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.
Upstart Arizona rockers Ring Finger No Pinky released their new EP Edibles and Pneumonia today. The band joined TGEFM for a quick Roll of the Dice on our latest interview to discuss the band’s history, their influences and who they are listening to today.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Congrats on the upcoming release of “Edibles and Pneumonia.” What should TGEFM readers know about Ring Finger No Pinky, the new EP and what’s next? Who came up the band name and how?
TGEFM readers should know that Ring Finger No Pinky isnt defined by a genre but is genre defying. On this EP we wanted to achieve the effect of our songs being written in all caps, as seen on the first half, but still round out and showcase our chiller side on the second half while still being heavy. We hope to keep in touch with our bombastic roots in the future but explore and write in other genres and sub genres. The band name, Ring Finger No Pinky came about when David, the drummer, lost his pinky in a firework accent in the summer of 18 just before the band officially formed and what started as a funny inside joke stuck and became the band name.
What album or band or significant singles made you go “Yeah, this is what I want to do” Not just an influence but who or what was the catalyst?
Id say for me (David) Led Zeppelin was always there for me to look at and say “ya thats what I want to do” just because everything seems so perfect. Front to back their discography is unrivaled. They never put out something that was half assed and every facet of their game had attention to detail written all over it. To achieve that overall image and to make art at the level they do and consistently would be my ultimate goal.
Death Grips is big inspiration for me (Griffin). Their soundscapes and lyricism put them in another plane of existence compared to other bands. No other band has or will ever fully replicate what they do, and I think that’s what makes them so appealing. It’s as if you stumbled on something foreign.
What stood out most to you with this recording compared to your previous singles?
Id say what stood out to me most was the amount of gnarly effects we got out of some of these songs, shout-out Cory Spotts.
What’s the state of the scene from your point of view? We are living in a “just deal with COVID” world and everything about this timeline is some level of completely fucked. What impact, if any, does the current
cultural and political landscape have on the band?
We tend to not focus on the mundane back and forth between political parties, and structure our thoughts on more global issues pertaining to the complete corporate greed and corruption of those in power. The issues on if this bill should pass or should the park get a new tree is milk for the babies; the meat is in action and change. We include our opinions in a few of our songs, but we enjoy letting the art speak for itself and not becoming too “political”.
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?
Some local Arizona bands I think readers should know about are Freud, Bummer Girl, and Verronica Everheart.
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/
