The Kimberly Steaks | Interview

In May of this year, The Kimberly Steaks played a few dates around the UK, alongside of the release of their new EP Chemical Imbalance. We asked the band a few questions ahead of their set at JT Soar in Nottingham...

CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELVES AND WHAT YOU DO IN THE KIMBERELY STEAKS?
Greg: I'm Greig. I play guitar and sing.
Ross: I'm Ross and I play drums
Tam: I'm Tam and I play bass and do some singing. 

HOW'S THE TOUR BEEN GOING?
Tam: We played Glasgow on Wednesday with Frenzal Rhomb. We came down to Manchester the next day and met up with Austeros, we're playing tonight and we're doing the rest of the gigs with them. So, it's been Manchester, Cheltenham, London and here, and home tomorrow and back to uni and things. 

HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN HAVING FUN?
Tam: Yeah, it's been really good actually. We didn't know what to expect because it's Groezrock this weekend and it seems like a stupid time to do a tour but other than that, it's worked out really well.
Ross: There's lots of places we've never played before as well. We've never played in Cheltenham. We did a house show there and it was really fun. We've never played in Nottingham before. All the gigs have been really good. Austeros are a really good band as well. 

DO YOU GET TIME TO HAVE A LOOK AROUND THE DIFFERENT CITIES THAT YOU VISIT?
Ross: We've just been eating a lot really. 
Greig: Lots of burritos and stuff like that.
PPUK: Where do you like to eat when you're on the road?
Greig: It's been really varied. We've been eating really well. It's been quite a good holiday. 
Tam: It generally seems to be quite spicy. We smell really bad for the rest of the day, we stink out the car. But yeah, we didn't get a chance to look around Nottingham today because we came straight from London and we were all pretty hungover. It took us about three hours to leave and we had to get burritos obviously as well. It looks lovely coming in though. 
Ross: It's a nice bit of the country, lots of countryside. 

IF YOU COULD TOUR ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD YOU GO?
Greig: We were talking the other day about going to Japan. We sell a lot of CDs and records in Japan. It's really cool. 
Ross: UK style pop punk, they seem to love it in Japan. 
Tam: There's a midlands band called Skimmer and they play Japan and China quite a lot. They just play to thousands of people, it's amazing. They seem to do really well. The gigs are apparently great and the crowd is awesome. I would love to go, a wee lad's holiday. 
Greig: I would love to go to Spain, I've never played there before. 

HOW DID YOU GUYS FORM?
Greig: We formed years and years ago. The bands always been called The Kimberly Steaks but I'm the only original member. There's not really like an interesting story behind it just me and a couple of friends from school and we started playing. I knew these two from different bands and this is the way it's ended up.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE NAME THE KIMBERLY STEAKS? 
Greig: We can't remember the exact story but it was the drummer's wee brother and he had a friend who apparently had an imaginary girlfriend and for some reason he just made up the name 'Steak' and we don't know how it came about but we thought it was really funny and we decided to call the band 'The Kimberly Steaks'. 
Ross: I think it's quite a good name because they'll never be anyone else called 'The Kimberley Steaks'. 

DO YOU GUYS LISTEN TO A LOT OF POP PUNK?
Tam: Yeah pretty much. We've kind of all grown up listening to it and we listen to it loads now. That's pretty much all we listen to in the car. We listen to Chicxsdiggit, Teenage Bottlerocket, Mean Jeans. There's been some great bands that we've played with like Don Blake from Manchester. There's some really great bands around at the minute like The Murderburgers, they're from Glasgow as well. 

HOW DO YOU GUYS KEEP YOURSELVES ENTERTAINED WHEN YOU'RE ON THE ROAD?
Tam: What we've done is, on an ipod we've put old Alan Partridge shows, in between listening to loads of music. We've been listening to dumb old radio shows and stuff like that. We just have really stupid jokes that just aren't funny in anyway to anybody else but because we've spent so much time together it becomes like a really stupid in-joke. We just sit and giggle a lot about really dumb stuff. We go a little bit weird by the end of it. 

ANY LAST WORDS?
Tam: We've got a wee 7" that we recorded but there was a massive fuck up at the place and they printed side A on side B as well, so it's just the same songs on both sides. We were meant to have copies on this tour but it didn't work out. It's out and we'll have it available soon. 
Greig: Also, we're coming back here in July. We're doing a wee tour with the Murderburgers.(Check out the tour dates here).  

