk.

SPEAKER_03 5:39

It's not punk, it's uh we redid some of our songs with uh 808 drum machine. I don't know if you're sure about that or what that is, but it's like breakdance, like 80s breakdance music, you know?

SPEAKER_04 5:51

Yeah, yeah. But like industrial kind of stuff, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:55

Uh yeah, yeah, like I are you familiar with uh Egyptian Lover?

SPEAKER_04 6:01

No, actually.

SPEAKER_03 6:04

Look it up.

SPEAKER_04 6:05

Okay, I'll check it out. Egyptian lover.

SPEAKER_03 6:07

Check it out, Egyptian lover. Yeah. So that's what this date's gonna this is what this tape's gonna sound like, kind of, but it's spit songs.

SPEAKER_04 6:14

Okay, okay. Sick, man, that's awesome. Yeah. And also, like, um how are you feeling about this tour? I know you're going on with with Snooper from um Nashville to New York or New York or New or New York to Nashville.

SPEAKER_03 6:28

We're going uh we're meeting them, we're playing Cleveland, then we drive to New York, meet up with them, and then uh kind of work like five dates down to Nashville with them, and then we leave them in Nashville, we fly to Austin, Texas, play one show there, and then everybody goes home. Oh, nice, okay.

SPEAKER_04 6:47

So that's gonna be fun, man. That's exciting. I really wish we could have joined you.

SPEAKER_03 6:51

I think I'm hoping so. Yeah, I'm hoping so. It's only, you know, seven dates, so that's not bad. But the last three dates are long travel days and that kind of you know.

SPEAKER_05 7:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:02

We're we're we're all we're getting older, so it's like a little harder on the road.

SPEAKER_04 7:07

I understand, yeah. And tell me, like, when it comes to like performance and stuff, you guys do have a lot of theatrical aspects. Like you guys are a funny band, you know. Um how did that how did that start? Like, what made I I saw this one live video of you guys playing a show, and like one of the dudes had like a fucking wizard outfit on, like a like a and it's just it's so interesting to see that, you know?

SPEAKER_03 7:33

Because we want we wanted it, it it started out that we wanted to put on a show, right?

unknown 7:40

And that means the entire show.

SPEAKER_03 7:42

Okay, you know, so other words, if you were putting on a play and you just dressed up and you didn't say anything, it's not quite there. So it's like if we just played instruments and sang, it's not a complete show.

unknown 7:56

So we wanted to put on a show. So that involved like costumes and it's just like I said, man, it's just all about having fun. Yeah, you know, and uh and nowadays, if you notice, a lot of bands are fucking wearing costumes.

SPEAKER_03 8:11

Whereas nobody really did back in the day when we were starting out, you know.

SPEAKER_04 8:15

Really, yeah, I'd say like like my my my reference for like a costume or like a thing was like maybe the misfits, you know. Uh but other than that, right, yeah. Other than that, no one, no one, no one does, and I love the way you guys do it. Yeah, it's it's like you said, it's fun.

SPEAKER_03 8:30

Well, it's getting harder.

unknown 8:32

Like we we were just talking about uh my brother and I about the costumes for this tour, and we're like, dude, we've run out of ideas. I mean, fuck, it's been like close to 30 fucking years of costumes, and we just don't know what to do anymore.

SPEAKER_03 8:45

So, but we'll figure something out.

SPEAKER_04 8:47

Dressed up like construction workers.

SPEAKER_03 8:49

At least that'll look.

SPEAKER_04 8:50

Yeah, a little look, yeah. Construction workers, construction workers, yeah. Why not? There's there's no cool okay, my bad. Yeah. And then like you guys are from Kalamazoo, right?

SPEAKER_03 9:06

That was originally Kalamazoo, Michigan, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 9:09

Okay, and what what was it like being in that scene there growing up? Like, because I know you guys moved from Kalamazoo, then you went to Seattle. Um but tell me about that whole transition, you know, because it's I'm sure it's hard for a band to start out somewhere and then move to another place and kind of gain that same following and that same kind of response, you know.

SPEAKER_03 9:30

Um, well, we started on Camazoo, but we were just playing basements, you know what I mean? House parties, then we went to Camelazoo and started over, still playing basements, then we would play some small bars, and then as time went on, our music started to catch around the country, and we started playing festivals and bigger clubs and going, you know, doing support tours, and uh, and then that's where we're at now, you know what I mean?

unknown 9:58

Like it just kept it just it's it keeps growing, and I love it, man. I think it's badass. I'm pretty proud of it, you know. That uh, yeah, I you know, like we've had a few members come and go, and usually that could be the death of a band, you know. I'll be like, oh, we lost trunk, let's break up, you know.

