Interview with Punch

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I’m happy to finally be posting  interview with Meghan and Keith of Punch. In the interview we discusses their upcoming release, feature touring plans and gives out some info about the band. I hope you enjoy.

Thanks to Meghan and Keith who was kind enough to take the time to answer some questions. 

Read up it bellow.

Hey. How are you? 

Meghan- Great! Busy, but after a weirdly quiet summer last year I am grateful for it. 

Keith - Good thanks, How are you? 

I'm great, thanks. Right then, first things first, please introduce yourselves and members of the band  to our readers.

M- I'm Meghan, I do vocals, Keith and Dan play guitar, Brian plays bass and Val is our drummer. 

So, tell me how Punch originally came together?

M- In mid 2006 Keith started writing songs and by September I had joined as vocalist, we played our first show in April of 2007. 

K - I knew the kids from Rosenbombs. Both our bands (Rosenbombs and Doppelganger) had recently fizzled out, so we decide to put something together.  

What does Punch mean to you?

M- Punch is our way of interacting with and contributing to the scene we all grew up with.

K- And a melding of different elements of particular styles within that scene. 

 Have you guys started working on new material yet? If so, what can we expect? How does the record differ musically from past releases?

M- We are currently writing for a new 7" which will hopefully be done sometime this summer. 

K - I think there are many different ways of approaching the idea behind the music that we write. This new record is just another attempt to create something that sounds cohesive, while being rooted in different styles of hardcore.  

On future releases can we expect songs to exceed the two minute?

M- Ha, maybe a minute and a half. 

K - Is the two minute some sort of meritorious benchmark that I don't know about?

What is your favorite song from "Push Pull"? Is there anything you weren't able to put on "Push Pull" that you feel will be more of a focus on the next album, lyrically or musically?

M- I would say fixation or positively god free. I think I was in a vulnerable place when this record was being written so lyrically it is very cathartic. I think I was afraid to be so personal earlier on but I now feel free to do so. 

K - I'd say Fixation and Second Chance. 

What are some of the things you try to communicate through your music?

M- Positivity, veganism, god free, feminism...

K - and not taking yourself TOO seriously. The Edge can be mind-numbingly dull at times, if you catch my meaning, so sometimes I use Punch as a vehicle to convey the things I like about it. Which reminds me of something else Punch tries to communicate, however inadvertently... puns.

M- Haha. I don't know if i try to communicate puns, i just can't help myself sometimes. 

Punch has been together for nearly 5 years now. In that time you've thoroughly covered U.S. , and you've been to the Europe, Australia and Japan together. Is it difficult to take time off and seemingly put life on hold to go on tour? How are you able to handle it monetarily, emotionally, etc? Essentially, what drives you to get out there?

M- What drives me to be out there is having experiences I never thought I would be able to have and that a lot of people don't get to have. The places I've been able to go and the people I have been able to meet have affected me so much. I can't tell you how many times I will just look around me in disbelief, like, this is my life? Putting life on hold is very hard and I feel like the sacrifices have gotten greater every year for all of us. Before we leave I often wonder if it's going to be worth it to put the band ahead of school, work, relationships etc but it always has been. I feel like those things I'll have the rest of my life to do and I want to enjoy this band for as long as people are willing to listen. Monetarily- I sublet my room and try not to eat too much on tour, haha. Emotionally- I try and make a little time for myself so I don't get to overwhelmed. I end up going for a lot of solo walks around the towns that we are in. 

K - This is a loaded question, but I think Meghan has pretty much nailed this one. As for emotionally, well, tour can be a bit stressful at times, but that's just part of the deal. There is no shortage to people to talk to while you're on tour, so I think that it's important to communicate what you are feeling. When you're feeling frustrated about something, sometimes just taking a step back to appreciate the little things can make all the difference. PMA goes a long way.

Your European tour will also bring you to the Fluff. Excited to play there or is that just another show for you guys?

M- Fluff is definitely not just a show to me. Last year I looked forward to it everyday for our month long tour, then i broke my foot in two places a few hours before our set! We played but I had to hop around on one foot in blinding pain. I look forward to coming back and being able to really play and really enjoy it!!

K - Fluff is great! Last year when we played we came home to play another fest in the U.S that was about a sixth of the size, but infinitely more violent and problematic. It really put things in perspective for me, and I applaud Europe and everyone involved with Fluff for they're ability to create such a healthy, fest environment. 

M- That's a great point Keith. 

Favorite/Most wild Punch set?

M-Fluff 2010/ Boston 2009/ Philadelphia 2011. There are so many more but these stick out because of crowd reaction/interaction. When people sing along it floors me every time. 

I'd also like to say that nearly every set we play in SLO is batshit crazy.  

Punch (Full Set) from hate5six on Vimeo.

Any interesting road/tour stories?

M- So many! I love tour because by the end we can all talk in only inside jokes, haha. A favorite memory from last summer was swimming in the Adriatic Sea in Slovenia with Comadre and Anchor at sunset and then walking to our outdoor show in bathing suits. Not something that happens everyday!

K- The stories are serious endless. 

How do you think the San Francisco DIY punk/hardcore scene is looking right now? Do you have any local bands that might not get a lot of attention from that area you'd suggest checking out?

K- I would definitely check out NEOCONS. The scene in San Francisco, specifically, is bland. There are virtually no places to play that don't serve alcohol. The East Bay is way more punk when it comes to getting down.

What attracts you to hardcore?

M- Honesty, integrity, DIY.  

What repels you from hardcore?

M- machismo attitudes

Do you think it's necessary for independent musicians and bands to have a form of ethics?

M- Absolutely! Otherwise what's the difference between them and mainstream bands? That the music is faster and louder? I don't think that is enough. 

With the emergence of the internet, bands and ideas seem to be more assessable; speaking from my own experience I've had the opportunity to interview bands from U.S., Canada, France, Germany etc. over the past six months thanks in part to the internet. It also seems that almost every band has a facebook/myspace/bandcamp or something page. There are also huge webstores dedicated to selling punk rock related products, the printed fanzine seems to be a dieing out, and even printed show posters and becoming harder and harder to find. What is your opinion on the effect of the internet on the punk rock scene?

K- It's hard to say. We come from a time when the internet had very little impact on the punk scene. You're right in saying that items like well made flyers/show posters, cassette demos, fanzines, and have become somewhat of a novelty due to their obsolescence. But I don't think that these artifacts will cease to be produced if only for their now inherently romanticized value. The Internet effects the scene in countless ways. What things do you use the Internet for? And how much time do you spend using the Internet? It's a huge part of our lives and not even the esoteric can escape its grasp. 

What were for you personally the best and worst moments of 2010? What are your plans for 2011?

M- 2010 was a year of extremes for me. Best moments included starting the year in Australia, graduating from Nursing school, and going to Europe. Worst moments were breaking my foot, getting surgery, canceling our US tour with Ceremony, and not being able to work. I feel like all of the bad things make me appreciate the good things I have now so much more. Right now I am pretty much just counting the days until I get to leave for 9 weeks. 

Thanks for the interview, do you have any final words/wishes?

Go vegan!