Roll of the Dice: 12 questions with Eric of Counterpunch

Long running Chicago melodic punk act Counterpunch has a new album, Rewire, on the horizon. TGEFM got in touch with Eric Hausser (guitar/vocals) to talk about ketchup on hot dogs, music, and Malört. We rolled a TWELVE.

1) Thanks for taking the time with this interview. We rolled a 12 which is, I think, the second time this has happened. So… How are you doing?

Hey Jeff! I think that’s actually good luck?  So thats a great start to this little interview.  I’m doing great!  I love early summer in Chicago.  The whole city comes alive out of hibernation and I’m definitely here for it.

2) you’ve got a new album Rewire coming out 17 Jun 2022. Tell us a bit about that release and what fans (and newcomers) should expect from the album?

This is our most comprehensive album from a Counterpunch standpoint, and dare I say our best work.  That’s not a knock on any of the other music that we’ve released; Rewire is just so damn good.  I’m really proud of this one. We’ve matured a bit musically and have the right mix of creative talent in the band at this point in our existence to really hit the gas pedal. I think for fans of the band, you’re going to hear all the elements you’d expect from a Counterpunch record. Tight vocal harmonies, fun shreddy guitar leads, killer bass hooks, and Jimbo holding it down behind the kit. We’ve written both our slowest and fastest tempo songs in “Judgement Day” and “Rewire” respectively. There are some poppier punk songs, and some mid tempo hard rock tinged elements to some of the tracks.  Overall, I think it’s a fun listen from start to finish sonically, and it flows really well for a vinyl record too.  Which, by the way, the presale for those vinyl variants is live right now via Thousand Islands Records and SBAM. 😉

3) Is there anything that longtime fans might find different on Rewire compared to previous albums? 

Guitar solos.  Lots of crazy awesome guitar solos.  Kyle is an absolute shredder, and I think that’s definitely something we’ve been missing in this band on previous records. There have been a few cool leads here and there, but not like this. He’s also an amazing engineer, and has a very creative and cerebral approach to writing. I think what longtime listeners are going to hear they’re really going to like (at least I hope so lol). We were able to do some really cool stuff musically this time around, expand our sound a bit, try some new things for us, and I’m very excited for people to hear our growth as a band.

4) The album is being released via Thousand Islands Records and SBÄM Records. I know these two labels regularly collaborate between each other, and other labels, to help get releases out in as many territories as possible. But which one was the first label you worked with for the album.

We’re very fortunate to have both these awesome labels on board with this one.  I love both of their artist rosters, and am stoked to be a part of it.  We love our TIR and SBÄM fam. We actually contacted both labels at the same time, so they’ve been in on this release from the start.  It’s pretty cool to have a collaborative group of people both here in North America and abroad in Europe helping us get this record in the hands of as many humans as possible.

5) Aside from the 2021… I guess digital 7”… Handbook for the Recently Debriefed, this is you first new music since 2014’s Bruises. What took so long between releases?

Actually, that 7” has physical copies that are still available right now through both Thousand Islands Records and SBÄM.  There are some pretty cool vinyl variants you can check out that are still available too.  

We finished this new record and got the final masters back on the same weekend the US shut down for COVID, so with the amount of uncertainty that was happening that week we decided to hit the pause button on the release.  It wasn’t an easy decision, but in hindsight I think it was definitely the right one. We want to be able to tour in support of any record we release, and without knowing what was going to happen at that point in time the right decision was to wait just a little bit longer.  I don’t think we anticipated to wait this long, but every vinyl plant has been totally swamped which also played a small role in the hold up. It has been so hard to have this record in our hands and not be able to show everybody something we’re incredibly proud of. 

As far as the length of time between the Bruises release and when we stepped in the studio to record Rewire, we were doing a bunch of tours in that time, and we had a member change.  We had the whole record demoed out and ready to go, and then we had to start all over with Kyle to really flesh out the songs once again. I wanted to make sure that he had a good amount of input, because it’s not fun coming into a project when everything has already been written for you.  That’s like playing in a cover band, and not something I would want a new member of Counterpunch to have to deal with. 