SPEAKER_03 10:14

It's like, nah, you know, uh for a long time, for the last two, a good at least 17 years, we've all lived in different states in America.

SPEAKER_04 10:23

Okay. So that must be hard to do. That really makes it hard. I'm sure, because like with with us, we all kind of live, we live like 15 minutes away from each other, you know. Like, and because of that, that's how we ha all hang out, we all skate together, eat food together, and practice, you know, and that really contributes to like being a band, you know. Like you you you're being your friends.

SPEAKER_03 10:47

We had a spitz house in Seattle that we all lived in. It had jam room in the basement, and I missed those days, man.

unknown 10:54

That was fun.

SPEAKER_04 10:55

What was that like, man? Tell me about that.

unknown 10:58

It was awesome. It was like in uh the mid-90s, early nineties, and uh yeah, we had in Wallingford in part of the neighborhood of Seattle. We had a badass house, and we all lived in it, and uh had a jam room in the basement, and uh that was kind of like Spitz quarters, Spitz headquarters, you know what I mean. And and then after a while, you know, my brother moved to LA, and then I moved, you know, around Seattle, and then you know, just blah blah blah, you know, Archer Connor got a wife and fucking blah blah blah. So we weren't living together, but we were still in this same area, we're still on the same coast, you know what I mean? But and then I moved to Texas, and now like so yeah, it's a it's it's a long, long road and a long story, but yeah, man.

SPEAKER_03 11:47

We started out all together and then we separated, and like I kept playing and recording, but uh, you know, like now our drummer's in Cleveland, you know. I I just bought a house up here in Michigan, a lake house.

unknown 12:01

And uh so I'm back in Michigan and uh kind of like I go beyond back and forth, Texas and Michigan, and then uh my brother lives in he bought a house in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and our keyboard lives in New Orleans. Okay, nice.

SPEAKER_03 12:17

So yeah, so it's like it's a bit for practicing.

SPEAKER_04 12:22

Yeah, like I we we have we have this space called um the Cresh. And the Cresh is like a nursery, you know. And um, and we have the cray we've had the craziest stories from that place, man. Like we had a Did you ever have shows at the Spitz headquarters?

SPEAKER_03 12:39

No, no, it was a tiny little room in a basement.

SPEAKER_04 12:42

Ah, okay. Yeah, some we have shows mainly like outdoors and like the car park. Um Pete's been there. It's the purple house, also. Yeah. And we've had like dudes fucking fall off the roof, dudes like fucking lots of drinking, lots of lots of just lots of everything.

SPEAKER_03 13:01

I was cool about it's about you're young, do that shit.

SPEAKER_04 13:04

Yeah, and like it's cool because like, you know, South Africa is like a really like, especially where the purple house is, it's in Soweto, you know, and it's uh a historically disadvantaged area because of like apartheid and the apartheid regime and whatnot. So it's a place for where where people of colour stay, and it's still majority people of colour there. But what's so cool about it is that people from all different colours and creeds and people, kids from the suburbs, kids from the city, kids from the hood, all come together at this house, you know, and it's a real congregation of what the fucking government can't even do, you know. And I'm curious I'm curious to know like what what what was it like growing up in the scene? Was it very much was it diverse? Were there a lot of women? Um how did people come together like oh yeah, no, it was very it was very diverse, yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_03 13:56

Um it was it was very diverse, you know, though, at least in Seattle, the scene was really white, you know what I mean?

unknown 14:07

There's not a lot of different, you know, there's eight, you know, there's not a lot of ethnicities there. Sorry, man, I've been up since six, but there's just a lot of white people there. So the scene is majorly white, you know what I mean? But but there's you know other people, you know. That's why I like I like going to Houston, you know, it's a place like that, and seeing all kinds of different people in it in the pit and it's rat uh you know, in other other cities as well, New York and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_03 14:36

But uh but yeah, no, it's uh it was definitely way tighter than than it is now.

SPEAKER_04 14:43

It's uh of course, you a lot of people are getting out of rock and roll in it, you know, it's all about DJs and really I'm saying I feel like it's there's been somewhat of a resurgence, at least over here, you know, like now a lot of kids have been picking up guitars and like especially since we've been around, you know, like a lot of black kids coming through and just picking up guitars and learning how to play. Some of them suck, but they're just kind of doing it, you know, and I think that's the cool part about it, you know.

