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.
LA’s Jughead’s Revenge have been in the game on and off since 1989 as one of the greats in the melodic skate punk scene. The band recently announced they will be releasing a brand new EP, Vultures, on 5 May through Sbam Records. TGEFM is honored to have spoken to the legendary frontman of Jughead’s Revenge, Joe Doherty in the latest of our Roll of the Dice Interview series.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Congrats on the release of “I’ll Be Seeing You” and the announcement of the upcoming EP. What can you tell us about the band today and the songwriting process on these tracks?
Thank you. The writing / recording process for this record was different from the others. We did all of it during COVID, so there were a ton of delays. Other than that, it’s pretty standard for us.
We wrote Vultures at Joey’s (Joey Rimicci; guitars) place, then recorded it at the same studio where we did American Gestures a few months before. Tracking was done in 4 days.
It’s been over 30 years since Jughead’s Revenge formed. What has changed the most in the scene from your perspective?
In the last 30 years, there has been many changes and trends that have come and gone. One thing the usually sticks out to me is how safe and nice punk rock is presently.
I’m not saying that’s either go or bad, only that it’s there. One element that made punk so fun was it’s unpredictability and even it’s dangerous moments that came with being punk. That was part of the fun. I don’t see much of that anymore.
What stood out most to you with this recording compared to your previous trips to the studio?
What stood out to me was the chemistry between the band and producer Jay Stolo. He had great ideas and brought the best performances out of all of us.
You guys are touring this year, are you finding the new fans meshing well with the ones who’ve been around a while? Has the post-pandemic world affected your attitudes or habits for live performances?
That’s a good question, I’m feeling less anxious about playing live than I did in 2021. As for new fans, I’d imagine they will be a lot like the old ones. Only younger.
What affect, if any, have the cultural and political landscapes of the last few years had on your music?
I don’t think we are a political band. Our politics are personal, not thinking so much about global issues, but more of the issues that confront us everyday. Yes, there is say, police brutality going on in other parts of the world, but I’m focusing on avoiding the cops in my own neighborhood.
The single “American Gestures” touches on these kind of topics. The United States is in what can be compared to the end days of the Roman Empire. What was once leader of the free world is now destroying itself from the inside.
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?
Local LA bands like Surfbort and Dead City are my personal favorites. I’m doing some guest vocals on the upcoming record by Canadian band Quest Kon-Fuse. They are an awesome band.
Now that the world will soon have its hands on the record, what’s next for Jughead’s Revenge?
Touring Europe this June. Hopefully everywhere else after that. Stay tuned.
Was there anything I missed that you’d like to share or dive deeper into with our readers?
“I’ll Be Seeing You” now streaming everywhere!
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/