Overall, I’m not mad about the amount of time it took because those tours really made us gel as a unit creatively and the final product shines a little brighter as a direct result. Plus, getting the opportunity to tour with Face to Face, Strung Out, Agent Orange, The Living End, Good Riddance, etc. and with a few stops in Europe and a few festivals sprinkled in is something I wouldn’t turn down ever. Those were amazing experiences and allowed us the opportunity to play in a lot of areas we hadn’t been to before.  Besides, good things come to those who wait, right?

6) Did COVID impact the creation of this album in any way?

The creation, not really.  But the release definitely.  I think I kind of alluded to that with the last answer a bit.

7) How did Counterpunch come to be? Your Bandcamp page lists the band as comprised of members of several other bands, so I’m curious where all of that fits in, and if anyone in the band plays in any other groups?

We’ve all had projects before this one that we were a part of, but none of us really had a double duty situation.  Jim was playing for We Are The Union for a little while when he first joined us, but soon went full time with Counterpunch shortly thereafter.  The band itself got its start with Jared and myself out in the suburbs of Chicago. I was just starting a new project and needed a bass player, and I always remember Jared being a killer bass player and singer from a few of his high school punk bands.  The rest just kinda fell into place, and here we are 20 years later.  It’s crazy to say that out loud.  What a wild ride.

8) I grew up in the suburbs outside of Chicago, but never heard about this thing until well into adulthood: What’s the deal with no ketchup on your hot dog, and do you subscribe to this? (laughter)

Well, what I always say is that it’s a garbage condiment for 4 year olds. lol.  Unless we’re talking about the spicy ketchup from Whataburger.  That stuff is sooooo good.

But seriously, it is most definitely a thing, and I most definitely subscribe to it. No ketchup on a hot dog is a Chicago way of life. To some it’s a polarizing subject, much like pineapple on pizza. To me, it’s just an out of place condiment on a perfectly dressed  and good hot dog.

9) You’re booked to play the Punk Rock Saves Lives fest in July, and your social media shows that this will be your first gig since COVID hit. 1) How psyched are you for the festival, and 2) which band performing are you most excited to see, and 3) I see by the poster that Malört is a sponsor… like ketchip and hot dogs I had never heard of Malört until I was back in Chicago for a wedding in early 2020. I once referred to it as “liquid hate”, but I’d like to hear your thoughts? (laughter)

I can answer honestly for all of us and say that we are so fucking pumped to get back on stage. This is the longest I’ve ever been away from playing live shows and it feels super weird.  Can. Not. Wait!

I’m excited to see everyone, but it’s always special to share the stage with our hometown boys in The Bollweevils, especially outside of Chicago.

We all love Malört.  I can’t get enough of the stuff. It’s a really warm, happy, fuzzy buzz if you can stand it enough to get hammered off of it.  In fact, if we as a band could be sponsored by Malört I’d be all about that life. (laughter) 

10) Going back to your Bandcamp profile, I see the band is split between the Blackhawks and the Redwings, and they each had a rough time of it this season. What do both teams need to improve next season?

I can’t speak for the Wings fans in the band, but this was a tough season to watch.  The Blackhawks have a lot of work to do organizationally. Having Fleury playing at a high level as a backstop showed all the other flaws the team has. Schematically, personnel, you name it. They need a top down tear down.

11) This is a regular RotD question, but what are some bands that TGEFM readers may not be listening to, but should?

Oh man.  So many.  Here’s a short list:

Lights Over Bridgeport
The new Pulley, A Wilhelm Scream and Ignite records are sooooo good
Sincere Engineer
Bad Planing 
Still Alive
The Bollweevils
Chart Attack
Wolfrik
Our Darkest Days
A Vulture Wake

There are so many more, but 10 is a nice round number 

12) Aside from PRSL in July, what else is on deck for Counterpunch?

We have some festival spots that haven’t been announced yet, and some fall tours in the works as well we can’t ‘officially’ announce just yet, but you’ll see us back on the road very soon!

Rewire is out 17 Jun 2022. You can preorder the album from the TIR or SBÄM shops.

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Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A Pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.