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.
Have you checked out Mass Hysteria, yet? The new record from New Jersey’s nerdy ska outfit Backyard Superheroes is so damn good! TGEFM highly recommends you click this link to download, press play on the record and then check out our interview with the band below.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Congratulations on the recent release of Mass Hysteria! Let’s start it off by talking a little bit about how that album came into existence. What was going on at the time that helped kickstart and influence the songwriting process?
(Josh): Honestly? A lot. Like…everything, everywhere all at once is a pretty accurate description. When first starting the album I was in a weird headspace, as we were starting to really begin writing back in early 2020 – we all know what happened a few months later. Personally, it was my first time really paying attention to my mental well-being and really experiencing a crisis as a severe extrovert stuck inside. Even when lockdown was completely gone, the world never really felt the same since. BUT there was so much positive that happened at that time too to celebrate in the band – weddings, engagements, new parents. You can’t always just focus on the rougher side, and that’s a big theme on this album.
(Tam) – There was a lot happening. Covid, some members becoming parents, really a multitude of factors. Some of the songs had already been previously written and had new life breathed into them with our new lineup.
(Brian) First, thank you! I can let some of our veterans of the band answer this, but I definitely feel like we really got into a rhythm about a month after I joined. I auditioned in December 2022, and we really started writing and focusing on practicing and developing new material in late January 2023 after my first show. It was an amazing process and so cool to be a part of!
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?
(Tam) – I was like 7 or 8 years old and I remember hearing Green Day’s “Basket Case” on the radio. They were my gateway. They are/were a lot of “this is it” moments, but, if I had to pick the spark that started the fire I think it’s safe to say that Green Day would be it.
(Josh): Sum 41 – All Killer, No Filler. That’s the band that made me pick up a guitar in the first place – I love the technical guitar riffs alongside the vocal hooks and sing-a-longs. Then a friend gave me a copy of Hello Rockview and I was completely sold to the ska-punk side.
(Gary): I’m a huge hair metal/glam rock fan. So I wanted a little bit of that flair in there. You can hear it in some of the riffs for sure. I wanted a big riff album
(Brian) For me, it was a moment when I was in high school. I was going into my freshman year, playing trumpet in my school’s marching band, when my brother and I took a trip to Tower Records on Route 17 in Paramus and we purchased two CD’s: Hang Ups by Goldfinger (amazing album, honestly my favorite Goldfinger album by a mile), and the album that changed my life: Turn the Radio Off by Reel Big Fish. I just remember listening to the horns on that album and thinking to myself; “I can do that?!?! That’s what I wanna do! I want people to love music just like I love this music right now!” It not only influenced me to be a musician, but also to be a music teacher, two professions that I proudly do today. I just remember riding on my inline skates around my neighborhood with my cheap mp3 player listening to that album on repeat, skating around my town thinking I was the coolest kid in town, something I can assure you I most definitely was not!
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?
(Gary): Tough to say we have any regrets as a band. Everything we’ve done has gotten us to this point. I do think there’s some communication issues I wish we (and I) were better at early on. And I did wear some regretful outfits on stage…..
(Tam): “The people you see on your way up will be the same ones you see on your way down.” Is probably the most important bit of musical advice I’ve ever been given. I wish I understood better when I had received that advice, but an experienced C is more valuable than an ignorant A.
(Brian): “Regrets, I’ve got a few…” Honestly, I don’t have many regrets because I firmly believe we all learn best from our own short-comings and failures. However, if I were to say one, it would be that I wish I worked harder for those that truly believed in me when I honestly didn’t in college. I did nothing but sabotage myself in the early going, that by the time I recognized what I was doing, it was almost too late. I still graduated and did pretty well in the end of my time in college, but I can’t help but always have that regret in the back of my mind because there were people that really tried to help me be the best I could possibly be, but I just wasn’t receptive early on. So to that I say: to those who tried to pull my head from my rear end, I’m truly sorry for not listening sooner, but I hope that you’re at least a little proud that I turned out alright in the end.