SPEAKER_03 15:15

Yeah, but it's probably not that rock and roll's not that common in in South Africa, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_04 15:21

Like you'd be surprised, Sean. There's a lot of rock and roll here.

SPEAKER_03 15:24

Man, I'd love to come visit, man. If I ever get the money, I'd love to come visit.

SPEAKER_04 15:28

Come free, man. Definitely. Like, uh we'd love, I'd love to, I'd love to host you and show you around. I'll uh there will be a day when I take you up on that. Okay, cool. I got you. I'll remember. I'll remember. And like I know, I'm sure you've done a lot of tours, like, not just in the States, but I'm sure you've been to Europe as well. And like probably South South, South America, maybe, no?

SPEAKER_03 15:49

No, dude. I really want to go play South America. We're we're basically Europe and America.

SPEAKER_04 15:57

Please convince Pete to get you for the next we're allowed, because I think he's gonna do it in South America, and we would love to play with you, dude. We would love to play with you guys.

SPEAKER_03 16:07

So it is like I know you guys are having trouble with visas in America, but is it easier? Can you guys get like uh you said you played a sleeper in London? So obviously, for you guys to go to other countries, it's not that big of a deal.

unknown 16:20

It's just getting into dumb fucking states.

SPEAKER_04 16:23

It's just the states, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:24

So like Trump doesn't really like it never used to be like that, man, until fucking Trump became president.

SPEAKER_04 16:30

I'm sure, yeah. Yeah, fucking idiot bastard. Fuck. Oh, God. And you know, so many people want us to come to the states, man. Like, I I think that's where our biggest fan base is, to be honest, you know, especially like Yeah, no, it'd be rad.

SPEAKER_03 16:47

Like, well, on this tour that we're about to do, I was telling Peter, like, dude, let's get those guys up here, they can open for us. And he's like, uh, dude, not for at least a year or something like that, because due to the visas.

unknown 16:58

And I'm like, because see, since we're making all these artists from around the world get visas here, I mean, even small-time bands like you guys, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 17:09

Yeah, now other countries are going, okay, assholes, you guys need a visa to come here. And it's like, fuck. Yeah. Like, we just go to Europe for free, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_04 17:17

Now it's like we gotta get e-visas or something like that, or e-cord or yeah, but with those, at least you're lucky because that you can get that in like in like a day or like 20 minutes, you know?

unknown 17:28

Sure, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 17:29

The US visa process, the US visa process is like for at least South Africans, is almost six months. And at the same time, we we could pay all this money. It's like it's almost, I think, $2,000 per person. Yeah. And we can't even, and there's a chance we might not even get the visa. So it's very it's very wishy-washy, man. It's so fucking yeah, that's just Trump bullshit. Yeah, it's all good. God, everybody's gone. I wanted to ask you as well, like like in in in in times of your touring, you know, like for me, when I I I went to I went overseas for the first time on tour to the UK, and I met so many punks there, and they were so cool, you know, and so welcoming and just like just like just punks. They were cool. Does do you feel when you go on tour, do you feel the same thing? Like, does the message kind of translate everywhere else? Or are punks different from Michigan then to like New York, you know?

SPEAKER_03 18:29

Oh yeah, no, like uh I tell you, like, our scene, like the metal scene, some I think some of the hip-hop scene, but more like the metal and the punk and the rock and roll scene are very welcoming. Like, I have friends all over Europe, like really good friends.

unknown 18:46

I met through music, through touring.

SPEAKER_03 18:48

Yeah, you know what I mean, or at festivals here in the States or something. And you know, like kind of just having dinner with my uh parents a couple weeks ago, and I was like, Oh, I'm gonna, you know, go there. I might go down to Mexico and uh visit some friends. And they're like, Well, how did you meet them? I'm like, God, I don't know. Like, I've through music. You know what I mean? Like, everybody I know I've met through art or music, you know, and uh and it's of course it's that that open door policy of like, hey, oh, you're you're you're gonna be in France, you've got a place to stay, I'll show you around, you know. Like, and I've I've done that for so many of people that I know from Europe or all over the world, you know, like, oh, you're gonna be in Seattle, or oh, you're gonna be in Austin, Texas?

unknown 19:35

Shit, man.

