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.
Marc Juliano, guitarist for Philadelphia rockers Goalkeeper recently joined TGEFM for a Roll of the Dice interview. Over the course of 12 questions, Marc discussed the band’s upcoming record I Wish I Met You Sooner (out 28 October on Lost Music Collective). He also spoke about releasing an EP in the midst of a pandemic, what’s next for the band and his (incorrect) take on the Taylor Ham/Pork Roll debate.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Congrats, in advance
on the release of I Wish I Met You Sooner. Could you tell us a bit about
this record, how it came about and where it stands compared to 2020’s
Life In Slow Motion EP?
Thank you so much! We started writing this even before Life in Slow Motion came out. Being in the middle of the pandemic, we made a conscious effort to just keep writing in preparation to release new music since touring wasn’t a thing. We spent a lot of time focusing on our influences and studying how to continue to grow our sound instead of just repeating ourselves. We feel this record takes everything that is Goalkeeper and puts it in a place of maturity we hope to continue to grow from.
Prior to Goalkeeper, what bands might we recognize from?
Probably none of them haha. We were all in super unknown bands in the Philadelphia/ South Jersey areas.
Going back to the Slow Motion EP, you released that in the middle of
the pandemic, obviously that removed touring as an option, how did you
counteract the lockdowns to get the new tunes into ears across the
globe?
We just promoted ourselves grassroots style. We started to use different platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, etc to help push our music out. We also just tried to stay more active on social media, connect with our friends, fans, family, and supporters in just conversation.
What effect, if any, have the cultural and political landscapes of
the last few years had on your music?
We pushed ourselves to become a lot more educated on social and political issues, terminology, and growing to recognize early, problematic behaviors. We strive to always keep a safe space and to do that you have to continue to educate and challenge yourself to be better and to lead by example.
What is it about music that you are most passionate about? What
motivates you to keep writing?
Before, I’d say it was just to get out there and connect with people. As that still holds very much true today, music is also serving as a way to let out a lot of emotions. The last two years have been incredibly hard to navigate emotionally. Music allows us to navigate and let those emotions out in a healthy and constructive way.
What’s the best piece of advice, music or otherwise, you’ve ever
received?
There are more lessons and memories in the journey than the destination.
The obvious follow-up, of course, is what’s the best piece of advice,
music or otherwise, you can give?
Just be yourself and put your heart into whatever it is you want to accomplish.
The music world has also changed a lot over the last few years. What
are some of the biggest changes you’ve come across in your time within
the scene?
Honestly, the only thing that has changed is that there are less bands and venues. Touring, social media, etc, are all important to get yourself out there and grow your band. You just have to be strategic and dedicated. I think the pandemic forced a lot of people to make significant life changes just to survive. Heartbreaking really. Hopefully we’ll see some of these bands and venues come back!
Being a South Jersey/Philly band, the world needs to know where you
stand on the Taylor Ham/Pork Roll debate, and why is that debate so
ingrained into the geographic identity of NJ?
Pork Roll! I have no idea why it’s such a big debate when clearly Taylor Ham people are wrong.
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?
Driveways, Another One Down, Sunday Morning, What Makes Sense, Calling All Captains, Gold Steps, Thief Club, House & Home, Dear Spring, Few Faces, Mighty Tortuga & Mallory Run.
Beyond the release of I Wish I Met You Sooner, what’s next for Goalkeeper?
Just a bunch of touring. We have our tour this fall and some really cool holiday shows that we are excited about. We are trying to hit a lot of places for the first time this year and hopefully get to do so with a lot of our friends!
Was there anything I missed that you’d like to share or dive deeper
into with our readers?
Don’t think so! Just be sure to check us out on all social media platforms, pre-save and pre-order the album, and hope to see you at a show!
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/
