ARTIST: Punchline
TITLE: Thrilled
LABEL: Invouge Records
GENRE: Punk Rock
BITRATE: 250kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 40m total
RELEASE DATE: 2015-12-04
RIP DATE: 2015-12-07
Track List
----------
1. Thrilled 3:35
2. Now I See 4:04
3. Tell Me How You Sleep 4:20
4. No Stopping Us 3:59
5. Telephone Pole 4:33
6. Let It Rise 3:23
7. Oh, Sierra 4:09
8. Answer Me 3:27
9. Simulation 4:32
10. Green Hills 4:40
Release Notes:
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away I started a band with my friends. They
were the only people that would start a band with me, and that was plenty enough
for me. We made a plan to practice the next day and we did. We learned how to
play Green DayÆs song ôOne Of My Lies.ö
I had never sang before, but sure why not. I sounded terrible, but it was a good
enough place to start. Our bassist Chris would sing, too. He brought in songs he
wrote from home. He wrote out the lyrics in his gorgeously cartoony handwriting
and drew little pictures on them. Our songs were shaky, but they were enough to
fill our drummer PJÆs basement with friends who came to watch us imitate our
favorite bands (MXPX, Less Than Jake, Rancid û though thinking of myself
imitating Tim Armstrong now gives me a good laugh).
We went to college out of high school because it was expected of us, but we had
other plans. Our friend Paul joined the band and every weekend weÆd bail out of
Pittsburgh to see how far we could get and still be back for class on Monday.
All weekend weÆd drive insane distances to play shows that certainly werenÆt
worth those long distances, but it didnÆt matter.
The four of us poured all of our time into our band. There was nothing else. We
honestly played pretty much any show we were asked to. We found ourselves thrown
across the country to places like El Paso, where we somehow opened up for RX
Bandits (we had asked to play and someone had said yes, likely because they
couldnÆt believe we had the nerve).
We came back home for less and less time. Within a few years, we had played a
thousand shows. We made friends around the country. We grew more confident.
Confident enough to walk up to Henry Rollins at a truckstop and give him a CD
(if anyone wants to hear that full story, I would love to tell it).
We always did what felt natural to us. Other bands were pitching themselves to
record labels, but it felt more natural to us to tour a lot and wait to see if
anyone took notice. This somehow worked out tremendously; we signed to Fueled By
Ramen and toured with all these crazy bands who started blowing up and
practically becoming sex symbols (whatÆs up Pete). We, however, wore big floppy
Dickies shorts all the time and literally had no style. ItÆs cool though. ItÆs
pretty funny actually.
We found ourselves in more and more crazy places. In countries outside of our
own. On stages in rooms that were (finally) packed. We played our hearts out,
just like we had back when the rooms were far from packed.
We didnÆt want to ride the coattails of our famous friends, because this seemed
unnatural and, for lack of a better word, pretty icky. For the first time,
things started to slow down. We began touring much less. It was a relief to be
home for a while, but it was also a little scary that we didnÆt know what would
come next.
I remember spending a lot of time in my bedroom, making some really cool and
different song ideas. Songwriting was the constant that kept me driving, even
when I didnÆt know who or what I was writing these songs for.
Some of our brothers took breaks from being in the band. At the time, I was
angry with them, but looking back it all makes sense. Those kinds of breaks or
departures are totally natural. I wish I hadnÆt been so dramatic about it, but
at that time I also had a soul patch, so thatÆs just one of many things I wish I
could go back and change.
As people inevitably do, we grew up. We developed our own lives outside of the
band. Explored other creative avenues. I took it as far to as to move to another
city, to try and wipe the creative slate clean I guess. Nashville is filled with
amazing, creative people doing really awesome things in music. There were
opportunities to make a little bit of money through music, but I quickly found
out that most of them didnÆt have much heart.
I began to realize (again): Stick with your people. Grow with your people. Stop
trying to climb some creative ladder t