SPEAKER_03 19:36

Let me know if you need anything. You know what I mean? Or even friends, even friends are friends, like, hey man, I got a good buddy that's gonna be in Paraparis. Can you can you you know take care of him? You're like, yeah, I got you. You know what I mean? It's just like commodity, and it's like, and it I don't know if we're losing that, or if it's if that's not important anymore, but it doesn't seem as heavy. Maybe it, maybe I'm just getting old. Fuck, I don't know. I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 20:02

I definitely think like there's different ways to connect now, you know, like there's the internet, and because of that, it kind of made things a little easier. I think at that time it was like you only had your friends whenever you travel somewhere, you know, and if you don't have any friends, you kind of fucked, you know. Yeah. So I guess that's the difference, you know. But I've made some really good friends through touring, and like I have some really good homies in Brighton that I met while on tour, and they're they're like my friends for life now, you know, and it's just it's such a beautiful thing that music can do for someone, especially someone like me coming from the hood, you know, like like it's punk has kind of been a survival tactic in a way, you know, like it's it was like my ticket out, you know. Like it was either this be in this fucking band, make it work, or get a job in the military, you know. Was was was punk ever like that for you at a point?

SPEAKER_03 20:55

We were at when we were younger, it was like, fuck, dude, I don't want to work. You know what I mean? Like, I remember we booked a tour down the west coast back in like we just started out, and uh and we were so fucking stoked because we didn't have to work for two weeks. And then I was like, man, wouldn't it be crazy if we didn't fucking need to work for a year? And then we start growing and we start touring more, and and then we start, you know, actually getting paid a little bit of money, and I'm like, fuck, you know what I mean? Like, fuck the man. Hey, you know, there's not a job in this fucking world that actually cares about you, you know what I mean? Oh, they'll say you're part of the the Walmart family, and it's like, no, I'm fucking not, you know what I mean? Like, no job gives a fuck, dude. That business is there to make money. You are there to make them money. You're not there because they love you.

SPEAKER_04 21:51

No, no, and I'm learning that, man. Like, fuck, I've I I recently started this new job, and kind of it's fucking soul sucking, man. Like, I'm That's why I'm so I'm so excited to go on tour in June for like a month, just so I don't have to be at work. It's gonna be amazing. I wanted to ask you, Sean, about your records. Why do you always have the same title for your records? Like it'll be The Spitz Volume One, Spits Volume Two, Volume Three.

SPEAKER_03 22:22

Yeah. Well, we have different names. Um, you know, like one's called we call it the Witch Hunt Record, and another one's the wheelchair record, and then other one is like another record, but it just starts. Well, we started the first record, and we're thinking of a title, and we just couldn't come up with a cool name, and then we're just like, you know what, fuck that.

unknown 22:45

Self-titled.

SPEAKER_04 22:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:46

And then we wrote another record, we're like self-titling. So let's just make all of our records. And then it's kind of like cool. After your like fifth record, you're like, no, this is our thing. Every record will be self-titled.

SPEAKER_04 23:00

It's a beautiful thing. I think it's super cool. Yeah, I think it's you know, man.

SPEAKER_03 23:03

It's uh uh I guess just part of like an original concept, you know, originality.

unknown 23:09

Uh like fuck it. I hate titles.

SPEAKER_03 23:11

Yeah, you know what I mean?

unknown 23:13

Also, too, a title can make or break. Let's say somebody doesn't know who you are, they pick the record up and they read the title.

SPEAKER_03 23:19

Well, fuck if they don't like it, they're not buying that record. If they like it, they're buying the record, you know, or that's so other words, if there's nothing, they just got the fucking cover art and the name. That's it. And they're like, now what's gonna be more make you more curious?

unknown 23:35

Fucking not having a title and just in the artwork, you know, be like, damn, this shit looks crazy.

SPEAKER_04 23:40

Yeah, all right, fuck it.

SPEAKER_03 23:42

I'll give it a chance, you know.

SPEAKER_04 23:43

And I love the way you guys do your album odds as well.

unknown 23:47

Um, but it's kind of like it's yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:50

Some uh we also had a thing where all covers are gonna be robots. Every album's gonna have a robot, but uh and it kind of still does, but uh but like I was gonna say, the other another band that kind of did something similar would be Weezer, who did uh all colors.

SPEAKER_04 24:10

Yes, I remember. Yeah.

unknown 24:11

Like the blue album, the yellow album, you know. But uh, fuck that.