Check out Chemical Imbalance below:



The Kimberly Steaks' Facebook 

Up & Coming Pop Punk Bands | Where There's Life

For today's up and coming post, we have Where There's Life who have just released their new self titled EP (Check out our review of it here). We asked the guys a few questions about themselves and their new EP... 

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

We're all from around Edinburgh!

HOW DID YOU FORM?

Edinburgh has quite a small music scene for the kind of stuff we play so most of us knew of each other from being in various bands. When Dann and I (Bruce) left our previous band we called up some friends to start something new. Callum and I had played in a band years ago and we all knew Cammy from playing in his other band "Hold Up! There's Hope". Cammy introduced us all to Jack and the whole group just came together really well after a couple practices.

DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC IN 3 WORDS FOR SOMEONE WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE HEARD IT BEFORE..

Heavy Pop Punk.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW SELF TITLED EP...

We all just wanted to write music that brought together all of our favourite aspects of the bands that we listen to. So with these 5 tracks we feel like we really captured the catchy melodies and happy, nostalgic vibes of pop punk but still scattered in some moments that are slightly more serious and stray more towards the rock side of the spectrum and mention things like coping with sadness and feeling like you don't really have a place in the world quite yet. Alongside this, we're all big fans of heavier music and we really wanted to bring that energy and aggression to our sound so we incorporated the screamed vocals and the heavy breakdowns and riffs in almost every song to give the EP a lot more of a punch and a lot more energy. The overall feeling of the EP is really saying life isn't always easy and sometimes you get knocked down but stay hopeful, there's always a reason to get back up and fight for what you want and try to live a happy life doing what you love.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG FROM THE EP AND WHY?

Out of all of the songs on the EP the lead single "Where We Go" really encompassed what we wanted to do with the sound of our band. It's energetic, it's catchy, it has a huge breakdown, the middle section of the song really brings the more serious feeling into it and then it all rounds off with a huge sing-a-long. Everyone was really happy with that song in particular.

DO YOU PREFER RECORDING OR PLAYING LIVE?

We actually haven't played a show yet! We wanted to release music first so people could decide whether or not they liked us before they paid for a ticket to come see us. We're in the process of organising our first show now and we're just about to announce all of the details, everyone is beyond excited to play and we can't wait to let people hear our live set, we've tried to make it as fun as possible for anyone that comes to a show. The recording process was great though, our guitarist, Dann, produced the entire EP in his bedroom and he's incredibly talented and really passionate about that side of music so it was great to see him doing his thing. I think you can really tell he's put a huge amount of time and effort into it.

IF YOU COULD PLAY A SHOW WITH ANYONE WHO WOULD YOU PICK?

It's between Four Year Strong or Blink 182!

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP FIVE FAVOURITE POP PUNK ALBUMS?

- Rise Or Die Trying - Four Year Strong

- Homesick - A Day To Remember

- Enema Of The State - Blink 182

- Under Soil And Dirt - The Story So Far

- From Under The Cork Tree - Fall Out Boy

Check out Where There's Life's self titled EP below:

Where There's Life's Facebook | Twitter | Youtube | Soundcloud 

Up & Coming Pop Punk Bands | Stay Gold

Earlier this year, Stay Gold who hail from the US, released their brand new EP, Songs About Bad Luck. We asked them a few questions to find out a bit more about them and their new EP...


WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

Kenosha, WI (US)

We’re more than proud to be midwest born and raised!

HOW DID YOU GUYS FORM?

Stay Gold originally started as a two-piece acoustic, emotional/alternative band between Kody Sullivan (Guitar/Vocals) and Mike Gaertner (Drums) who met in high school. After playing less than a handful of shows, we both realized we wanted to bring the noise. In the summer of 2013, Stay Gold became a 4-piece pop punk band with both lead and rhythm guitars, bass, drums, and two voices.

DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC IN FIVE WORDS FOR SOMEONE WHO'S NEVER LISTENED TO YOUR MUSIC BEFORE...

Honest, Struggle-based, Boisterous, Melancholy, Relatable. 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR EP, SONGS ABOUT BAD LUCK...

Its a collection of 3 songs written during the fall and winter, touching base on change and the way life seems to drop pianos on our heads from time to time. The opening two songs focus on not being able to get over that 'certain somebody', the one who got away, and closes with the a song reminding the listener that even though life gets tough, and sometimes things dont work out the way you’ve planned, you’ll always have your home on your back, no matter what life throws at you.

Its the perfect mix of sad, fun, sing-a-long melodies all wrapped into American made Chicago hardened pop punk. It’s got an edge, but on its downtime, it’ll take you for an emotional ride through loss and perseverance. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG FROM SONGS ABOUT BAD LUCK AND WHY?

