Long Island has a long history of outstanding punk acts, and that legacy seems to remain in good standing thanks to bands like Gone Stereo carrying the torch. Joining the roster of the recently resurrected Negative Progression Records and dropping the new single “Twin Pines” today is just the next step in bringing the LIPP sound to the rest of the country. Chris Lynman joined us for a Roll of the Dice to discuss the new single, the Long Island legacy and what’s next for the Gone Stereo crew.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Congratulations on the release of the new single, “Twin Pines”! What can you tell us about Gone Stereo, how you got together and the new tune?
Gone Stereo came together about a year and a half ago. Matty had some songs done and wanted to play shows, so we got together through and with mutual friends and here we are! The first batch of songs were mostly done and written when the band formed, however, “Twin Pines” is one of the first really “collaborative” songs we wrote together as a band- so you can definitely hear what everyone is bringing to the sound here.
Matty had what became the chorus riff or whatever, and we all did our thing, and now it’s a Gone Stereo song.
What stood out most to you with this recording compared to your previous trips to the studio?
I feel like this recording was kind of a roller coaster for so many reasons, so in the end we’re just happy to have something to put out. John Naclerio always does an amazing job, and Chris Badami killed it with the mix on this… we’re always taking what we’ve learned, about recording, and ourselves, and applying it to the new stuff- and hopefully a progression will emerge.
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?
For me, it was those silly formative years between 6th and 9th grade. A friend’s older brother turned me on to REM and The Ramones, and that was pretty much the end of it- I fell in love with music, and then Nirvana and eventually Operation Ivy, Green Day, and Bad Religion– couple that with falling in with a bunch of guys in high school that actually played instruments and had bands- that’s when it became real- a thing you could do with your friends that was unsupervised, loud, fast, and fun… yeah, I’m in.
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?
As always, its a bummer when schedules don’t work out for shows, we all love playing, and it hurts seeing a show happen that you were asked to play, but for whatever reason you couldn’t. But, we’re all dudes with lives and responsibilities outside of the band too- so to answer fully- regrets- not many- I just love playing and am always thankful for whatever opportunities come our way!
Long Island, for a long time, has had a reputation within the scene. How has the “LIPP” tag affected the band? Is there a pressure to maintain the high bar previously set and/or a credibility that comes along with the locale?
I’m super proud to be from such a creative place. LI is as vibrant with underground music as it has ever been. That said, I’m thinking about three bands other than ours that would fall under that “pop punk” umbrella, and they couldn’t sound more different to me. And yes there is pressure, but I think it is self-imposed. I hear a new song from a band like Lunacy Commission, or Playing Dead, and I’m thinking, “Damn my friends are killing it… gotta try to step it up… keep up…” I think in a good way though- not competitive, but encouraging.
There are so many awesome bands and talented people on this godforsaken island, and we’re just super thankful to be able to share both the “Long Island Band” label and the stage with such amazing bands.
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, but since 2020, it does seem like the live experience has been rejuvenated for the crowds and artists. How has the live scene changed over these last few years?
Everything seems to be moving in an upward trajectory again, and there seems to be a bunch of optimism and buzz in and around the local scene. I’m not necessarily sure if it is rejuvenation so much, but maybe people, after COVID royally screwed everything up, see how precious this space, these bands, this music, and this scene really is, and how quickly it can be “taken away,” and there’s a new level of appreciation for what we may have taken for granted…? But in the end, what do I know?
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?
Yeah, our friends on LI are unbelievable in their creativity, each release by each band is better than their last-Lunacy Commission
The Pilot Program
Bitters and Distractions
Playing Dead
Morning Fuzz
Skappository
Half Dizzy
Roderik
And I’m sure I’m gonna send you this answer and think of seven more bands that need to be mentioned.
What’s next for the members of Gone Stereo?
We have a few more singles that were planning to trickle out over the next few months, and a few shows booked for the warmer months, but I’m super excited because we are beginning to demo out some new songs and get some writing done.
Was there anything I missed that you’d like to share or dive deeper into with our readers?
Please keep your eyes open for more from us in the next few months- follow and interact on all the socials, but most of all- just be good to each other, and always remember to subvert the dominant paradigm.
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.
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/
