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.
Pop-emo up-and-comer L E A took a few minutes to chat with TGEFM about the release of her new single “FTS (Sick Of This)” featuring New Orleans Emo Nite DJ Bemo Rouge. In addition to the newest bop, we got to touch on creative passion, Wawa and her unfortunately picking the wrong side of the Jersey-centric Pork Roll/Taylor Ham debate. L E A will release the Happy Never Ending EP on 24 Febrauary. Check out the new single and interview below!
1. Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Congrats, in
advance on the release of “FTS (Sick Of This).” Could you tell us a bit
about this track and how it came about?
I wrote FTS over zoom with Mike Grubbs (PKA Wakey!Wakey!) from One Tree Hill. This was our second song together. After the first, we knew we had to hop on another track together ASAP and I’m so glad we did because that’s when FTS came about. This song is pretty self-explanatory with the lyrics “yeah, I’m sick of this shit”. Sick of being broke, sick of being pulled on every end, not being able to dedicate all your time to the one thing you love. Honestly, listeners can relate this message to any struggles in their lives and I hope headbanging to this one alleviates the stress even just a little.
2. What is it about music that you are most passionate about? What
motivates you to keep writing?
Life experiences, the ability to create a whole project, visuals, art, and sound to just 3 minutes of work. The creative outlet music gives me is my favorite part of existing. Sharing that experience with others in a room or online, having a fan get a tattoo of my lyrics, or getting a message that my noise saved someone’s life. That’s enough to stick to it.
3. Being a Jersey resident, 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?
Omg we’re known for so much more than that!! Like what about WAWA and our BREAKFAST SANDWICHES? BAGELS? It’s Pork Roll by the way and I don’t even eat meat!
4. 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?
In the Mourning, Luke Bodine, Bemo Rouge, KD BADLUNG, FLASCH, rosecoloredworld, Penny Bored. Literally just to name a few. Good people and good tunes.
5. Beyond the release of “FTS (Sick Of This)”, what’s next for L E A?
EP EP EP. Coming out in February. More shows, more sessions, features 😉
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/
