Blending pop-punk immediacy with raw emotional candor, Her Leather Jacket has quickly become one of the most compelling new voices in the scene. Their music carries equal parts heart-on-sleeve vulnerability and unapologetic kick-the-door-down energy — the kind that feels equally at home in late-night headphones or shouted back in a crowded venue. TGEFM caught up with the band to talk about the stories behind their latest work, the personal experiences fueling their songwriting, and how they’re carving out their own space in a constantly shifting musical landscape.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. You’re part of a Nashville scene that’s quietly shifting: punk, alt, and pop acts are carving out new space. How does it feel to be part of that change instead of chasing the usual country path?
It feels awesome to part of a community in music city that gives a fuck about alternative music! The community is a lot bigger than you even realize.
You’re still relatively new but already building a name fast. What’s been the biggest “holy shit” moment so far for Her Leather Jacket?
Having Kellin (Quinn) featured on our newest single was a big “holy shit” moment. He’s incredible and we were stoked to have him on this song.
If someone’s walking into a Her Leather Jacket show for the first time, what do you want them to walk away thinking?
We’re just a bunch of fun guys that rip. We want to leave you wanting to come back to another show and another one… and another one.
The self-titled EP introduced HLJ as brash and unfiltered… what’s going to make this next one feel like your step up?
It’s definitely a step up for us as songwriters. We leaned into our journeys and experiences with our songwriting and having Aaron Gillespie in our corner as co-writer and producer is a huge step up for us. Consider it more like reintroducing HLJ.
Pop-punk is having a bit of a comeback, but your sound feels more raw and fun than nostalgic. How do you avoid falling into the trap of just recreating the early-2000s blueprint?
We pull for inspiration and try to avoid replication. Between the two of us we have a pretty wide range of influences, so it makes for a really cool sound.
What’s next for Her Leather Jacket?
More music, more shows, more sick shit.
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/