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.
Ohio rockers To Kill A Monster have been slaying for nearly 20 years and winning fans over at every stop of their tours. Now the band has joined TGEFM to roll some dice and participate in an interview. Take a look at what vocalist Joey Lawson and guitarist Josh Mergler have to say about their sound, playing Warped Tour with a random drummer and what we can expect from TKAM in 2024.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Congrats on the upcoming release of the new single “The Past.” What can you tell us about To Kill A Monster and your sound for readers just discovering the
band?
Joey Lawson – We’re a punk, rock, screamo, post hardcore, emo, pop punk, something for everyone type of band. If you love 90s era rock though, you’ll find something to love in at least one of our songs.
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?
Joey – I grew up on country music. The day I stumbled upon the music video on tv for “Candyman” by Aqua changed everything. It was right then I knew how much more music was out there and that I wanted to make it. After that it was listening to the album Smash by The Offspring. That album cemented what I wanted from music.
Josh Mergler – I was really into thrash metal when I was like 14, and I got really into Megadeth and in particular Dave Mustaine. I remember reading his autobiography and just being super into it and having those crazy parties and stuff and living that lifestyle. Obviously like a lot of the drugs and stuff arent good and that stuff isnt cool, but it was all still deeply interesting.
The new single “The Past” and its video is clearly influenced by nostalgia. The scene has seen something of a renaissance in the last few years. What do you see that’s going on out there that has gotten so many people back on this latest wave in the scene?
Joey – I can’t help but feel like getting older just makes everyone feel that way. The band lifestyle makes it easier to shout about it and give people a way to vent through shouting along. Life gets too heavy real fast.
Josh – Because of how messed up the world has gotten and how much things have changed, sometimes not for the best. The past is something we can look back on and remember when things werent as troubled and stressful.
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?
Joey – I definitely would of started learning guitar sooner. Other than that the main thing I
regret is just not finding the right studio for what we were going for sooner. Went to so many
different ones early on. If anything else, it would of been to just take more chances early on.
Josh – I wish that I had been taught lessons when I was younger, and I wish that I would have
pursued music as a college degree in some way, whether it was a music theory education or a
performing musician. I constantly feel like my lack of musical training is a hinderance to
effectively and efficiently making music.
What have been some of the most memorable moments or experiences as a touring musician so far? What’s been the most unexpected? The weirdest?
Joey – The most memorable to me is just meeting all the different people. Hearing peoples stories, and just having a blast where the only thing that matters is music. Brings out the best people. I remember sitting outside God knows where talking about how to juggle touring and having a family and just living life in the moment with people. Sleeping on strangers living room floors that were kind enough to open them to us, and talking about all the different music and bands and times. I’ll also never forget the time we played one of our Vans Warped Tour
sets where our drummer didn’t show, so the drummer from the band before us, who’d never even heard us before, stayed up there straight winging our entire set and it was actually incredible. Also Denver Colorado elevation sickness can go ahead and never happen again and that’d be great!
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?
Joey – The Day After, Native World, Chromarama, Sink Faster, Faith In Failure, Midview, FivebyFive, More Than Never, 8LB Pressure, Dread Engine, Dead Cassette, Lost Past Everest, Harmless Habit, ATTN Deficit Squirrel, The Dead Don’t Sleep, Static Spirit, Black Sasquatch, Undergrads, The Scratches, and so many more.
Josh – Hurtwave, Bilmuri, Fear Culture, Five By Five, Buzz
Now that the world has its hands on the single, what’s next for To Kill A Monster?
Joey – Next up is the announcement of our new ep with another video all releasing in April!
We’ll be following that up with The Newport Music Hall in Columbus Ohio with Bobaflex April
27th. Got a whole bunch of other things scattered through the year, and excited to keep
working on the next batch of new songs that have already started. Stoked to find out what
everyone thinks of the new music coming out!
What do you wish I asked about or that you had more of an opportunity to speak about during this interview?
Joey – I’m not really sure, so I’ll leave you with this. If anyone reading this has a dream, chase it. Chase it harder than you possibly think you ever could. Focus on you and live this life to the fullest because things change quick. Most of all enjoy the ride.
Josh – That aspiring musicians shouldnt give up on their goals. There have been so many times where I have wanted to give up because I was having a musical writing block, or frustrated trying to learn to use a DAW, or struggling to understand music theory and apply it to writing. But its important to understand you have to struggle through those moments and its all necessary to molding you into the person and musician you want to be.
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/
