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.
80s-era Chicago band Sludgeworth (at the time Screeching Weasel member Dan Vapid‘s side project) have re-released their 1995 compilation Losers of the Year, out today via Red Scare Industries. The reissue also features two previous unreleased tracks and can ordered on vinyl here and digitally over at Bandcamp. TGEFM is over the moon stoked to have had an opportunity to chat with Dan Vapid, Brian Vermin and Adam White in the latest Roll of the Dice interview.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview and congrats on the vinyl release of Losers
of the Year. I think the first question that needs to be asked at this point is, of course, where
the hell has Sludgeworth been and what have you been up to for the last few years?
Brian Vermin: Well, I have a son and about 3 years ago he became obsessed with drumming, which
re-ignited my passion. Other than that, I run my own business… I'd add a shameless plug, but I
won't.
Dan Vapid: I've been up to 5'9, and have been shrinking! I used to be 5'10. My plantar fasciitis is
worsening and my scalp is itchy. Nothing a new shampoo can't fix, but I also might be
developing an ulcer. Hairs are growing where i don't want them. I'm losing hair where I'd like to
keep it. I walk into the kitchen and can't remember what I need in the refrigerator. But you
know what's awesome? Having our music still appreciated three decades later. I also spend my
time with The Methadones and Dan Vapid and the Cheats, in which we released a record called
Welcome to Dystopia last year.
Adam White: We have all been doing other music stuffs (see Dan's above), Ethyline and Magnafux for
the rest of us. Trying to grow old gracefully (failing miserably).
Going back to finally put this album on vinyl 25 years after its initial release, what stood out
most when you listened to those tracks with somewhat fresh ears and what can you tell us
about the decision to include the previously unreleased tracks; “To Be The Same” and “Here
For A While”?
Brian: It was wild hearing those songs. I was out of the loop during the process of the re-release
so, me hearing it was exactly like you all hearing it.
Dan: Toby from Red Scare asked if we had any hidden goodies and started digging. It's a story in
and of itself best told by him. Glad we found them though. They were a good addition to the
collection.
Adam: Toby reached out to us and mentioned any unreleased music, so I went through some
old cassettes and found those songs and shared with him. Then he somehow dug up the studio
versions which is great. I love those songs.
You guys have been at this in many different iterations, across decades and across labels.
What are the biggest changes you've seen in the industry since you started out and where do
you see things going from here?
Brian: Um… the fucking internet. Because that shit didn't exist when we started doing this.
Dan: What Brian said. We used to record to 2 inch tape in those days. We also were playing
during the Nirvana craze, but broke up before Green Day made it big in 1994. We played with
them a couple of times at Mcgregors, which was a small suburban club in Chicago. I heard
bands I was acquainted with playing on mainstream radio. There was no Warped Tour yet. All
kinds of stuff.
Adam: Yep, the internet. I am not sure where things are going, other than it is easier than ever
to reach more people with your music so that is a good thing.
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?
Brian: Musically I'm all over the place. I like Banner Pilot and Off With Their Heads. As far as
Chicago bands Martin from Los Crudos has a new band called Canal Irreal, and more
punk/hardcore would be Mock Execution. I'm into a lot of metalcore stuff like Polaris, Make
Them Suffer, and Alpha Wolf.
Dan: I've been listening to the latest Rhett Miller record on repeat. Your readers may know him,
I don't know. My tastes are also varied. I tend to go in and out of phases often.
Now that we've got a return show on its way what's next for the members of Sludgeworth
and your projects?
Brian: Ya know, we're enjoying the ride and seeing where it takes us, if it kicks us off the roller
coaster we'll go get a fuckin pretzel… If they let us stay on the ride maybe we throw our arms
up and scream.
Dan: Yep, I'll keep riding if you all want. We appreciate the moment we've been given here. Call
for the encore and we'll come back. If you don't, well, it was fun. And thank you for the
opportunity!
Adam: Yep, happy to be back hanging out with these guys regularly and playing music with
them. I hope to write a new song or two as well, but who knows if that will work out? This is
gonna be lots ‘o fun!
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/