(Josh): Back before the world fell apart, Backyard Superheroes played with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones (this was well before the whole ‘Dicky Barrett makes bad decisions’ debacle). I had to go to a work conference and missed the show, which ended up being our only time opening for them! Even worse, it was to attend an award show that I was neither giving or receiving an award. Luckily we had Tam step in and save the day, but I still get mad at my old boss for that whenever I think about it. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID, DAVE!
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?
(Tam) – The view. All the amazing sights and marvels that the world has to offer if you just look up. I remember driving overnight through the desert heading back east through the twilight hours. Everything was still, and besides the road you could hardly separate the ground from the sky; I was listening to Claire de Lune by Debussy and then all of a sudden there’s the sunrise. A literal explosion of colors in the sky. Absolutely breath taking.
(Josh): For me, memorable would go straight to the old Backyard Campout that we used to hold at an old friend’s place. 24 bands, 2 nights of camping, and got to bring in a few bands from out of state that ended up becoming good friends. Most unexpected was probably the time we almost died in Pittsburgh…or when Gary made a kid break his ankle at the skate park. Weirdest is hard to gauge as we are a pretty weird band to be honest. Probably when we got to play with First Jason, with the singer being the original actor from Friday 13th that played Jason Voorhees – that was the same night Gary ended up bleeding from his head that I am sure someone else will bring up!
(Brian) In my short time in Backyard Superheroes, I can wholeheartedly say that it’s been a trip to say the least! There’s always something fun and zany going on! But if I were to name one (and I hate to say it about one of us, but oh well), it’d be this: we played a show a few months back where our tenor sax player, Gary (love you, bud!), tripped getting back on stage and bashed his head into one of the monitors. He was a bloody mess and we stopped our set for a good five-ten minutes as we sorted out the emergency. Luckily, Gary was ok, just needed a few stitches and was a little worse for wear, but thankfully not only was be ok and we were able to finish our set (and even an encore!), but Gary had his wits to make sure that we took pictures of his own aftermath, and that is how we ended up with the art on our single of Mass Hysteria!
Backyard Superheroes is from NJ. It’s such an interesting, diverse and generally under-appreciated place that has bred so much amazing music. Why do you think the area churns out so many brilliant musicians and songwriters? How does the area feed into the music you are writing, if at all?
(Gary): NJ is a melting point of arts and culture. It’s truly a remarkable state- you can go skiing, go to the beach, hike, gamble, go to multiple cities, and get the pizza in the world all within a 2 hour radius.
(Tam) – I also think NJ is a perfect, like, melting pot. It really does have something to offer any and everyone. City Hustle and Bustle, Beach and surf life, rolling hills, mountains and farmland. All within, like, 2hrs of driving.
(Josh): When you’re sitting in traffic on 287 or the parkway, you go through a lot of different feelings: aggression, disappointment, dwelling on life mistakes, a small moment of joy when the asshole in the left lane going 20 under the speed limit finally moves over…there is just motivation for lyrics everywhere you go!
(Brian): It’s a case of you just have to live here for long enough to truly know and understand. There are certainly some towns you drive through in New Jersey and think “wow, this is what Less Than Jake was talking about in ‘History of a Boring Town!’” But, I digress. New Jersey is honestly an amazing place to live and I cannot picture myself anywhere else. If I were to pinpoint how we churn out inspiration, it takes a village; it takes amazing families that support each other in their endeavors, the educators of this state to help give the younger generation the confidence and tools to use their voice, and the multitude of musicians that have come from New Jersey that have essentially said “if I can do it, you can too!”. Hell, all of those reasons are why I’m here today writing this!
I won’t call it a ska revival because ska is something that’s never gone away, but there is a massive rejuvenation of the scene with We Are The Union, The Kilograms and Catbite. What is going on out there that has gotten so many people back on their boards to ride this latest wave of ska?
