SPIll Your Guts: A Ska Punk International Fest interview with Runaway Ricochet

Ska Punk International‘s SPI Fest will return for another weekend of ska and ska-punk in 2024. This year’s event taking place on 17 May and 18 May, has relocated to a new, all-ages venue known as 25 Central Street in Windsor, CT. Tickets can be purchased here. The annual festival will feature Catbite, Mutiny, Stop The Presses, PWRUP, Call Me Malcolm and our SPIll Your Guts interview guest, Eric Saxton of Runaway Ricochet. Check out the band’s just released record Diminishing Returns and then check out what Saxton has to say below.

Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview! You are gearing up for SPI Fest in the coming months, what does the festival circuit mean to individual artists like yourselves?

Being a part of SPI fest gives us a reason to get back out on the road! We went out east last summer and had a blast, and with SPI fest being in Connecticut this year we are very eager to cement some of the friendships we made last year. In a more general term, a festival can be an anchor date for a touring band to give a little more financial stability. It allows up and coming bands to play new markets without going too far in the red. Lastly I’ll say that festivals are a wonderful gathering of like minded people where you can meet the bands you’ve talked with through DMs and feel a part of something really special in the moment.

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?

I think that the modern wave of bands are doing something a little different with ska compared to the last major boom in the 90s. With music being so accessible via streaming, musicians have a huge pool of genres to take influence from. Modern ska also seems very rooted in social issues such as human rights and political conflict. There’s a more serious tone compared to the goofier 3rd wave bands that dominated the genre, and people’s expectations of the genre. Pair that with a new generation like myself that wasn’t around for the 90’s boom and got into the music without the burden of stereotypes and it’s not so crazy to think that there is a resurgence.

What does Runaway Ricochet have planned for us beyond SPI Fest?

It really depends on how the audience receives us. We would love to make it out on the road more often. Our album Diminishing Returns has been in the works for the last 6 years so while I already have a bunch of new songs written, we want to make sure we give this batch of songs the attention that they deserve now that the public is hearing them for the first time. 

What have been some of the most memorable moments or experiences with the band so far? What’s been the most unexpected? The weirdest?

We played this festival called Galactic Get Down back in 2022 in New Richmond, Wisconsin. We were playing the campground stage Saturday night, and this crazy storm rolls in. They had to cut power towards the end of our set because it was looking pretty severe. They started moving everyone under the structure we were set up at. We got an acoustic guitar from some stranger and finished our written set without power. After the set was finished we started playing songs that everyone could sing along to; 2000’s emo. Of course once the storm settled we went back to our tents to find everything had flooded out. Aside from that though we try and find places to sleep every night on the road instead of paying for a hotel, and that’s always going to create some wacky experience and a story for when we get home

Speaking of live shows, what are you most excited to bring to the SPI Fest audience? What do you want those in attendance to take away from your set?

We aim to shred faces off while getting some laughs in between the songs. I try to make every show feel like a unique experience, and I don’t want to spoil any of the surprises for our set at SPI Fest. Bottom line is that it is not a set to be missed, and there will be some special guests throughout.

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?

Probably initially announcing the album last year with the single release of “Uncle Qrow.” Lesson learned, do not announce anything until you have the product in hand as timelines change as do opportunities. I was overly eager to get these songs out there without budgeting enough time to really get this record to a place everyone in the band was happy with. 

The ska scene gets a lot of flack from every genre of music (including ska itself) but is also almost always at the forefront of inclusion and diversity within the music scenes.  What is it about the scene that attracts such a welcoming fanbase?  What is it about ska that leaves itself so vulnerable to mockery in the music world?

Well with ska’s roots being based around the community of the working class and immigrants, social and political issues are always going to be a part of the scene. One of the most talked about issues in underground music is that there is not enough diversity, so of course the people drawn to ska are going to have some thoughts on the matter. Ska also has that rich history that is documented, so any new fan of the music that wants to do the research is gonna see what this community is about. As far as mockery goes, I think the genre is distancing itself from the goofiness of the past. It’s an easy target though so anyone who’s heard a ska joke is gonna assume others will find it funny if they joke about it as well.

We are living in a “just deal with COVID” world and everything about this timeline is some level of completely fucked, and the upcoming election sure as shit isn’t cooling any temperatures.  What impact, if any, does the current cultural and political landscape have on the band and the scene in general?

People generally write music about things they’re passionate about. A heated political climate is going to inspire political music. I personally don’t take inspiration much from politics as it just gets me really down when I think about it too much. There are other bands out there that are way more informed on the matter as well. Something our band has always been passionate about is being environmentally conscious. We would love to be more involved with activism in that area.

Minnesota isn’t really the first place that comes to mind when I think of ska, but Runaway Ricochet has done a great job of blending the wintery standoffish-ness of the Twin City punk scene with the summery vibes of island ska.  Was there an intentional mashup to your sound, or did it just come about organically?  What is it about Minnesota that feeds into the punk-y sound so well and why doesn’t the region get the credit it deserves for the music it puts out?

I think environment is definitely a factor in songwriting and genre. Lyrics have always been really important to me and emo can have a really big focus on lyricism. The first time I went to a house show also really shifted my view on the local scene and what I wanted to do with the band. Minnesota can have really long grueling winters which allows a lot of time for introspection and bottling up energy. Basement shows are a crazy release of this energy, and everyone knows as soon as the band stops they can go outside and get cooled off instantly. Before the pandemic there were a dozen houses throwing shows every weekend, it was a really great time to be in the scene. It’s this combination of melancholic isolation, and extremely energetic shows that really give MN punk its sound in my opinion. There’s also a great community here and a variety of venues. Anyone living here knows how special our scene is. I’m sure that can be said for any big city though, and only a handful ever break out into regional success. I think musicians are pretty aware of Minneapolis as a whole though.

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?  On the flipside to that one… Who are some bands on your radar that TGEFM readers may not know about, but you think they should know about?

The first time I heard The Holophonics Phantom Arrivals record it definitely helped me realize that was the closest thing to the music I wanted to create. Going back a little further Rx Bandits is a huge influence on my writing and once I fell in love with their music I knew I didn’t just want to be a ska/punk band. Other bands that I hugely admire the songwriting from are The Anchorage and Flying Raccoon Suit, but I discovered them after writing this latest album. Also gotta give a shoutout to Jeff Rosenstock and his entire discography as that’s another huge songwriting inspiration. Locally, seeing Remo Drive as they were coming up was inspiring. In the DIY scene, Niiice. was always a blast to see live. My personal favorite local punk band is Mister Wes. As a group though we love playing shows with Space Monkey Mafia. They’re like our twin flame in the local scene.

There’s a karaoke machine at the SPI afterparty, what song are you playing? 

“It’s The End Of The World As We Know It” – R.E.M.

SPI Fest is a smorgasbord of fantastic acts. Which bands are you most excited to see?

Top picks would be: Call Me Malcolm, The Best Of The Worst, PWRUP, Kmoy, Joker’s Republic. 

Was there anything I missed that you’d like to share or dive deeper into with our readers?

If you wanna know more you gotta come out to a show and talk to us!