Roll of the Dice: 8 questions with Alleys and Gangways

Having just released the killer EP Take This Outside, Chicago punks Alleys and Gangways are about to win over the community with their layered punk approach. TGEFM was lucky enough to roll the dice with founding member Davey (bass) and newest member RJ (guitar) to chat about the new release and what’s next for the band.

Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Congrats on the new Take this Outside EP.  What can you tell us about Alleys and Gangways and your sound for readers just discovering the band?

(Davey)  We’re all millennials but our ages range a decade, so the majority of our influence comes from that pop-punk/post-hardcore time of the 2000s. I’ve always been invested in the local scene, so that was an exciting time to see bands from Chicago break out and get more nationwide attention. After that wave had passed we were given the opportunity to see our peers with the same types of influences rise to the surface, and ultimately become additional fuel to the fire that inspires us. That’s all just a generalization though, we all listen to other music as well- Nick brings some metal influence that he got from his father, RJ is into a lot of rap, I was in a 90s cover band for years; it’s a melting pot.

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?

(Davey) For me it was in 2001. Weezer just released “Hash Pipe,” and Jimmy Eat World put out “Bleed American;” those songs rocked me then and they still rule today. That following spring my friend Veronica made me a mix CD with stuff like Saves The Day, Taking Back Sunday, AFI, etc. and I was all-in. Over the summer of 2002 I saved up my money that I earned from cutting grass for a neighbor and caddying and bought myself my first bass. No hesitation on bass vs. guitar, I just knew bass was right for me, and it didn’t hurt that I had a few friends with guitars.

(RJ) It was the high energy acts for me. Seeing footage of early Fall Out Boy, Sum 41 and All Time Low really made me excited about music, But when I started going to shows at Fiesta I knew I had to do everything I could to create that excitement for the next kid in the crowd. 

We’ve all got a few, what is your biggest regret? A gig you turned down, advice you didn’t take, what one thing do you wish you handled differently as a musician?

(Davey) The 90s cover band I mentioned earlier, Barenaked Men. Picking names with a group is always hard- I never loved the name, but didn’t hate it as much as other ideas. The regret I have about it isn’t the name however, it’s that we missed a serious opportunity on merchandising and never made a single piece of anything. We were around for 5 years, playing venues like Mother’s, Elbo Room, Double Door, and House of Blues full of people reliving their 90s nostalgia. A lot of money was left on the table as well as a lot of opportunity to get our name out to a larger audience. 

(RJ) I just wish I took recording myself seriously when I was younger.

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, lyrically or just in general?

(Davey) I can’t think of anything really. I was fine with the masks when they were deemed necessary, but it’s a lot more comfortable playing without them. I’m just here to slappa da bass.

(RJ) lol yea I agree with Davey..as far as politics and COVID go.. is what it is. But I will say we’re very spoiled to live in Chicago and be able to interact with so many great musicians on a daily basis.

How did this recording compare to the experiences you had with your previous releases?

(Davey) Studio time is my time to shine! I’m not a great bass player, but I’m pretty okay. Somehow when we’re paying by the hour I get my shit together and lay it all down in one or two takes. (The other guys are probably grinding their teeth while reading this.) But it’s a good time hanging with the boys and taking time off from life’s other responsibilities.

(RJ) This is my first release with A&G! And it was also my first time working with Dan Tinkler, who’s just an awesome dude that brings the perfect amount of joking around and hard work to the table.

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?

(Davey) Footballhead. 

(RJ) Cliffhanger, Action/Adventure, Wolf Rd, and Overbearing. Gootttaaaa shout out the Chicago scene

Now that the world has its hands on the EP,  what’s next for Alleys and Gangways?

(Davey) More of the same- gigging and writing. At the end of the day my goal is just to be happy with what I’m doing, and as long as I’m making and playing music that I enjoy I can rest my head.

What do you wish I asked about or that you had more of an opportunity to speak about during this interview?

(Davey) Maybe some gear related questions? But I just started getting more into my rig setup, so maybe I’m just excited to talk about it. I dunno.

---

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.