State Street in a heartbeat. It really shows the gigantic maturity our music has taken since our first EP, Sixth Avenue which was released only a year ago! Everything about that song is honest.The lyrics are no shrug of the shoulder, and the instrumentation is a perfect example of “our sound”.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE ARTWORK FOR SONGS ABOUT BAD LUCK?

The artwork touches ground on a lot of small details. It’s a photograph of our friend and mascot, Pat the Cat. Ironically, Pat the Cat is the underdog. He reflects everybody’s bad luck. He’s the one who was picked last in gym class, and the guy that never had the nerve to tell his dream girl how he felt. Pat the Cat is the second-best outcast.

The photograph is Pat the Cat holding a bunch of dead flowers. It symbolizes how long he’s been waiting to give them to somebody, who presumably, might be the girl he never got over, or somebody he may have lost in his past. Whomever it may be, the crumbled mess in his hand translates the time he's waited, and still - nothing. 

We all have a piece of Pat the Cat inside of us. He’s a universal icon to the ones who’ve faced struggle and resentment. When he falls on his skateboard, he gets back up, and when he spills his drink, he buys another. He’s exhausted and honestly there's not much left for him, but he keeps trying. 

IF COULD PLAY A SHOW WITH ANY BAND WHO WOULD YOU PICK?

Kody - Real Friends

Mike - Neck Deep

Peter - To fit with our genre, Title Fight, but if it were any band, definitely Converge.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP FIVE FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF ALL TIME?

Kody: 

Floral Green - Title Fight

Suburbia, I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing - The Wonder Years
American Radass - Dads (Best album name and best song title tracks I've ever laid my eyes on, those dudes are too funny.)

Turnover - Turnover
Blue Album - Weezer

Mike:

Rain in July - Neck Deep

Wishful Thinking - Neck Deep

Good Charlotte - Good Charlotte

Avenged Sevenfold - Avenged Sevenfold

In Love and Death - The Used

Can I actually add a sixth onto my list? AFI’s ‘Decemberunderground' is a close 5th next to 'In Love and Death’.  Both are such spectacular albums that I grew up on. It’d be wrong of me to not list them both side by side like they’ve been on my shelf for so many years.

Peter:

Axe to Fall - Converge 

Nevermind - Nirvana

The Difference Between Hell and Home - Counterparts

Rise or Die Trying - Four Year Strong

Gnarwolves - Gnarwolves 

Check out Songs About Bad Luck below:

Stay Gold's Facebook | Twitter |

Where There's Life | EP Review

Edinburgh’s Where There’s Life have just released their new self-titled EP, which combines pop punk with heavier fragments, similar to the likes of Four Year Strong and A Day To Remember. The EP contains 5 relentless tracks which get the balance between heaviness and pop punk just right 

First of all, the EP launches into Wasted. Although the song is just over a minute long, it sets the EP off at the right pace with upbeat, melodic vocals and bold riffs.  

Up next is Lego which opens with a punchy riff. The song is vivacious and parades an abundance of energy, aided by an unforgettable chorus. The song also holds an impressive breakdown three quarters of the way through unleashing the bands heavier pop punk side.

The third track is Where We Go. The introduction is bouncy with an impressive vocal melody that immediately grasps your attention. The song is buoyant and uplifting, exhibiting a profusion of energy. The gang vocals towards serve the band well, creating a perfect excuse to sing along.

Twenty Three displays Where There’s Life’s more fervent side and they pull it off well. From just listening to this track, it would be hard to guess that the previous three tracks were cheery pop punk anthems. The song displays impassioned lyrics and coincides with vehement vocals.

Anchors returns Where There’s Life to more their chilled side. The song has a poppy chorus complimented by amiable riffs. The song is straightforward but enticing, harbouring a crisp riff just as it ends, prompting you to hit replay.  

Overall, Where There’s Life have put together an impressive EP, especially considering it was recorded in their guitarist's bedroom without external help. The juxtaposition of the soft vocals and the heavy guitar parts are a nice touch and although it’s nothing new, Where There’s Life have made it their own and have done an incredible job of it. The lyrics denote youthful themes but at no point are they futile or credulous, displaying a mature flare. If you’re a fan of Four Year Strong, A Day To Remember or Me vs Hero, definitely give these guys a listen. 

