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.
Whippersnappers The Problem With Kids Today have crafted one of the best records of 2024 with Born To Rock. TGEFM was lucky enough to chat with the band’s Silas Lourenco Lang about the record, the problem with old folks and what’s next.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Congrats on the recent release of Born To Rock. I love the throwback and gritty vibes it gives off. What can you tell us about The Problem With Kids Today for readers just discovering the band?
Thanks for having us! The Problem With Kids Today are a capital R “Rock and Roll” band of the finest sort. We play fast, we play loud, and we play with energy and passion. We try our best to have fun and be genuine every step of the way, from the writing to the recording and into the live show.
You’re all pretty young, but there’s a definite 70s/80s CBGB’s bathroom feel to the record. Who introduced you to that style of rock? 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?
Through our parents mostly. They were always playing music cleaning the house, in the car to school or wherever, so bands like The Ramones, Talking Heads, and The Smiths were always on and it was just part of us. Then as we got a little older we sort of rediscovered those bands for ourselves and totally fell in love.
For the entirety of my life, I’ve heard crotchety old shitbags whining about the problem with kids today… from where you stand whats the problem with previous generations today?
Exactly that! They’re too crotchety!! They’ve forgotten what it’s like to be kids! But obviously not everyone, there’s a lot of people from older generations who we love and respect.
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?
So this isn’t really a regret, more of an unfortunate missed opportunity. I think was 2 years ago or so we had a gig lined up with this band APB from Scotland, who some of you may know. Reena, who plays drums, was visiting family in Korea and was due to be back a few days before the show. Unfortunately as she went to leave and board the plane she tested positive for COVID, so she had to stay and quarantine, which meant we couldn’t play the gig. But she made it back safe and sound after which is the important part!
What have been some of the most memorable moments or experiences within the scene so far? What’s been the most unexpected? The weirdest?
Honestly meeting Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth was super surreal. Like we said earlier we’ve been listening to the Talking Heads our whole lives and it was just one of those things you never thought would happen. I still can’t believe they like us! Other than that, there’s been a whole host of weirdos and characters we’ve met – like guys begging us to take our shoes off onstage, for example. But I guess that’s par for the course when you play Rock and Roll.
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?
Our 3 favorite bands from New Haven that I think you all should check out are The Ambulance Chasers (who just put out a great new record themselves), Qween Kong, and SKAVS. All super talented and all great friends of ours.
Now that the world has its hands on the record, what’s next for TPWKT?
Shows! Lots and lots of shows around the New England area. We’ll be doing a quick little tour at the end of March – 3/20-3/23 in Manhattan, Kearney, Cambridge, and Pawtucket – and a fair bit in New Haven of course. More dates to come! We’ll announce them over on our Instagram (@theproblemwithkidstoday)
What do you wish I asked about or that you had more of an opportunity to speak about during this interview?
The record! We just released a great new record on all streaming services. It’s a big beast, recorded in about a week at the legendary Q Division studios with vet Adam Lasus! Go check it out!!
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/