SPEAKER_03 24:16

We're just going subtitled every single one.

SPEAKER_04 24:18

No, it's cool as fuck. I love it.

SPEAKER_03 24:20

And um, we did say, we did say that we were going on our last record, we're gonna title it.

SPEAKER_04 24:26

Really? Oh, okay. Nice. Is this new one coming out also gonna be a self-titled game? Volume 8.

SPEAKER_03 24:33

Well, it's in a way, it's gonna be an EP.

unknown 24:37

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 24:38

And uh I forgot what they want to call it, EP something, but uh we did have one that was like a compilation of cutting room floor songs we didn't use on any other records, and that's called Kill the Cool.

unknown 24:52

Um, but that's like a comp.

SPEAKER_05 24:54

That's not like a self-release kind of thing.

SPEAKER_04 24:57

Oh, it is a self-release. I don't know how to put it, man. Yeah, yeah. And then um, I I know you and Peter have known each other for a long time, since like 2002, because that's when that that's when that record, um, I I can't remember which one it is, but it's the one with uh PCT, and there's a there's a skit of of a kid calling you on the phone, like, hey Sean, is this Sean from the Spits? Yeah, right. And he's like, What's in it for us? You got some beer?

SPEAKER_03 25:29

Hello?

SPEAKER_02 25:30

Hi Hi, Sean, is this Sean from the Spits?

SPEAKER_03 25:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:33

Hey, this is Chris from the Hellcore House.

SPEAKER_03 25:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:36

Um, and uh, if you guys wanted to play a party or something. Uh a party.

SPEAKER_03 25:41

Um What's in it for us?

SPEAKER_02 25:43

I think we can get some beer.

SPEAKER_03 25:45

I tell you what, we'll work something out, we'll be there in 20.

SPEAKER_04 25:51

Let us play your party. Let us play your party, yeah, yeah. Um how how is how is it like how has the relationship with Slovenby been? Like generally, you know, I'm curious.

SPEAKER_03 26:02

Well, it's been good. It's been good, but uh it came to a point where we needed to grow. Yeah, and uh, you know, and and uh we didn't like depart out of a friendship, we just departed out of a business relationship, yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_04 26:17

And how did that stop?

SPEAKER_03 26:20

Excuse me, we were like uh got sick of fucking like recording, and then you give your all your shit to somebody, they sell it, and then they just give you like two bucks a record, you know.

SPEAKER_04 26:32

I'm like, fuck that, let's do it ourselves, yeah. You know, yeah, definitely. So that's kind of why we stopped being on Swavling. But and but how did that how did that come about? Like, how did you meet Pete? How did you end up getting on his label? Because he started the label around the same time you guys put out that first record in 2002.

unknown 26:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 26:52

How did that story come about?

SPEAKER_03 26:54

His label used to be called uh 702, which is the area code for Reno Nevada. And I met him, I was on tour with some friends called The Brief and uh The Damned uh back in 2002 or 2001. I think it was 2000, 2001 is when I met him, and in 2002 is when we did the record with him or something.

unknown 27:13

And uh and we just talked about him like, yeah, alright, you know, and uh it's just kind of happened, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 27:20

Yeah, yeah, because he's good like getting the band off the ground, like maybe taking, bringing you guys to America, help pay for it, but then you're gonna have to pay him back.

SPEAKER_04 27:30

We were just lucky enough to be able to have a booking agent reach out and and you know, just and start doing it, you know, proper channels, and yeah, and it just grew. Nice, yeah. Sweet, Sean. Thank you so much for chatting, dude. I have one more question to ask you. Share any piece of advice to any punk rocker out there, like at like a 20-year-old fucking punk rocker in a van, who's just trying to make it work. Um, do you have any advice for for those people?

SPEAKER_03 27:58

Stick with it, and uh, originality is the key. Do not try to impress anybody, and don't try to sound like anybody else, and that will really fucking help. Because uh, you know, that's what we did. We didn't try to impress anybody. We wrote music, we actually wrote music for us, and it turns out a lot of people liked it. You know what I mean? And it's like, oh cool. Um, but yeah, man, uh I got other things to say, but I probably should. I'm gonna I'm gonna be nice.

SPEAKER_04 28:28

Uh thank you, Sean. Thank you so much, man. This is a good one.

SPEAKER_01 28:32

You've probably never seen this or any of the albums, or on the motherfucking spot.