(Gary): I honestly don’t think there are any bands or labels driving any sort of revival. We’ve been here for a long time. What I do think you are seeing now is all those nerdy ska loving theater kids (like myself) now writing for movies and tv shows and hosting podcasts. That’s why you are seeing ska referenced in things like The After Party, Renfield. Brooklyn 99, Legends of Tomorrow etc… so I think ska is just referenced more in mainstream pop culture, which is bringing attention to a lot of us bands that have been here for a while anyway
(Brian): It’s so tough to pinpoint, but I can honestly say that no matter what, good music always finds its avenue. People will always recognize talent and something special when it appears in front of them. I think that and the revival of 3rd wave groups like Sublime and No Doubt obviously help, but this revival started well before they appeared at Coachella, in my opinion.
(Tam) – I think post covid world has sort of help put things into perspective for a lot of people out there. What they truly want. taking care of themselves, and truly letting go of the things that don’t matter, or at least releasing what no longer serves us: mentally, physically, spiritually, what have you. I believe that music is a celebration of life and I think that at its core
(Josh): I don’t necessarily see it as a revival or even a real change from how things have been since I started getting into the local scene. There is still a weird mentality, almost gatekeeping about ska punk fitting in with the rest of the genre, or that music has to be serious in tone or it is making a joke of the genre. There are so many lesser known ska and ska punk bands that don’t necessarily tour, but for folks wondering where to find new music, I can almost guarantee there is a nearby ska scene with some rad and talented folks playing their hearts out.
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?
(Tam)⁃ The Phensic ⁃ Title Holder ⁃ The Elovators ⁃ Danvers ⁃ The End Times
(Gary): ska bands are a lot more accessible now then maybe 15 years ago. I remember searching online for any new ska band, but now I find a new one every day. Some GREAT bands I’d recommend – Something to Do, CodeName Rocky, The Skluttz, The Kittyhawks, Pink Slip, The Odd Advantage, Bounce House
(Josh): Some old, some new, some ska, some not: The Skluttz (happy belated b-day, Lindz!), Runaway Ricochet, The End Times, The Abruptors, Matamoska, The Phensic, Title Holder, Emerson Woolf & The Wishbones, Ren, Black Cat Attack, Danvers, Father Before Me.
(Brian): There are a number I could name, just based on who we’ve played with over the last few years and who I regularly listen to on Spotify, so I’ll just list some in no particular order: The Going Rate, Runaway Ricochet, The Phensic, Title Holder, Millington, Joker’s Republic, Matamoska, Random Hand, Call Me Malcolm, Bite Me Bambi. I know I’m leaving a few bands out, but that’s who I’ve thought of at the current moment. At any rate, to anyone reading, go out of your way to listen to me music and support local musicians, it means so much to so many of us!
What’s next for the members of Backyard Superheroes?
(Brian): Who knows! And it’s a wonderful thing! We’ve got a few shows on our horizon that we’re planning for that takes us through the summer and into the fall, then we’ll see from there. Either way, we’re all enjoying the journey and enjoying each other’s company!
(Tam) – Lunch?
(Gary): probably tacos for dinner
(Josh): If all goes well, some sleep before the next show. Maybe even a little time to enjoy the release and see which songs work best on stage before we do it all over again.
Was there anything I missed that you’d like to share or dive deeper into with our readers?
(Brian): I’ll just leave it at this: thank you to everyone who has listened and complemented us along the way. It really means so much that you liked what we all worked so hard on and we’d love to see you at a show and say hi. Until then, here’s a quote from The Muppet Movie that sums up my thoughts: “keep believing, keep pretending, we’ve done what we’ve set out to do, thanks to the lovers, the dreamers, and you.” Sorry to get so sappy, but either way, enjoy the album and support local ska and local musicians!
(Josh): To anyone that made it this far, just know you’re not in this whole ‘life’ thing alone, no matter how it may feel at times. Everyone has their own battles and just because someone else has it worse, it doesn’t mean your problems matter any less. Keep your chin up, check in on your friends, and try to give yourself a break sometimes. Maybe take a day or even an hour off next week and listen to some music, go for a hike, sit in a chair outside, and take it all in. Hope you enjoy the new tunes <3
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/
