A song that made you want to make music?
Matthew: There are three.
•I was 5, my mother had a Stray Cats tape, and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. The song
“Stray Cat Strut” hooked me immediately.
-I was 9, I found a bootleg of Blink 182’s “Enema Of The State” at a flea market. That was the closest
thing to punk I’d heard at the time, “Dumpweed” stuck with me
-I was 12, I discovered The Ramones and bought everything I could find by them. “Bonzo Goes To
Bitburg” was featured in a movie at the time- it changed everything for me. After that, punk became my
thing. If not for that band, I probably wouldn’t be making music today.
Best rider you have had?
Matthew: I’ve never had a rider, in any band I’ve been in…yet.
Craziest moment in the band?
Matthew: We started in October of 2019, had one show in February 2020 and then quarantine happened.
There haven’t been many crazy moments yet, but I’ll say our first show being as packed out as it was still
blesses me to think about.
Deepest lyric one of your songs features?
Norelle: Probably the whole lyric sheet for “Maniacal Laughter”. We wrote the song about watching your
friends turn into monsters, seemingly overnight. It was hard to pen out.
““No you won’t get it in”
That’s what stings about it
Charged for the greater sin
Something strange about it
Maniacal laughter, maniacal laughter
Just what I expected
Maniacal laughter, maniacal laughter
This is what you get
Stone against my brick
Still get the best from me
What do you really think?
Watch it take the rest of you
Maniacal laughter, maniacal laughter
Just what I expected
Maniacal laughter, maniacal laughter
this is what you get
straight down the middle
Walk through fire, watch it burnin
Feel the singe, just a little
Beaten paths take another turn to
Maniacal laughter, maniacal laughter
Just what I expected
Maniacal laughter, maniacal laughter
this is what you get
Maniacal laughter, maniacal laughter
Not what I’ve accepted
Maniacal laughter, maniacal laughter
This is what you get”
Easiest song you wrote?
Matthew: Give Me Time was the first song we wrote for the band. It came very easily, felt like it was
already written when I taught it to the band.
Favourite song in your set?
Norelle: Maniacal Laughter
Matthew: Give Me Time
Guest you’d most like to feature on your record?
Matthew: Tim Armstrong, Davey Havok, Patrick Kindlon, Jesse Michaels
Norelle: Gwen Stefani, Brody Dalle
Hardest thing about being in a band?
Matthew: Personally, the hardest part for me has been waiting to finally get out there and play these
songs. I wrote almost all of them in late 2019/early 2020, the wait has been gruelling.
Interesting fact about one of your members?
Matthew: Our drummer Bret has the world’s best/biggest cat named Doug. Everyone should get to meet
Doug at some point in their life. Also Norelle has a fairly illustrious modelling career, which I think is pretty
cool.
Jokes you have in the band?
*Joker voice* you wouldn’t get it.
Key to writing a song?
Matthew: You only need one or two songwriters in a band. Trying to divvy creative control multiple ways is
obnoxious and impractical, at least for me. Once, in one of the bands our drummer Bret and I play in, I
asked if he wanted to write at practice- lasted 30 seconds, it was weird. I’d say the key to writing songs is
to have it written before you show up to practice.
Longest distance you’ve travelled to play a show?
Matthew: Stud Count lives in Philadelphia, Orange County, and Tennessee. We haven’t played a show
with this line up yet, but half the band flew to Nashville for our recent video shoot, and they’ll do it again
when we tour in May.
Most inspiring musician you’ve experienced?
Matthew: A handful of years ago, one of my bands toured with a band from Seattle called Regional
Justice Center. Their vocalist/drummer Ian Shelton powering through 20 minute powerviolence sets on
both vocals and drums was impressive, he made it look easy. Watching him take that drive and pump it
into a newer band of his called Militarie Gun has been awesome to watch, live and otherwise.
New band you’d recommend?
Matthew: The Chisel, Homefront, Choir Boy
Opening for this band would be ideal?
Matthew: There’s a bunch of bucket list bands I’d love to tour with- Rancid, AFI, The Distillers etc. but
there’s just as many current acts I’d love to tour with eventually; Drug Church, Militarie Gun, Scowl,
Touché Amore to name a few.
Place you’d most like to tour?
Matthew: Would love to tour Europe before too long
Quote that you’d like to pass on to our readers?
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life.”
Reason for the title of your forthcoming release?
Matthew: It’s self-titled, mostly at the behest of our label. I think it’s going to be the first time a lot of people
hear us, as we’ve mostly existed in quarantine until now.
The name is in jest, poking fun at the old idea of cred-checking the amount of spikes of someone’s jacket.
Most of us come from punk, and have played in punk bands for a very long time, now playing what I
would consider pop music.
See us live at?
Matthew: We’re solidifying a run shows through the American south and Midwest to and from a festival
called So What in May. We’re very excited.
The old days of music were better than the current, do you agree?
Matthew: Yes and no. The advent of the internet has resulted in a lot of posturing and “not our world”
mindsets. Only someone anticipating their pop-consumer sensibilities to be placated would expect every
member of bands to conform to their expectations- it’s frustrating.
On the positive end, most (with noted exceptions) of modern pop music is uninspired, the sonic
equivalent of McDonald’s; it’s not even real food, a cruel joke on the consumer. With a massive increase
in accessibility to music of all kinds and bands from punk and hardcore reaching audiences once
reserved for stadium rock (e.g. Turnstile) people are getting into cooler and cooler stuff, which is always
better than the alternative.
Unusual merchandise?
Matthew: Someday, I’d love to make knives for our bands.
Variations you’d like to do on one of your songs?
Matthew: We’ve talked a lot about the idea of some acoustic full band sets, something of a callback to the
unplugged sessions of the 90s.
What do your fans mean to you?
Matthew: A lot, actually. Making music is vulnerable, and extremely difficult to get out there in a way that
reaches people. For someone to care about that, or to want to be friends because of that means the
world.
X-rays or any treatments needed for band injuries?
Matthew: So far no injuries, never God willing. Once, a couple nights before a tour with another band of
mine, I tore my ACL because a band covered Stop & Think at a show, sort of just had to pretend it wasn’t
happening once the tour started.
You’re late for a show, whose fault is it?
Matthew: Hopefully no one’s, being late to a gig sucks.
Zoo animal that best describes the personality of your band?
Matthew: Probably a flamingo.