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.
Pacific Northwest emo upstarts Swiss Army Wife just dropped their debut full-length album, Medium Gnarly, and the response has been gnarly but far beyond middling. The raucous effort manages classic Midwestern emo sounds without feeling redundant or reductive. Its fresh and familiar. The band took some time to take a Roll of the Dice with TGEFM to discuss the album, the future and toss out an open challenge to any and all Pokemon Trainers brave enough to answer.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview and congrats, on the fantastic release of “Medium Gnarly!” What should our readers know about the members of Swiss Army Wife, and what can you tell us about the songwriting and recording process?
(Will, They/Them) Thanks for having us! I’m Will, I play guitar and do some vocals here and there. I joined up pretty late in the writing process for Medium Gnarly, so I’ll leave that side of things to the rest of the band, but I can speak to the recording process a bit!
We recorded the album at The Trash Treasury here in Portland— a super cool space in the basement of a building under a bridge. We set this (in retrospect kind of crazy) goal of recording 10 songs in three days, and worked with an awesome engineer, Mat Larimer, who was down to help us make that happen. Mat kept us on track, always kept the vibe positive, and fostered a really comfortable environment for us to be creative in.
Alex Estrada, who recorded and/or mixed a bunch of our favorite records, handled the mixing and did an incredible job. From the first pass, we were like “Ok word, he gets it.” Getting down to California to record with him at The Pale Moon Ranch is definitely a priority for us.
(Kade, He/Them) As Will said, stoked to be doing this interview, I’m Kade. The song writing process for this record was a long one that spans multiple line ups and iterations of the band so this record kinda ended up being a best of/everything so far kind of collection. As a result the themes and styles are somewhat all over the place but looking back they all definitely reflect what was going on at the time, global pandemic, government insurrection, falling in and out of love, all that good stuff. As for the band I would say Swiss Army Wife is currently the best possible version of itself and is made up of a bunch of huge music nerds who are incredibly stoked to have the opportunity to do this.
What album, band, or even, significant singles made you go “Yeah, this is what I want to do” Not just an influence but who or what was the catalyst?
(Will) The Blood Brothers, no contest. “Love Rhymes With a Hideous Car Wreck” was the first song I learned to play on the guitar, and they’ve stayed in my heavy rotation ever since. Every element of that band was exactly what it needed to be. They serve as the perfect reminder that explosive energy and intricate craft are not mutually exclusive.
(Jon) Joyce Manor was the band that changed my direction in music and what I really wanted. I watched a live set on YouTube and the energy was like nothing I’ve seen, with everyone drenched in sweat yelling every single lyric. Then I saw them live that year, and it was even better than I could’ve expected.
(Kade) Hearing Cap’N Jazz back in high school for me was that moment for sure. I was kinda already dabbling with music at the time but then found that record and learned that you can forget all the rules, not worry about sounding good, and scream the exact message you want at the top of your lungs and with as much energy as possible and with any luck it will connect with somebody.
Which song off the new record are you most looking forward to playing live and what can we expect from live Swiss Army Wife performances?
(Will) Since this is our first full length, we’ve actually been playing these songs live here in Portland for a pretty long time. That said, I’ll always love playing “Your Bathroom.” The leads on the Medium Gnarly version are what I wrote to audition for the band, and it always reminds me of how lucky I am to be making music with my friends.
(Jon) I enjoy playing “FLCL” a lot live. It’s not the most exciting song for me on bass BUT when Kade and I hit the chorus, it’s just hype and feels like an explosion.
A Swiss Army Wife set is just energy from start to finish. Yeah we have some softer/prettier/slower parts but we really focus on keeping momentum in our set. We want the set to be an adrenaline rush that leaves you feeling like you were hit by a whirlwind. Maybe it’s just me though…
(Tim) It’s definitely “Aight, I’mma Head Out” for me!! From the opening guitar riff the song just hits a certain energy for me that carries all the way through the group chant at the end.
(Kade) I’m still worried that the chorus of “New Best Friend” is the best one I will ever write so I’m looking forward to wearing it out by playing it at every gig possible, like forever.
What is it about music that you are most passionate about? What motivates you to keep writing?
(Will) For me, it’s gotta be the collaborative, communal nature of it. Whether it’s in the band, the local scene, or beyond, having all these people come together because of a shared appreciation for art is just so cool. I come from a choral background, and what really drew me to that was this experience of dozens of people coming together to amplify an emotional experience. Playing in a punk band and circulating energy back and forth with the crowd feels like it taps into something really similar and equally powerful.
What keeps me writing is mostly hearing other artists do things and going “Oh shit, I wanna try that.” My favorite songs are the ones that make me need to pick up my guitar and play along. So taking that experience and putting it through the really excellent artistic filters of my bandmates, refining it, and bringing it in front of a crowd to be like “You feel this too?”—it all creates this awesome, addictive feedback loop.
(Tim) Expression. Music can be fun, complicated or something meaningful and motivating that stirs up tons of emotions. The ability to convey so much with just one song always keeps me striving to write more.
(Kade) Can’t put it better than Will, beyond adding that music feels like the only thing that truly motivates me most of the time and that it represents a very pure outlet for self-expression which has been invaluable to my mental health over the years. Also with this band engaging with the process is essentially just hanging out with good friends at this point.
One of our obligatory questions in these interviews also tends to be the one I have found most important on a personal level. Who are some bands on your radar that TGEFM readers may not know about, but you think they should?
(Will) Collars, Dusty Cubby, and Aren’t We Amphibians are some bands in the West Coast scene that are killing it right now. They’re all writing incredibly catchy songs with all the math-y, noodle-y good shit that we love, but doing it in their own distinctive ways. They’re all a bunch of sweeties, and I love ’em to death. Also gotta shout out Kerosene Heights, who wrote the best emo song of 2022, but I won’t say which one, so you have to listen to all of them.
I’ve also got to mention some of our labelmates on Really Rad Records—Avec Plaisir, Shag Lab, and Celebration Guns. We’re incredibly lucky to share a label with artists making music of the caliber those folks are.
(Jon) I do music in another band called What Haunts You! Check it out
(Tim) Blueberry and Witchin Alleys!!
(Kade) Portland has a wicked cool DIY scene brewing so definitely check out bands like Mauve, and Common Girl. Stoked every time we get to share the stage with them.
Beyond the release of “Medium Gnarly”, what’s next for Swiss Army Wife?
(Will) We’ll be announcing dates for a west coast tour soon, which will be our first! We’re also always writing, and plan to have more music out in 2023.
(Kade) Big tour as Will mentioned, stoked to see lots of friends, and play a lot of Pokémon. Hopefully some collaborative projects with some of the other bands on Really Rad Records (our label) and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t already trying to construct the next record.
Was there anything I missed that you’d like to share or dive deeper into with our readers?
(Kade) “CBS @ 7:00 AM” is a track about climate panic disguised as a relationship song.
(Will) We’re not joking about the Pokemon thing, if you come see us on tour and are brave enough to bring your Switch to a DIY show, challenge us to match, we’re like the Elite 4 but not good.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
