Roll of the Dice: 4 questions with The Brokedowns

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.

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The Brokedowns have always thrived in the sweet spot where punk urgency meets heart-on-sleeve honesty, turning grit, grit-your-teeth melodies into something that sticks long after the song ends. Whether they’re tearing through basement shows or delivering songs that feel equal parts cathartic and communal, the band has built a reputation on connection; between each other and with anyone screaming along in the room. We caught up with The Brokedowns to talk about Let’s Tip The Landlord, their affinity and respect for self-proclaimed alphas free-thinking exactly the way more authoritative folks tell them to and who the record is made for, more importantly who it is NOT made for.

Congratulations on the release of Lets Tip The Landlord!
Much of the album was recorded between day jobs and digital meetings. Did this chaotic, everyday grind seep into the performances or writing in ways you didn’t expect?

Kinda. We’re all super busy with normal boring adult jive so finding time to get together can be challenging. We all get along very well so tension is a pretty rare vibe when we’re crafting our symphonies.

The album skewers everything from influencer culture to crypto salvation. Which modern scam or trend was the most fun to mock musically?

I think you are mistaking our sincerity with frivolity.

It’s easy in these deeply cynical times to mistake reverence for mockery. To confuse good faith for irony. We are deeply thankful and grateful to the alphas in our society for holding the lantern of truth and leading a path for us.

We’re fortunate to be living in an era that is bursting at the seams with good will and positive leadership that makes performing our songs of praise effortless. 

After three decades of musical evolution across Chicago’s DIY galaxy, what keeps The Brokedowns showing up, writing and yelling into the void?

We still love doing it and at this point it would feel weird not to. We have so many people particularly in Chicago who continue to inspire us….When Styx break up, we’ll break up.

The press release says if Elon or Logan Paul heard this album, they wouldn’t get the joke. Who would get the joke, who is this record actually for?

I  hope this album finds anyone who needs a 25-ish minute respite from the current hellscape we are all experiencing right now.