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.
No Sleep Records’ Good Sleepy recently dropped the new single “Off Center.” To celebrate the single release, the Massachusetts-based quartet joined TGEFM for a short Roll of the Dice. Check it out below and get on the goodship Good Sleepy.
What should TGEFM readers know about Good Sleepy, your sound and what you’ve got in pipeline for 2024?
Hi TGEFM! Super excited to be doing this interview. Thank you so much for having us.
A little bit about Good Sleepy: we are a four piece punk/emo band based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Our members consist of Thomas (bass, lyricist), Seth (guitar, backup vocals), Jensky (drums), and Ryan (guitar). We began playing together in 2018, and are currently signed to No Sleep Records, who we put out our debut album and consecutive releases with since 2021. This year is definitely shaping out to be a busy one for us, which we are stoked about. Planning tours, and most importantly, we are planning our second full length to be released by the end of the year.
Let’s talk a little bit about how “Off Center” came into existence. What was going on at the time that helped kickstart and inform the writing process?
When we started working on “Off Center,” it was one of maybe 8 or 9 other demos that were prospect for an LP. We put the rest on the back burner and went full speed ahead with OC. We had played it at pretty much every show over the summer, and really wanted to get it out there so people could hear it again. We’ve been deep in consideration about how we should go about recording our next LP, whether to take a DIY approach or head back to the studio. We wanted to use this song as a test run of sorts.
Jack and Thomas took the lead on the production and engineering side of things. They co-produced it together and Jack spearheaded mixing, with Thomas being a second set of ears along the way. We were sending the file back and forth until we were happy with it. As with most of our release, the main idea of the riffs of the song are usually written by Seth, Thomas writes the lyrics, Jack on the drums, etc. We come together to arrange everything and focus on the smaller details.
Our favorite thing about this release is that it’s our first DIY release since we put out “Dessert” in 2020. We recorded all of Off Center in Thomas’s basement and are as proud of the production as we are of the song. It was really fun getting back into recording ourselves.
What have been some of the most memorable moments or experiences with the band so far? What’s been the most unexpected? The weirdest?
We started as a band when we were pretty young. We were all still in high school, and were all good friends before that. We’ve have so many great, weird, and wacky memories after all that time it’s hard to pick one. Last summer was definitely a very memorable one though. We had so many great shows and met so many talented, friendly people. Never expected to be playing to so many people at 12 in the afternoon at Excellency Festival, and Bummer Brews fest in Columbus was a bangin’ time. Had the chance to play on bills with so many of our friends, and with bands that we’ve looked up to for a while.
We love to eat at places we’ve never heard of or been to on the road. Spaghetti Warehouse in Akron, OH felt like a fever dream. We went to an off-brand Cheesecake Factory in the Poconos. Last tour I tried Applebees for the first time, then we ate there the next four nights in a row.
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 know about?
Always love to shoutout our friends! If you like our music, make sure to check our Flight Patterns, Arlen Gun Club, Knavery, Year Twins, Khaki Cuffs, and Micheal Cera Palin. Two of our members are part of another project called Nicoteens, they are putting out some pretty dope music.
Thanks again!
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/
