Roll of the Dice: 11 Questions with Jeff Davidson (Catch 22, The Derringers, After The Comma)

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.

---

Almost 25 years ago today, NJ Ska act Catch 22 dropped their sophomore album to high expectations and elevated consternation as the band had brought in a new vocalist, Jeff Davidson. Jeff took the ball and drove it hard to the net, helping navigate the band through a difficult transition, releasing the classic Alone In The Crowd along the way. Ahead of the 10 October release anniversary, Jeff will be celebrating by performing with his former band mates this as part of Supernova International Ska Fest in Fort Monroe, Virginia. But first, I was able to reconnect with Jeff for the first time since we shared a class in a small university in Northern NJ 20 years ago to discuss what he’s been up to, the state of ska and what’s next after Supernova!

Not many people know that you were one of the first artists I ever interviewed back in 2004, 2005…  In the interest of full transparency, I should let you know that I’ve not improved in those 20 years.  Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview in spite of my stunted growth!

I remember! I didn’t know that was one of your first interviews – that’s pretty cool. Probably safe to say that I also haven’t improved much. In fact, I haven’t done many interviews since! So thanks for asking. If I get long-winded, it’s out of appreciation for being asked.

I, of course, want to discuss your upcoming performance with Catch 22 at Supernova, but before we get into that, you’re currently releasing music as After the Comma. How did that kick off, what was going on in your life that led you to creating and releasing music again?

No, I haven’t been releasing music at all, but I never stopped writing and recording. After The Comma is simply a way for me to finally breathe some life into stuff that’s been stuck in my notebooks, my voice memos, and my hard drives for over 20 years. I’ve been pulling out whatever hasn’t gone stale overtime and either freshening it up or snapping it into places where it could fit with anything that I’m writing now. 
I had convinced myself these ideas only existed for me and a select few people I’d share them with. I thought that was good enough, but I was lying to myself. At some point I realized I was suppressing some deep wounds and insecurities – fabricating strength around my fears and some pretty obvious imposter syndrome. 
I think that at some point, it was very hard to explain to myself and to people around me why I spend so much time creating and very little time sharing. It was a necessary journey to privatize my creative progression and develop my process, but it just became apparent that I had to get out of my own way.
So ATC is like a “watch as I grow from here”.
The project in general is like an incubator for my songs. After sketching them out, they’ll be placed here. It’s a home base for me as I take these songs to collaborators or find the right project for them. But really, it’s an exercise in vulnerability that is long overdue. 

What has changed the most in the scene and industry from your perspective? What’s been the hardest thing to adapt to and what change have you found to be the most positive?

Honestly, I’ve been watching the scene from afar for a while. So, I could be wrong and I’m sure there are exceptions to this, but the biggest change that I see is obviously in how we discover and consume music. I know that sounds general, but hear me out.  “If you like this, then you’ll like this” used to be a fun organic game steeped in personal connection and community. There were trusted sources and local scenes that identified the music worth the attention. Now, for some reason we trust algorithms to tell us what we would enjoy and everyone has become a connoisseur. Microdosing music and flipping through stream after stream just dilutes the process in my opinion.
And online communities seem to divide us more than bring us together. 
That same change, however, is also positive. I mean, we have the technology! We’ve democratized the recording studio and put distribution in our own hands. When we were growing up, DIY had a look and feel – it was cheap, didn’t make much money, but got it done. Now DIY is all grown up. It’s still cheap and doesn’t make much money, but it doesn’t have to look or feel cheap unless you want it to. And there is a lot more to consume. 
The challenge is finding the signal through the noise, but there is a signal and people are looking for it. Everyone has a chance to get their songs out there.  Plus, more music means more creativity and more opportunities freshen up familiar elements.  It’s exciting – I just think we need to keep the organic sense of community and trust more human beings to be experts that help us navigate it all.

It’s been over 20 years since you were a full-time member of Catch 22. Beyond the upcoming 25th anniversary of Alone In The Crowd’s release, what brought the C-22 (pt 2) crew back together?

