This is Pissed Jeans.
Loud. Fast. Rude. And reclaiming punk for the next generation of disillusioned freaks and hipsters turned to the silent churning of the workplace. Their music, to quote a 2005 interview of singer Matt Kosloff (stage-name Matt Korvette), and Blastitude a Chicago Based zine is best described as ‘…the musical equivalent to watching a toilet flush’.
No frills in character, and not subject to the concession of the full time business of having a band– these Pennsylvania 30 somethings blur the distinction between rock icon and office nobody. The members, singer Matt Kosloff, guitarist Brad Fry, drummer Sean McGuiness and bassist Randy Huth have mastered the mystique of the office space, in all of its boring forms, by making the doldrums of life provocative.
Playing at ONCE Somerville last Saturday as part of a three day mini-tour in support of their 5th release, I spoke with Brad about their new album, what punk is today, and what is most important to him as his music and family grow.
The Mastermind behind those contagious unrelenting riffs finds wholeness in taking walks in the woods with his children and being able to make music with his friends, recording their own style of punk on Sub-Pop since 2007. He feels that the music they make and their stellar live performances are a great way of having fun while inspiring their fans.
“I think we have a very smart group of people who like our music. If you’re a turd of a person and read the lyrics — I think you’re gonna understand pretty quick we’re not interested in you.” says Brad on the dangers of having Pissed Jeans be misinterpreted.
Pissed Jeans’ brutal performance on this night was, literally ‘woke’, as Korvette took the mic shouting ‘God can’t kill me’ over and over to a building, deafening feedback of sounds. The energy broke as they plunged into their first song and continued at an unrelenting pace.
In the middle of the set, as moshers searched for their keys and phones, Korvette seemed to take back his pride, with a sardonic punch-line of humility and grace ‘I’m sorry God, I won’t do it again’, and then continued to pummel the audience with gems such as “Health Plan” “False Jesii part 2” “Fantasy World” and “Bathroom Laughter” and morbid jokes interspersed throughout.
Their diverse and dynamic catalog of sound is as unique and unrelenting as their rendition of what love and art mean on a subjective level; the personal becomes political expressed through our own limitations in society. Their energy is transmitted in the immediate response of your mind when reading their new album title ‘Why Love Now’. Well, Why not– ?
Sometimes when you are falling, Pissed Jeans cutting lyrics and indelible guitar riffs pick you up and shove you in the right direction— no matter how mechanical life is or how authoritarian the regime you live under operates. “The person in power has all the qualities of someone I am not and is the exact opposite of what I want my children to be. I’m disgusted.” says Brad, thinking about the current political climate and his music’s important role in such a time.
Pissed Jeans is the impetus to keep moving. It is the love found in the toilet flush, the mosh pit, and every rinse wash repeat cycle of inspiration.
