Grab your s'mores, your bug spray and pack your bags as Riot Squad Media is about to take over Northeast Pennsylvania with Camp Punksylvania! The 3-day festival with multiple stages and amazing local acts like The Suicide Machines, War On Women and A Wilhelm Scream, will take place from 1 September until 3 September, tickets are available here. Dom, frontman of Philly's hardcore act Freeze MF joined TGEFM to discuss their upcoming appearance at Camp Punx for the latest installment of our Camp-centric Roll Of The Dice interview series. Check it out below and I'll see you at the campfire!
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview! What should our readers know about Freeze MF, your sound and what you stand for?
Freeze MF started in 2018 from friends messaging each other over Facebook trying to start a new band. The name came from a “Freeze” guitar pedal that indefinitely holds notes. We decided to add the MF moniker after our first couple shows.
Freeze MF is a band that thrives off the energy in the room. We aim for a unique sound that separates us from other bands bringing you fast riffs, a whole lot of two steps and some slow breakdowns to fit every mood. We stand for the right to smile and have fun while still being at place where people usually go to let out aggression. We always promote fans to take care of themselves and each other but most importantly having fun.
Philadelphia has had a long history in the scene for churning out brilliant and diverse artists. It's clearly not just cheesesteaks and greased lamp posts out there. What is it about the City of Brotherly Love that breeds and nurtures so many awesome acts? How does the mindset of the city impact your sound?
Philadelphia has been my home for music since 2009. To be able to form a band that comes from this city means a ton to me. Philadelphia has helped me grow into the musical person I am and I am proud to say we are from this city while on the road. However, being from a place like Philadelphia where there is a new band as often as a new flavor of water ice makes it a bit harder to break out. We aim for unique riffs and ear worm lyrics in order to stand out from the rest.
You are gearing up for Camp Punksylvania in the coming months, what does the festival circuit mean to individual artists like yourselves?
The festival circuit is something a bit new to our band, this year we have been a part of more festivals than we have been before. For example Knoxville Hardcore Fest, Borndead clothing Fest, and the Gathering of the Juggalos. To be able to perform in front of all of these new people has been the most rewarding part for us. Festivals will always bring out new faces that haven't heard of us, so it is our job to impress and make them a fan before we leave. Couldn't thank Camp Punksylvania enough for the opportunity.
Any summer camp worth its salt knows there needs to be a lot of different activities to participate in. What activities would each member of Freeze MF be in charge of if Camp Punksylvania was an actual sleepaway camp? What song are you performing at the last campfire or talent show?
Is it weird that we have thought of this before?
Chris (bass) Would be in charge of camp cooking and teaching everyone cheap and easy meals to make while away from home.
Jordyn (drums) Would be in charge of the team building activities and be able to demonstrate the power of teamwork and what it can do.
Matt (guitar) Would be in charge of the camp's swim program. Matt is an avid swimmer and can go on a 5 mile swim with no breaks and will demonstrate and teach an activity on it.
Billy (guitar) Would be head wiffle ball counselor teaching self assurance and self worth in relation to the wiffle ball diamond.
Dom (vocals) Hot dog eating competition, no one can beat him. Will host and win.
Camp Punksylvania is a smorgasbord of fantastic acts. Which bands are you most excited to see on each stage?
The Camp Punk lineup is so diverse and awesome! I can't wait to share the stage with A Wilhelm Scream, see Froggy do Froggy things, and Tsunami Bomb!
Was there anything I missed that you'd like to share or dive deeper into with our readers?
Freeze MF doesn't want to be like every other band out there. We want smiles and fun from start to finish. We want to promote that everyone takes care of each other and cuts out the toxicity in their lives. Once the toxic is cut a more clear future can be seen. We dropped a record in June that touches on some of those points, make sure to check us out on Spotify and other streaming platforms for a taste of our sound to come.
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.
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/