Nothing more than a phone call from KG on behalf of the band asking if I’d be interested. It’s probably exactly what it seems, but I think about those guys all the time. The idea of getting together to reminisce, perform, and celebrate something we worked so hard to create when we were kids is incredibly exciting to me.
It didn’t take much convincing, and Catch 22 didn’t seem to have any reservations either. It was a special time that I probably took for granted, but I’m so happy they’re still killing it out there. This is an opportunity to punch a ticket for a ride in a Time Machine! I’m unbelievably humbled by the invite, so I plan on soaking up every second on stage and showing my appreciation by giving this very special set everything I’ve got.

I won’t call it a ska revival because ska is something that’s never gone away, but there is a massive rejuvenation of the scene with Catbite, Kill Lincoln and Mutiny. What do you think is going on out there that has gotten so many people back on their boards to ride this latest wave of ska?

I don’t know, but everything comes back in some form or another. I think what happened was bands broke up or took breaks, and without solid replacements combined with other genres taking over, ska just didn’t have an opportunity to refresh itself. I personally found the constant repetition and lack of evolution tiresome.
But sometimes it takes someone to light a match at the right time to freshen up an old sound. The pandemic definitely contributed to this rejuvenation – people got nostalgic, reconnected with folks from their youth, discovered new podcasts that triggered old conversations. New record labels had opportunities to reach more people as everyone had time to explore music online. It was a time when people could focus on passion projects or get back to things they missed. I know our local NJ scene had a lot happening during that period.

Not only have you been a member of NJ local legends like The Derringers and national scene-stealers like Catch 22, but during the pandemic you worked with the Jersey Interchange collective to perform a Bouncing Souls cover on the Asbury Park boardwalk. I’m admittedly quite biased, but New Jersey is such an interesting, diverse and generally under-appreciated place that has bred so much amazing music. Why do you think the area churns out so many brilliant musicians and songwriters? How does the area feed into the music you are writing, if at all?

What Christian Lesperence was doing with Jersey Interchange is exactly what I mean about contributing to the scene’s reemergence through the pandemic. Just look at it – reconnecting with our youth, stories flying back and forth, revisiting old songs. An intertwined community that respected and honored each other. That was really very cool and inspiring to be reminded of.
And some bands reunited. I know that I connected with Josh P from Right Turn Eddie  around then and that contributed to what I’m doing now. It also triggered me to write some stuff that felt nostalgic. 
Also, new bands came out of it too. Christian formed Skappository and then Take Warning (Op Ivy / Rancid Tribute). Both amazing bands. 
But, when it comes to why New Jersey has this unique thing? I think it’s geography mixed with diviserity. We’re close enough to major cities  but far enough away to develop our own identity. Possibly even a little bit of a napoleon complex in comparison to NYC and Philly? 
The landscape of New Jersey also changes so quickly. From urban to suburban, lakes to beaches and forests to landfills. Our history is founded on the right knit neighborhoods and communities for self preservation and built for growth. 
There’s also this working-class authenticity here that translates into the music – no pretense, just honest expression. 
As for how NJ contributes to my writing, it’s the same. Location and diversity. Where I write has a tremendous impact on what I write. In fact, the Bouncing Souls cover of “Gone” was a straight acoustic cover at first. Then I popped down the shore and the naturally it transitioned into a laid back acoustic reggae cover. 

What have been some of the most memorable moments or experiences within the scene? What’s been the most unexpected? The weirdest?