Check out the EP below:



Where There's Life's Facebook | Twitter | Youtube | Soundcloud

Knuckle Puck Release New Song

Knuckle Puck have released a new song titled True Contrite from their upcoming album Copacetic. Check it out below:

The Wonder Years To Release New Album

The Wonder Years are releasing their new album, titled No Closer To Heaven, on September the 4th. A new song and video, plus pre-orders will be released at 1am GMT, so keep your eyes peeled. Check out the artwork and tracklisting below:

1. Brothers &

2. Cardinals

3. A Song For Patsy Cline

4. I Don't Like Who I Was Then

5. Cigarettes & Saints

6. The Bluest Things On Earth

7. A Song For Ernest Hemingway

8. Thanks For The Ride

9. Stained Glass Ceilings (Featuring Jason Aalon Butler)

10. I Wanted So Badly To Be Brave

11. You In January

12. Palm Reader

13. No Closer To Heaven

Up & Coming Pop Punk Bands | Coast To Coast

For today's up and coming post we have Coast to Coast who have just released their brand new EP, Lessons Learned. We asked the band a few questions to get to know a bit more about them...

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

The short answer is that we're from all over, ha. Myself (Chris) and Derek are both from the same small town in the state of Kentucky in the USA. Tomo and Yuichi are both from Aichi Prefecture in Japan. Matty is originally from Brazil, but has grown up in Japan most of his life. Brent was born in the USA, but grew up in Germany and Australia. We usually just say he's Australian haha.

HOW DID YOU FORM?

Coast to Coast originally came together in late 2011, and was a creation of Brent and Tomo's. There was a short hiatus in 2013 after Brent was in an accident that left him hospitalized for a while. During that time some of the original members moved on to other things. The current lineup came together in late 2013. Brent and Matty met and became friends after Brent noticed Matty wearing the shirt of a band that he liked. Tomo and Yuichi had been friends since school. I knew Tomo from my time as an exchange student in Japan years earlier. Derek is a friend of mine from home, and we'd played in bands together before, so he came over shortly after I did.

So basically Tomo and Brent got together and talked about getting CTC rolling again. Tomo enlisted Yuichi on drums; Brent brought in Matty. Tomo asked me about guitar, and I eventually brought Derek over as well and that was that!

DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND IN FIVE WORDS FOR SOMEONE WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE LISTENED TO YOUR MUSIC BEFORE...

(1) Upbeat, (2) Driving, (3) Fun, (4) Intense, (5) Catchy.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW EP, LESSONS LEARNED...

‘Lessons Learned’ is the first fully produced EP for CTC. After we all got together, we set out to define our sound. We all come from different musical and cultural backgrounds, so this EP is a mix of everything we've learned along the way... about ourselves, other people, or the world in general. For this release we chose the 5 songs that best reflected an even mix of our various influences. So there's a range of heavy to poppy, lighthearted to intense throughout.

We recorded the EP ourselves here in Japan, then had Seth Henderson at ABG Studios (Knucklepuck) do mixing and mastering. The EP will be released physically here in Japan via our label, Maxtreme Records, on July 8th. For the rest of the world, it's already available online via iTunes and Bandcamp!

 WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG FROM LESSONS LEARNED AND WHY?

This is a tough question, because I feel like it changes every week almost haha. Overall, my favorite to listen to is probably the opening track, 'Empty'. It started out as my least favorite, but I've really come to like it. It's poppy and fun to listen to, but also I really like the lyrics--both their meaning and how Brent and Matty deliver them.

DO YOU PREFER RECORDING OR PLAYING LIVE?

Another tough one. I really love recording; the technicality and precision required, and being able to hear what you've created as a listener rather than a performer is all awesome... but, I definitely prefer playing live. There's nothing that can compare to putting all of your heart and all of your voice into playing the songs that you've created, and then having your fans do the same with you.

IF YOU COULD PLAY A SHOW WITH ANY BAND, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

I always want to play shows with bands I'm either (a) really into at the time, or (b) I've never seen live. Recently I've been really jamming Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! I love their style, and the blend of genres they pull off, and as a musician I'd love to watch their show to see how they do it, and what I might be able to pick up from them. We'll actually be playing a date with them and A Loss For Words on their upcoming Japan tour this September, so I'm pretty stoked for that!

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP FIVE FAVOURITE POP PUNK ALBUMS?

I'm going to give you six, if that's OK--one for each member.

Brent: Four Year Strong – Rise or Die Trying

Matty: A Day to Remember – Homesick

Tomo: Hit the Lights – Skip School, Start Fights

Yuichi: As It Is – Never Happy, Ever After

Chris: Senses Fail – Let It Enfold You

Derek: Brand New – Deja Entendu

Lessons Learned is out now! Check it out below:

Coast To Coast's Facebook | Twitter |