There are too many memorable moments to mention, but a really special thing was just to be present for things like the evolution of Portrait studios from a garage where a bunch of bands cut their teeth to a legendary studio space. A lot of memories hanging out there watching the Pinball Family and Distant Relatives compilation take shape. That was really memorable. 
Speaking of Pinball Records, I’ll go way back to a weird and unexpected memory that happened at the Cheesequake firehouse. We had a show booked there and Jay Pinball was going to sing a song called “Jerry Deanon” with us. It sort of had a swing ska feel and he wanted to di w lounge version of it. Thought it would be fun, so we rehearsed it. Now, I vaguely remember that the Derringers singer, Matt Ball couldn’t make it to the show. So instead of rehearsing the one song, we did the lounge versions of all songs with Jay filling in for Matt/ He went all out! Put on a leisure suit and did his best Dean Martin impersonation. He was entertaining the crowd in between songs with jokes and stories. It was hysterical. If anyone knows Jay, this makes perfect sense. Honestly, I think Matt and Jay would have put on a good show together. Both really funny dudes that could have played off of each other. Kind of wish we had thought to pitch doing that again but with Matt. Oh well! I’ll add that to the “‘maybe someday soon…or never again” list/ 

You’ve been a staple of this scene for a while, what is your biggest regret? A gig you turned down, advice you didn’t take, what one thing do you wish you handled differently as a musician?

That’s easy. Despite having a very positive life journey post-Catch 22, I regret leaving the band. I’m relieved they kept going. I knew they would because they’re all so damn talented, and not looking back is in their DNA. But I know I missed out on years of good times, and I wish I could justify my decision better. That’s on me,  though.  I’m just glad I can bring myself to say it and happy that we remained friends so a reunion like the one coming up can be a possibility. 

What pieces of advice do you have for the up and coming acts you’ll be performing with in September at Supernova Ska Fest?

Man, there are so many good bands coming up right now that it’s honestly overwhelming. I feel like I should be asking them for advice! But if I had to offer something, it would be this: trust your gut, but don’t let fear call the shots. The songs you’re scared to put out there might be exactly what someone needs to hear. And don’t forget that we’re all in this together – the scene gets stronger when we support each other instead of trying to tear each other down.

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?

Honestly, I’m overwhelmed by how much good music is out there right now. I go through phases where I dive deep into new stuff, then retreat for months to process it all. There are so many bands I want to explore more but haven’t had the time to really dig into like I want to. That said, I’ve been lucky to connect with some acts through collaboration – Friends with Salad, The Chemical Imbalance and The World’s After Party have all caught my attention recently. But I feel like I’m always playing catch-up. Your readers probably know way more than I do about what’s happening right now!

Beyond the Supernova performance, what do you have planned for us in 2025 and beyond?

I’ve been challenging myself to be more vulnerable, collaborate more with others, and step outside my comfort zone. For years, this  just meant keeping everything to myself. In fact, the reason it took so long to get this interview back to you is because I’m spreading myself so thin!
Along with Supernova, I have a lot of After The Comma music coming out. I’m working on a collection of acoustic songs that should be done soon, and some of them I’ve collaborated with others to track as a full band. I also got hold of one of the few copies of The Derringers demo recorded in 1998 and will put that on streaming platforms. The band that came out of The Derringers, called The Routine, has reconnected – we’re releasing all our archives plus some live albums from the early 2000s. Hopefully we’ll get it together to redo some songs and write new ones.
Most challenging for me personally, I was asked to contribute to a writing project benefiting Punk Rock Saves Lives. It’s an anthology of creative writing from musicians, organized by Nick Gregorio and Tim Demarco – both accomplished authors. I’ve always been an avid reader and written prose privately, so this has been an intensive but rewarding project that’s pushed me to develop something I’ve thought about for a long time.

Was there anything I missed that you’d like to share or dive deeper into with our readers?

I think what excites me most about this phase is building a community around the music again. After The Comma isn’t just about releasing songs – it’s about creating conversations and connections. You can follow the journey on Instagram @AfterTheComma.Music, where I share the process, the collaborations, and hopefully some of the vulnerability that’s driving all of this.
I also can’t express how thankful I am for this interview and for your years of support. The interest you’ve shown in where I’ve been and what I’m up to means more than you know. Same goes for anyone taking the time to read this. 
I’m excited to be welcomed back to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Alone In A Crowd at Supernova. Hope to see you and everyone there!